Morality vs. Obedience

â€Å"If you can’t give a good reason for believing what you believe, then it’s not your belief; it’s someone else’s. † Morality vs. Obedience How would someone tease apart this blanket statement and how would they compare it to morality and obedience in less than three pages? Well, this is how I would. First, I’d start by making clear that belief is different from knowledge. Knowledge can be defined as â€Å"a clear perception of a truth or fact, erudition; skill from practice. A belief can be defined as â€Å"an assent to anything proposed or declared, and its acceptance as fact by reason of the authority from whence it proceeds, apart from personal knowledge; faith. † So, to be clear, knowledge is dropping a ball and knowing that it will fall to the ground because of prior experience and the perception that the existence of gravity is a fact. Belief would be dropping the ball and believing it will float because your older brother t old you it would. Next, I would establish that this statement is not staking claim on any measure of truth as it relates to beliefs or knowledge.Beliefs and knowledge are both dynamic concepts on all organizational levels of the human experience, from the individual to the global. Lets take for example the statement, â€Å"The Earth is flat. † Five hundred years ago, this statement was knowledge. Today, it’s knowledge that this statement is false. Knowledge changes based on the information and evidence available to us at any point in time. This is also true of beliefs but in a different way. When most of us were young, we believed in the Tooth Fairy. Why? Because someone told us she was real.However, this belief changed as we began to mature and rely more upon our own abilities to discern truth from fiction. Thus, we have established that both knowledge and belief are subjective but for different reasons. Belief requires no evidence, while knowledge requires evidence a nd/or experience. I would now like to make a comparative argument regarding morality and obedience. Simply put, morality is ‘doing what’s right, regardless of what anyone says’ and obedience is ‘doing what your told, regardless of what’s right. One can think of many examples regarding these concepts as they are defined but I will leave this to the reader’s imagination. There is a simple truth to defining obedience and morality in this manner that I find directly comparable to the examined quotation. Neither belief nor obedience require an individual or group to actively engage in an activity or thought process independently. There is no critical thinking involved and one must put their faith in the ‘rightness’ or ‘truth’ of another’s belief, knowledge or otherwise. Both knowledge and morality require active engagement.One cannot possess knowledge without having evidence to back it up and one cannot act morally without understanding what it is that makes a situation right or wrong in their eyes. This is especially true when acting morally requires someone to go against social norms or established laws. The point of this paper is to shed light on the fact that we are all responsible for ourselves to the extent that we can be. No one person can know everything about everything, so belief and obedience are often useful and easy fallbacks. For example, I don’t snowboard on black diamond slopes.This is not because I have knowledge of how hurt I will get but because I belief the sign posting and obediently board within my level to avoid possible injury. However, in every decision one makes there should be a component of knowledge and morality applied. In application to the snowboarding example, I know, from experience, that my snowboarding skills are not on par with a black diamond. I choose not to risk my health and the resources of first responders by making the moral decision to stay o ff of it, despite my desire to challenge myself.

Food and Money Essay

Why did Huang Tsung-hsi see the well-field system as a foundation of a renewed Chinese culture and a stable political state? The well field was the center of a plot of land divided into 9 sections. Eight families farmed the plot; each held one of the sections and the central one belonged to lord of the whole plot. Why? The well-field system is believed to be the most ideal arrangement between landowners and tenants. Under this system, the families occupying each of the eight fields will befriend each other, cooperate in guarding the crops, watch each other’s back in case of danger, and rescue one another in times of trouble and illness. This system promotes harmony and equal treatment by the landlord. The burden of taxation is also distributed evenly among the families. Huang Tsung-hsi saw this system as the foundation of a renewed Chinese culture and stable political state because, as a follower of Mencius, he advocated that rulers must rule their subjects justly and well. Huang Tsung-hsi abhorred selfish autocratic rule. If a ruler promotes equal distribution, people will not be afraid of getting poor. If the people are assured of their just treatment, there will be peace in a society. Once people are content, government will not fail. In Ibn Khaldun’s analysis of Islamic society, did â€Å"group feeling† function in the same way as the well-field system did for Huang? In Ibn Khaldun’s analysis of Islamic society, he defined group feeling as subordinating of an individual’s personal needs to that of the interest of the group. He argued that if an individual won’t prioritize the group, there would be no peace and social development. Comparing this with the well-field system, I should say that in a way they are the same. The same because both systems promote solidarity and cooperation to achieve a purpose. In the well-field system, it can be assumed that individual needs are secondary in relation to what is best for the group. Works Cited Swann, Nancy. Food and Money in Ancient China. Princeton, 1950.

Safety managment Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Safety managment - Coursework Example According to OSHA, injury and illness rates stood at 22.2 while lost workday injury and illness (LWDII) at 8.1. Currently, the company projects a 17.6 and 7.8 from the previous year with a BLS of 12.5 and 6.6 respectively (SIC 3069). Certainly, this is a worrying trend forming the core intention of the paper to provide an action plan for the management of safety and health objectives. Four critical questions guide safety and health programs within any organization. For instance, is the return on investment satisfactory? How can we include safety and health programs in the business? What indicators reveal strength or weakness? And most importantly, the practices with a lasting success within an organization. Answers to these questions are potential guide to success. It collaborates with different government agencies to manufacture composite materials for the US defence department for unclassified purposes. Nevertheless, the promising future is tantamount to many problems considering the many risks and injuries facing the company. Obviously, the current state of XYZ categorises it as a health risk. Coincidentally, workers have the right to safe working conditions and OSHA laws prohibit employers against denying them such rights. Voluntary protection programs (VPP) is an OSHA cooperation program that recognize workers in the private industry and federal agencies. VPP ensures workplaces go through rigorous analysis, encourage training and union representation to keep injury and labour relations at controllable rates. Organizations competing for products and services tend not to focus on safety practices; however, not known to many these costs greatly affect the overall performance (Maguire 46). In fact, safety as a nagging problem that keeps people from the main business. Many industries have safety programs, but few have working ones; therefore, is important to not only form a program but also ensure it works. A safety management plan defines the oversight

Business plan for mobile tea sexy dolly trolley Thesis

Business plan for mobile tea sexy dolly trolley - Thesis Example However, it is assumed that any extra risk associated will be taken into account beforehand and the market research, legal and civil requirements; financial planning will be adjusted accordingly to accommodate the risk. The catering business is already a popular option for entrepreneurs with owners shifting from standardized fares and themes to more novel ones to gain competitive advantage (Pace, 2011). For Mobile Tea Sexy Dolly Trolley the risque image will help them stand apart from other competitors. The business will be established as a partnership with all management activities carried out by the partners, while the staff will be there to provide the actual services. The partners have both have had previous experience in the service and food industry but this will be there first venture as entrepreneurs. 2.0 Business Description The first thing which will catch the consumers and the stake holder’s eye is the name of the business itself; the name Mobile Tea Sexy Dolly Trol ley has been decided as it immediately informs that the business is in fact a themed catering service with some very unusual components. It is the catering service with will make heads turn and create a stir where ever it visits. As the name suggests the ‘Mobile Tea Sexy Dolly Trolley’ catering will be limited exclusively to provision of Tea and tea variants, served from old-style Dolly Trolleys by glamorous and attractive staff. Along with the tea will be suitable snacks such as dainty sandwiches and quaint biscuits- but no other types of food will be included. The focus will be on the experience that customers will get, enjoying the pampering attentions of our staff as the tea and snacks are prepared or set in front of them. The business will be unabashed and direct in declaration of its main attraction: the staff. The business aims to cater to mainly an adult and mature audience who can appreciate the experience and not dismiss it as something improper or a throwaway fad. Premium charges will be taken for the services of our staff and the aesthetic quality they will bring to any event. It will be a novel experience for anyone to watch and enjoy the condiments served by the highly efficient, polite and charming men and women working for us and even though it may not be considered as a regular service to hire, they will want to indulge in the experience a few more times. The core target groups for our services will be adult parties, dinners, corporate team building activities, and office catering. We understand the need of the corporations and businesses nowadays to keep their employees interested and motivated in the workplace. The lunch hour is a necessary right for the worker; it provides the time to relax, take nourishment, socialize or even work to clear that backlog (Tahmincioglu, 2012). For management who want to provide some revitalizing entertainment for their employees along with the extra food choices, Mobile Tea Sexy Dolly Trolley can be the business to hire. Our staff will create a buzz in the office, give everyone plenty to talk about in the coming days and provide nourishing and comforting tea right at the desks of the workers. The mobility is one of our biggest strengths, as the products can be carried everywhere easily

Human Behavior Annotated Bibliography Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Human Behavior - Annotated Bibliography Example In addition, the author explores the human knowledge of the elements of the universe, such as the moon, the stars, the earth and their movements, and concludes by asserting that God is the true center of the universe. This assertion skews all human observation and perception of the universe, which is based on imperfect and partial knowledge. Furthermore, this aspect of God being the center of the universe has created calculation problems, since in calculating the position of planets, stars and other celestial bodies, a stationary point has to be chosen as the reference point. The fact that God is the center is necessary for an understanding that we need not to know the exact center and cause of movements within the universe. In this essay, Hume emphasizes his sympathy-based moral sentimentalism by asserting that humans can never make moral judgments by reason alone (1036). This assumption is contrary to moral rationalism which holds an otherwise position. Reasons is concerned with facts and draws its conclusions from these facts, but when all facts are equal it does not lead to the option of choosing one decision over another; rather its sentiment that does this. In this essay Hume asserts that sentiment determines morality and defines virtue as whatever mental quality or action that gives the spectator a pleasing sentiment of approval (1036). Hume further asserts that sympathy-based sentiments often motivate people towards the pursuit of non-selfish ends, for example, the utility of their fellows. Sympathy has been viewed as the principle of communicating and sharing sentiments, both negative and positive ones. Finally, this essay illustrates that the basis of virtue is utility to others rather than in God-given reason. To put it in a nutshell, this essay totally rejects Christian morality and the voluntary aspect of morality. In this essay, Edwards asserts that a man freely chooses whatever appears right and good to him,

Laeken Declaration Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Laeken Declaration Paper - Essay Example The crafting of the constitution reinforces the powers and duties of the European Court of Justice’s embrace of each member state’s unique constitutional provisions. The first step includes the establishment of the Convention of the Future, a constitutional convention. The Federalist Papers no. 49 (Madison) states â€Å"The people are the only legitimate fountain of power, and it is from them that the constitutional charter, under which several branches of government hold their power, is derived† (Eriksen 2004). Lee McGowan mentioned â€Å"The Laekan Declaration on the Future of the European Union was adopted by the European Council at its summit in Laeken, Belgium on 15 December 2001. The Declaration followed a similar Declaration on the Future of the Union adopted a year earlier at the same time as the Treaty of Nice and was significant for the issues it raised for consideration by the Convention on the Future of Europe which was launched in late February 2002 . ... Second, the Laeken Declaration focused on resolving the European Union’s democratic deficit. The aim of the Laeken Declaration is to establish a European Union political entity grounded on firm democracy, crystal clear transparency and efficiency. Third, the Laeken Declaration centered on simplifying the European Union’s political environment. The same Declaration emphasized the integration of the treaties into a European Union constitution. Likewise, the Declaration delves on defining the European Union’s role in enhancing the global environment. Lastly, the Declaration centers on bringing the European Union citizens within one synergy-filled single European Union community1. The Treaty of Lisbon enhanced the concepts of the prior Laeken Declaration. The Laeken Declaration hinted on the importance of constitutional reform policies. The Lisbon treaty included a new reform vehicle that gave a semblance of constitutional intentions, the Convention on the Future of Europe. The word selections were toned to impress a constitutional purpose. Taking into consideration the mandate as well as the character envisioned by the democratic constitutional perspective, the Belgian presidents’ advocacy for the Treaty of Lisbon was the handiwork of the European Council. European integration can both be an opportunity and a threat. There is no convincing evidence that some of the national governments of the Europe Union will stand to loss if they implement a European Union constitution. To resolve the issue, some European governments have adapted their structures and procedures to keep abreast with the increasing scope of European Union integration. The Treaty of Lisbon, inspired by the Laeken Declaration, states that the national

Online privacy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Online privacy - Essay Example As the Internet grew and technology becomes more sophisticated, advertisers found that they had fertile ground to hawk their products. If you have a laptop, "hot links" can be found in most fast food restaurants, hospitals or airports. Today, information is accessible from anywhere. Advertisers can also use consumer information to market specifically to their hobbies and interests. Social networking has created more challenge to privacy (36) because anyone who takes part in it has their information availably through search engines. "Personal websites, blogs, social networks and Twitter people are sharing too much information about their lives" (935). It only takes a few mouse clicks and this information can be broadcasted all over the world. No one is safe whether they are a grandmother or grandfather or a small child; if they are on the Internet, someone can find them. Many people think that if they stay away from the social networking sites they are safe. However, the article states that people are being tracked anyway by advertisers who surf the Internet for people who are looking for their products. A frightening fact of this practice was that they do not only find out the search words that were searched, but they can find out the dates that people searched and the time; they can also find the computer that the information came from to more directly target their consumers (935). Many advocates of more controls for the Internet suggest that there should be changes in the laws that govern the Internet but reform efforts are very slow (941). Instead of waiting for reforms, citizens must take charge of their own online privacy. In this readers opinion, it is very important for people to take control of their own privacy online. One of the challenges to better controls over the Internet information is that many people like the fact that they can share everything with the world. This creates a hassle for those

Research report Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Research report - Assignment Example It is my hope that this report will provide the department with the information needed to assess their own efforts on the US employment scenario. Please let me know if there is any question regarding this report or if there is any other information needed. I may be reached at (555) 211-2121 and by email at ABCD@USchamberofcommerce.com Enc. REPORTED US STRUCTURAL UNEMPLOYMENT 2012 Annual Report Prepared by Michael A Leven President and Chief Operating Officer Report distributed July 21, 2013 Prepared for US States Department for Labor ABSTRACT This report examines the pattern of growing US unemployment since the global recession started. There are two types of unemployment. This report identifies the structural unemployment problem and tries to help the government with the policies in right direction. Several Methods of way-outs are discussed here. Table of Contents Abstract†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..3 Executive Summary†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 5 Introduction†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 6 Analysis of Reported US STRUCTURAL UNEMPLOYMENT†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. ... Several Methods of way-outs are discussed here. The United States Chamber of Commerce is a lobbying group of America. It represents the interests of many trade associations and businesses. It is not a part of United States Government. The Chamber is populated with lawyers, lobbyists and policy specialists. Politically, this Chamber is usually considered as a  conservative organization. Introduction This report inspects the recent US trend of unemployment problem since the outset of global recession. It discusses about various factors that distinguish cyclic unemployment from structural unemployment. Usual government policies to eradicate the unemployment are not just sufficient to rub off the structural unemployment. Structural unemployment is often referred to as either skills or jobs mismatch. The workers face the consequence by either being on the wrong side of the job or end up having the wrong skills. The policies should be designed in such a way that people on the wrong side of the job and with wrong skills should be moved to right position. If unemployment is through lack of demand, then demand should be created through generating spending. Spending has real benefits in present or in the future. Be it wasteful or useful, any spending can generate employment. Larger government deficits either by tax cut or direct spending are the obvious ways to increase spending. Lowering of interest rates and reducing the value of dollars by Federal Reserve Board are the other alternatives to soar up the aggregate demand. Analysis of the US Structural Unemployment Structural unemployment comprises either skills or jobs mismatch. The workers face the consequence by either being on

Pain Management and Assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Pain Management and Assessment - Essay Example Also, a brief idea of how the cost of elderly career affects the realm of healthcare is mentioned to give credence to the fact that incurred costs often play a role in the type of treatment that the elderly patients receive and in what they receive in the assessment and management of their pain. Also, there are concerns about the social psychological and environmental needs of the elderly as well. All of these pertinent issues are discussed so that a better enlightenment can be illustrated in what exactly caring for the elderly patient entails in a nursing practice, specifically within a medically facilitated environment. The conclusion demonstrates that despite the fact that care of the elderly can be more complex and costly they are entitled to the same rights as any other patient and deserve to have effective and appropriate pain management given to them to provide them with the best quality care and comfort level possible. This is the goal of any nurse in the medical field in regards to any and all patients which the finality of this literature defines. Pain is something that is experienced by every human being regardless of their age, gender, or economic status. The theory in behind pain is more than one; in fact there are three theorizations to provide a medical definition of pain. However, pain is normally described as an unfavorable experience that creates an extensive emotional and disabling influence on an individual, especially within the elderly population. The three theories of pain are the Specificity theory, Pattern theory, and Gate theory (Adams & Bromley 1998). It is the Gate Theory that is commonly used in medical terminology to discuss the pain levels of the elderly. This is because this theory focuses on many past experiences that older people have had while receiving medical care and of which dictates how they will perceive their ability to tolerate pain during their treatment. For instance, it is

Argument - Pursue my Career of Choice, not that of the VA Essay

Argument - Pursue my Career of Choice, not that of the VA - Essay Example should pursue, in this respect I have found that the skill of negotiating can be developed through constant practice, direct personal experiences and that individuals use different negotiation styles. These differences in negotiation styles depend upon the individual’s personality and the situation which include the objectives for negotiating. Conflict arises when the interests of people do not coincide. Since each individual is unique in his own way, the potential for conflict in human interactions is high. For instance, people perceive the same things differently. They may, likewise, disagree about how things are and how they should be. Sometimes, simple misunderstandings can lead to major disputes. As a military veteran scholar, I have regularly communicated with Mr. Les Sakuma. Upon Mr. Sakuma’s advice, I should pursue a degree in Business Management or Computer Science, of which I have already had brief and uninteresting careers in both of the fields. I would like to pursue something that I am actually enthusiastic in doing, rather that something I am forced to do. Mr. Les Sakuma has worked with the Veterans Affairs for more than 30 years. He is very hardworking, diligent and determined to work for the accomplishment of the Veteran’s mission and goals. Mr. Sakuma plainly states that since the Veteran’s Affairs Vocational Rehabilitation Program is paying for me to get educated in order to obtain gainful employment; he would not approve the forensic field of study. I am firm to convince him otherwise. Mr. Les Sakuma advised me to pursue a degree in Business Management or Computer Science because of my past experiences. He believes I would be successful in either of these endeavors. Furthermore, he feels that my physical disability would not be greatly challenged by delving into any of these careers. He is also unaware that a career in Forensic Photography is a viable option in Hawaii, where I am currently based. With these arguments in mind, I need

Prevalence of smoking and drinking Essay Example for Free

Prevalence of smoking and drinking Essay Adolescence, from Latin word adolescere which means â€Å"to grow up† is a transitional stage of physical and psychological human development generally occurring between puberty and legal adulthood. It is most closely associated with teenage years. Adolescence is further divided into three more stages, the early (12-14 years old), middle (15-17 years old) and late adolescence (18-20/21 years old). In each stage of human development, there are physical, emotional and physiological changes that happen. This is based from the concept that humans have developmental tasks that should be accomplish per stage. In the adolescence stage, adolescents are in critical stage because teenagers are exposed to a larger environment (Macmillan Dictionary for Students, 1981). Background of the study Nowadays, teenagers that are exposed to different environment are now engaged to smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages for some reasons. The strong association between binge drinking and smoking among adolescents may be attributable, in part, to the fact that both adolescent alcohol use and tobacco use share a number of sociocultural risk factors. Researchers have found that these factors—including family and peer influences, demographics, advertising, economics, and alcohol and tobacco availability—are associated with adolescents’ initial and continued tobacco and alcohol use (Bobo, J. and Corinne Husten, 2000). According to the U. S. Surgeon General Report (1994), approximately 80% of adult smokers started smoking before the age of 18. Every day, nearly 3,000 young people under the age of 18 become regular smokers and an estimated 2. 1 million people began smoking on a daily basis in 1997. More than half of these new daily smokers were younger than age 18. This translates to more than 3,000 new youth smokers per day. The rate of youth initiation of daily smoking increased somewhat from 55. 5 to 74. 9 per 1,000 potential new users between 1991 and 1996, but remained level in 1997 (the 1998 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse). It is said that young people who come from a lowincome family and have fewer than two adults living in their household are especially at risk for becoming smokers and those with poorer grades and lower self-images are most likely to begin. using tobacco. Over the past decade, there has been virtually no decline in smoking rates among all teens. Among black adolescents, however, the prevalence of smoking has declined dramatically. Most young people who smoke are addicted to nicotine and were reported that they want to quit but are unable to do so (Statistics on Teens, 1994). In 2002, Komro and Toomey said that alcohol use by underage drinkers is a persistent public health problem in the United States, and alcohol is the most commonly used drug among adolescents. Accordingly, numerous approaches have been developed and studied that aim to prevent underage drinking. Alcohol use initiation rates for children rise quickly from age 10 up to about age 13, when they reach more than 50 percent. Subsequently, initiation rates begin to slow again (Kosterman, R. et al. , 2000). Moreover, alcohol is the most commonly used drug among adolescents. According to Epstein, J. et al. , alcohol use continues to be an important public health problem. Recent national survey data indicate that 41% of current 8th graders, 62% of 10th graders, 73% of 12th graders and 85% of college students have used alcohol. Even more troubling is that 11% of 8th graders, 22% of 10th graders, 25% of 12th graders and 40% of college students reported heavy episodic drinking. Domingo and Marquez found large gender differences in the risk-taking behaviors among Filipino adolescents and youths. Men are much more likely than women to drink, smoke, and use drugs. The large gender difference in risk-taking behavior among adolescents and youths is rather common in Asian countries but not in the U. S. In our case, The Philippines has no national law regulating smoking and sale of tobacco products. There is no minimum age requirement for the purchase of cigarettes and no law regulating the advertising and promotion of cigarettes. There is no law that requires the printing of warning labels on cigarette packages. Instead, the National Tobacco Administration (NTA) is supposed to protect and promote the â€Å"balanced and integrated growth† of the tobacco industry. Despite the results of a survey which say that 72 per cent of the polled adult population was supportive of having a legislation banning smoking advertisements. There are more restrictions on drinking than smoking especially of the minors. Those who are less than 18 years old are 2|Page prohibited from purchasing or drinking alcoholic drinks. However, the enforcement of this regulation is weak (Choe, M. and Corazon Raymundo, 2001). Objectives This study aimed to determine the prevalence of smoking and drinking of alcoholic beverages among senior high school students specifically: 1. to compare the prevalence of smoking and drinking of alcoholic beverages between senior students of public and private high school; 2. to contrast the occurrence of smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages among senior high school males and females; 3. to identify and rank the reasons why senior high school students smoke and drink alcoholic beverages; 4. to determine the awareness status of senior high school students in terms of the effects of smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages on their physiological health; and 5.to identify the effect of smoking and drinking of alcoholic beverages on the socialization of senior high school students. Review of Related Literature There are different factors affecting different behaviors of adolescents. One social theory studied by Travis Hirschi (1969) is a more general explanation of deviance than deterrence theory, but which is, in turn, primarily restricted to informal social control which comes from individuals being bonded to groups and institutions. 1236 grade 9-13 students from 62 randomly selected classrooms in 3 Canadian schools in the Borough of East York, 1 of Metropolitan Torontos 6 municipalities, were surveyed in December 1994 about their alcohol drinking beliefs and behaviors, and related lifestyle behaviors. Findings are based upon the analysis of data from 628 boys and 608 girls, of whom 799 were born in Canada. 24% of the students reported never having tasted alcohol, 22% had tasted alcohol but were not current drinkers, 39% were current moderate drinkers, 11% drank at 3|Page least 5 drinks per occasion at least once per month, and 5% did not answer. The most often stated reasons for not drinking were family upbringing and they believed adverse effects of alcohol consumption upon health, while the most often stated reasons for drinking were because it is an enjoyable experience and to get into a party mood. Respondents drinking patterns were significantly related to gender, ethnicity, grade, and the reported drinking habits of parents and friends. Older male adolescents who describe themselves as Canadian are more likely to drink heavily than are students who are younger or female, or self-identify as Asian or European. Current heavy drinkers are at greater risk than other students of engaging in other high-risk behaviors such as drinking and driving, riding with an intoxicated automobile driver, and smoking every day (Feldman et al. , 1999). In one of the surveys in US, half of respondents knew of a place near their school where kids could go to drink and get high during the school day, according to the yearly back-to-school survey, which polled 1,003 12-to-17-years old. And more than one-third said that students had ample opportunity during the school day to drug, drink and smoke without getting caught. Drug use in both public and private schools is on the rise, with 54 percent of private high school students reporting that drugs are available in their schools versus 24 percent in 2002 and 61 percent of students at public schools saying their schools are drug infected, compared with 46 percent in 2002. The researchers looked closely at the role of social media in teen substance use and found 75 percent of surveyed 12 to 17-year-olds said seeing pictures of teens partying with alcohol or marijuana on social networking sites such as Facebook or MySpace encourages them to party similarly (Gardner, 2012). Forty-five percent of teens almost 11 million said they have seen such pictures online and 47 percent of those teens said that it seems like pictured teens are having a good time. Teens who have seen these pictures were found to be four times more likely to have used marijuana, more than three times likelier to have used alcohol, and almost three times more likely to have used tobacco (CBSnews, 2012). 4|Page In the awareness of teenagers on the health risks of smoking and drinking, it was found in one of the studies that teenagers think that smoking is more dangerous than smoking. Teen smoking has declined in all three grades included in the study—grades 8, 10, and 12. Still, almost 19 percent of 12th graders reported current (past-month) cigarette use. This decline shows that more teens realize the harm smoking does to your body and are making the decision not to start. Also, teens’ attitudes about smoking have changed. They increasingly prefer to date nonsmokers and believe smoking to be a dirty habit. Likewise, among nearly all grades, trends over the past 5 years showed significant decreases in alcohol use, including first-time use, occasional use, daily use, and binge drinking. As with smoking, this decline may be the result of more teens understanding the risk of drinking alcohol and disapproving of this behavior (The Sara Bellum Blog, 2012). How teenagers feel about themselves plays a significant role in whether they choose to drink or use other drugs, according to a new report released today by SADD and Liberty Mutual Group. The Teens Today 2003 study also reveals that a teen’s Sense of Self, can influence sexual behavior, reaction to peer pressure, and, importantly, be affected by a teen’s relationships with parents (Henderson and Greenberg, 2004). Research has shown that the media over estimates smoking rates and often associates smoking with favorable attributes or situations. Given that the media plays a large role in influencing youth culture, portrayal of smoking in the media is of concern. In order to explore young people’s perceptions of smoking imagery in the media, 16 focus groups were conducted with 117 school students. Participants were asked to rate smoking images selected from audiovisual and print media, and to discuss their perceptions of these images. The results showed that young people perceived smoking in these media selections to be normal and acceptable. They identified with the stress relieving and social aspects of smoking, despite being well aware of the harmful health effects. Its acceptability as part of a ‘cool’ image was also noted. Positive images of smoking in the media have the potential to down play the serious health consequences of smoking by portraying it in a way that young people interpret as a 5|Page normal part of everyday life. They may also encourage a more neutral or tolerant attitude towards smoking among young people and therefore act to counteract other health promotion efforts to reduce teenage smoking (Watson et al., 2003). 6|Page METHODOLOGY The Participants In the study of determining the prevalence of smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages among senior students from private and public high schools, a total of forty senior high school students, twenty students comprising of ten male and ten female students from public high school and twenty students comprising of ten male and ten female students from private high school were randomly asked to answer the questionnaires provided by the group. The public school was a public national high school located in Los Banos, Laguna. On the other hand, the private school is a registered private non-sectarian high school in Los Banos, Laguna as well. The respondents have a mean age of 16 years old, ranging from 15-18, having a mode of 16. Measures The most commonly used and most frequently self devised measuring instrument, the questionnaire was used simply to obtain information directly from subject as to make a standardized list of factual information or elicited application that was generalized to a larger population. A one-shot survey questionnaire was used as the research instrument in the study of determining the prevalence of smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages among senior students from private and public high schools. It is a usual study design where a single group of individuals is selected for observation over a single, limited time period, usually because they have experienced some factor taken as important in shaping some outcome (Kelly, 2012). And according to Jupp (2012), it is akin to one-off crosssectional design. As shown in Appendix A, a letter to the respondent identifying our topic and informing our objectives were told. Moreover, see Appendix B for the complete copy of the questionnaire used in the study. 7|Page The questionnaire was divided into three parts: Personal information, Physiological status and Lifestyle, and Social Aspect. The Personal information section was used for determining the age, sex, type of school, religion, and parents’ civil status. While in the physiological status and lifestyle section, this would tell us how often the students from private and public schools smoke and drink alcoholic beverages. Also, to find out if the students were aware of the effects that these specific vices can contribute to their health condition. Lastly, the way of smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages of the students in terms of having a companion or not while smoking and/or drinking and the perceptions of parents and themselves were determined in the Social Aspect section. The Setting The researchers had entrusted the set of questionnaires to one of the respondents from public and one from private high schools. They were the ones who distributed the set questionnaires to their fellow senior high school classmates. The respondents were a given a whole day time to answer the survey questionnaire. The two entrusted students collected all the completely answered survey questionnaires at the end of the day. Data Analysis In the process of obtaining, the questionnaires were made, distributed and collected again. For a more simple analysis of the data collated, tallying was made in a tabulated manner. The data obtained were computed to get the percentage by dividing the number of score with the sum total of scores and then multiplying it by 100% using the formula: P = f / N x 100% Where: P – Percentage N – Total number of respondents F – Frequency 8|Page And lastly, for an easier glance to the data collected, it will have a graphical presentation in a form of bar graph, pie chart and other usual graphical ways to present the data. In order to identify the reasons why they smoke and what they think their parents perceive them a list of possible choices were mentioned in the questionnaire. These reasons were ranked 1 to 3 by the respondents who are smoking and/or drinking alcoholic beverages. In order to evaluate the rankings, an improvised rubric is formulated. Every number (rank) has an equivalent vote just to differentiate and identify the leading reasons. Rank 1 – 3 points Rank 2 – 2 points Rank 3 – 1 point The highest vote will be assigned as the top reason while the others will be ranked according to the accumulated votes. The tabulated rank can be found on the results and discussion. Other data, including the occurrence, prevalence, frequency, reasons, and perceptions of male and female senior students smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages among private and public high schools were tabulated and graphed in order to see the comparison. While in determining the awareness of the students if smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages had an effect on their health condition, and if they were able to gain friends were in a form of poll. 9|Page RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The prevalence of smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages among senior students of public and private high school were determined and observed. As seen in Table 1, the total number of students smoking is 3, with 2 females and 1 male in public school. While 4 students, with 3 males and 1 female in private school. Among the 40 students, 7 of them were smoking. Table 1. Number of male and female students smoking in private and public high schools Public Private Subtotal Male 1 3 4 Female 2 1 3 3 4 7 TOTAL As seen in Table 2, the total number of students drinking alcoholic beverages in public school is 6, with 4 males and 2 females. While there are 9 students drinking alcoholic beverages in private school. Among the 40 students, 15 of them were drinking alcoholic beverages. Table 2. Number of male and female students drinking alcoholic beverages in private and public high schools Public Private Subtotal Male 4 6 10 Female 2 3. 5 6 9 15 TOTAL 10 | P a g e The occurrence of male and female students smoking in public and private high school students is shown in Fig. 1. It was observed that there’s a higher number of smoking students in male category in private school. While, there is a higher number of smoking students in female category in public school. Moreover, students from private schools are more exposed to smoking. This might be because of the accessibility and affordability. Most private school students are in middle to high class statuses. Smoking 3. 5 3 2. 5 2 Male 1. 5 Female 1 0. 5. 0 Private Public Fig. 1. Occurrence of male and female students smoking in private and public high schools Conversely, The occurrence of male and female students drinking alcoholic beverages in public and private high school students are shown in Fig. 2.. It was observed that there’s a higher number of students drinking alcoholic beverages in male category in private school. While, there is a higher number of students drinking alcoholic beverages in male category in public school. Moreover, students from private schools are more exposed to drinking alcoholic beverages. This might be because of the accessibility and affordability. Most private school students are in middle to high class statuses. 11 | P a g e Drinking 7 6 5 4 Male 3 Female 2 1 0 Private Public Fig. 2. Occurrence of male and female students drinking alcoholic beverages in private and public high schools Table 3. Frequency of male and female students smoking in private and public high schools Daily 1-2 times a week 3-5 times a week Occasionally Public Male | Female | | 2 1 Male || | Female | Subtotal 0 0 Private Subtotal 0 3 1 0 TOTAL 0 5 2 0 12 | P a g e 0%. Smoking 0% 29% Daily 1-2x a week 3-5x a week Occasionally 71% Fig. 3. Frequency of male and female students smoking in private and public high schools Table 4. Frequency of male and female students drinking alcoholic beverages in private and public high schools Daily 1-2 times a week 3-5 times a week Occasionally Public Male ||| Female | | 4 1 1 Male |||| | | Female | | | Subtotal 0 | Private Subtotal 0 5 2 2 TOTAL 0 9 3 3 13 | P a g e Figure 4. Frequency of male and female students drinking alcoholic beverages in private and public high schools 0% Drinking 20%. Daily 1-2x a week 3-5x a week 20% 60% Occasionally Students involved in smoking in private and public high schools had their own reasons why they did the vice. As seen in Table 5, the most voted reason in public high school was to experiment, and the least was because they imitated it from their parents. On the other hand, the most voted reason in private high school was to experiment also and the least was because of losing weight and media influence. 14 | P a g e Table 5. Rank of reasons of male and female students smoking in private and public high schools. Smoking Public Private Rank Votes Reason Rank Votes 6 0 Imitated from parents 2 6 2 5 Peer pressure 3 4 3 3 Media influence (advertisements) 5 0 5 1 Fashionable 4 3 5 1 Form of rebellion 4 3 4 2 Wanting to lose weight 5 0 1 6 To experiment 1 8 18 24 Table 6. Combined ranking of reasons of male and female students smoking in private and public high schools Smoking Rank Reason Votes 1 To experiment 14 2 Peer pressure 9 3 Imitated from parents 6 4 Fashionable 4 4 Form of rebellion 4 5 Media influence (advertisements) 3 6 Wanting to lose weight 2 42. 15 | P a g e Reasons for smoking 7% To experiment 5% 33% 10% Peer Pressure Imitated from parents Fashionable 10% Form of rebellion Media influence 14% 21% Figure 5. Combined ranking of reasons of male and female students smoking in private and public high schools Students involved in drinking alcoholic beverages in private and public high schools had their own reasons why they did the vice. As seen in Table 7, the most voted reason in public high school was to have good time with friends, and the least was because of boredom and form of rebellion. On the other hand, the most voted reason in private high school was to have good time with friends also and the least was because of boredom and form of rebellion also. 16 | P a g e Table 7. Rank of reasons of male and female students drinking alcoholic beverages in private and public high schools Drinking Alcoholic beverages Public Rank Vote Private Reason Rank Vote 1 13 To have good time with friends 1 17 3 5 To experiment, to see what it’s like 2 10 5 2 To feel good, get high 4 7 4 4 Because it tastes good 6 4 2 9 To relax or relieve tension 3 9 7 0 Boredom. 7 0 5 2 To get away from my problems 5 6 7 0 Form of rebellion 7 0 7 0 Influenced by alcoholic parents 8 0 6 1 To get to sleep 7 1 7 0 To fit with a group I like 8 0 7 0 Anger or frustration 8 0 36 54 17 | P a g e Table 8. Combined ranking of reasons of male and female students drinking alcoholic beverages in private and public high schools Drinking Rank Reason Votes 1 To have good time with friends 30 2 To relax or relieve tension 18 3 To experiment, to see what it’s like 15 4 To feel good, get high 9 5 Because it tastes good 8 5 To get away from my problems. 8 6 To get to sleep 2 7 Boredom 0 7 Form of rebellion 0 7 Influenced by alcoholic parents 0 7 To fit with a group I like 0 7 Anger or frustration 0 90 18 | P a g e Reasons for drinking alcoholic beverages 2% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% To have good time with friends To relax or relieve tension 9% To experiment, to see what it’s like 9% 33% To feel good, get high Because it tastes good To get away from my problems 10% To get to sleep Boredom Form of rebellion 17% Influenced by alcoholic parents 20% To fit with a group I like Anger or frustration Fig. 6. Combined ranking of reasons of male and female students drinking alcoholic beverages in private and public high schools High school students are indeed part of the society. However, that does not mean that all of them are aware on certain issues present in the status quo today. Figure7 shows us that in terms of awareness of male and female students in the effects of smoking to the health condition, 95% said that they are aware, and 5% said they are not aware. This just means that even though majority knows that this can affect health condition, there are still young students who are blindly exposed to this habit. Aware Not Aware 95% 5% Fig. 7. Awareness status of male and female students in the effects of smoking to the health condition 19 | P a g e Figure 8 shows us that in terms of awareness of male and female students in the effects of drinking alcoholic beverages to the health condition, 100% said that they are aware. Students were able to identify the negative effects of drinking to health condition. 100% Aware Not Aware Fig. 8. Awareness status of male and female students in the effects of drinking alcoholic beverages to the health condition. While it is important to know the reason why some adolescents smoke and/or drink alcoholic beverages, and after knowing if they were aware that these things affect their health conditions. We also have to look at the perceptions of people around them, and also what they think of themselves. In contrast to awareness of the respondents in the negative effects of smoking and drinking on health condition is their way of performing these vices, either alone, with friends, or both. Fig. 9 and Fig. 10 shows the way of drinking and smoking of public and private high school students respectively. It is observed that 53% or the majority of the students engage in drinking with friends, and 80% of them smoke either alone or with friends. This shows the social aspect of the students with their same age group in doing the said activities. 20 | P a g e Do you drink by yourself or with your friends? 0% Alone 47% With friends 53% Both Fig. 9. Way of drinking alcoholic beverages of male and female students among public and private high schools Do you smoke by yourself or with your friends? 0% 20% Alone With friends Both 80% Fig. 10. Way of smoking of male and female students among public and private high schools. 21 | P a g e Table 9. Perception of smokers and/or drinker of people on them Parents Cool || Friends Self 2 ||| 3 |||| 4 0 || 2 | 1 |||||-|||| 9 |||||-||| 8 |||||-| 6 |||| 4 || 2 |||| 4 Addict Good Bad As seen in Fig. 11, the majority of the students answered COOL as what they think their parents thought of them. The least vote was they thought that their parents think their children were bad. This means that even if they’re doing those kinds of vices, their parents still accept them. What your parents think of you? 9% 10% Cool Addict Good 23% 58% Bad Fig. 11. Perception of the respondents on what their parents think of them as they smoke and drink alcoholic beverages 22 | P a g e On the other hand, the Fig. 12 shows the perception of the respondents on what their friends think of them in engagement of the said vices. 54% think that their friends consider their activity in a good way because it helps them gain friends, to be able to interact, and to socialize well with other people. It is observed that what they think their friends perceive also had the same result as to how they comprehend themselves when they smoke or drink. What your friends think of you? 13% 20% Cool Addict 13% Good Bad 54% Fig. 12. Perception of the respondents on what their friends think of them as they smoke and drink alcoholic beverages It is also important that students can assess themselves even if they are doing some vices. As seen in Figure 13, majority of them still thought that they are good. However, 6% of the students thought they are addicts. Conversely, there is a consensus that 27% thought that they are cool and bad. 23 | P a g e How do you perceive youself? Cool 27% 27% Addict Good 6% Bad 40% Fig. 13. Perception of the respondents on what they perceive on themselves as they smoke and drink alcoholic beverages Perceptions are indeed important. But, it is still significant when it comes to application or reality. Are these students still gain friends after all their vices? In a poll seen in Fig. 14, 9 out of 15 said that they gained friends, and 6 out of 15 said that they did not gain friends. Meaning, there people who discriminate or dislike the vices. Or even if it’s okay for them, it is not proper to be exposed earlier. Did you gain friends? Yes No 60%. 40% 9 out of 15 6 out of 15 Fig. 14. A poll showing the effect of drinking and/or smoking on their socialization Seemingly, many committed smokers and/or drinkers showed that they gained friends after having learning how to smoke and/or drink. However, there are still some who don’t. 24 | P a g e LIMITATION AND SIGNIFICANCE Limitation There are certain problems that were encountered in the study. One of which is that the idea that honesty in answering these questionnaires have suffered. The respondents may or may not answer these questionnaires in full honesty. From here, we may have little discrepancies or percentage errors. Significance The significance of this study is for the teenagers to be aware in terms of the effects of smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages on their physiological health. This study can also help the parents of those teenagers to understand more the point of view of teenagers who are engaged to these activities. They can know the cause why teenagers are into smoking and drinking alcoholic beverage. 25 | P a g e SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS. Summary and Conclusion The study was able to conduct the research on the prevalence of smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages among senior students of public and private high school. 18% of the students in both public and private schools are engaged in smoking; however, there are students in private schools who smoke more than students in public schools. It is concluded that the social status of the students is a common factor since private school students have more access to cigarettes and could afford it than those in public schools. It is also determined that the male students in private schools and the female students in public schools are more prone to the said vice and their main reasons were: (1) to experiment; (2) peer pressure; and (3) imitated from their parents. With regards to their way of smoking, the students’ general frequency is 1-2 times a week, and they usually smoke either alone or with peers. Most likely they tend to smoke with their peers because it is their way of socialization. The students also perceive that they are also likely to gain friends when they smoke. It is concluded that the perception of the students to what their parent think of them is â€Å"in-the-trend† when they are engaged in smoking. The majority thinks that their parents consider them as â€Å"cool† or â€Å"sophisticated†. Aside from that, the respondents think that their friends refer to smoking in a good way, causing them to also perceive the same judgment. To summarize the above statements, it is evident that the students in their adolescent stage have more desire to please their peers rather than their parents because they want to have a sense of belonging and they want to socialize more with people of the same age group. Peers are the most important relationship in the teenage years. They engage in different kinds of activities, and one of those are vices. In this stage, the curiosity level of the person is prominent because he/she is able to perceive different kinds of activities from various types of people. Parents are also a factor because they are the ones who nourish their child’s well-being. What they do causes 26 | P a g e various impacts on the child, causing him/her to either imitate it or not. The social status of the students also has an effect on their engagement in vices; it depends on how well they can afford it and on what terms they could get access. On the other hand, not every student in both public and private high schools is aware that smoking can affect their health condition. 5% of the students are still blindly exposed to the effects of smoking; therefore, it is recommended that both kinds of schools should also give the students more knowledge and expose them.

Theories Of Political Violence And Terrorism Politics Essay

Theories Of Political Violence And Terrorism Politics Essay The September 11-tragedy at the World Trade Center, which was considered as the most destructive terrorist attack recorded in world history, only proves that terrorism is continuously becoming a serious threat in international peace and security. Terrorism in the form of murder, kidnapping, bombing and hijacking has been on the rise for the past several years amidst the different policies and measures that have been implementing by the international cooperation between the governments, the law enforcement agencies and military forces. There is an estimate of 400 terrorist groups which are engaged in insurgency and terrorism in the world  [1]  . Among these most powerful revolutionary organizations which marked crucial terrorism threats across the globe included the Irish Republican Army (IRA) in Ireland and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in Sri Lanka. Both these terrorist groups have significantly terrorized the people and the government in their respective area of operations for several years despite the concerted efforts on various peace talks and ceasefire policies. The governments and authorities of these two terrorist organizations had employed some of the same counter-terrorism strategies but had varying results. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was founded by Velupillai Prabhakaran in May 1976. It is the most advanced and most fearful terrorist group in South Asia and had been considered by the US Department of State as the most powerful Tamil group in Sri Lanka  [2]  . The Sri Lankan intelligence believed that the LTTE was responsible for the deaths of former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, Sri Lankan President Ranasinghe Premadasa, 700 members of rival Tamil groups, four cabinet ministers, 27 parliamentarians, 26 government officials and thousands of civilians. At present, the terrorist group is considered as an organization with semi-conventional fighting capability which has gained the control of most regions in the north and the sections of territory along the eastern seaboard  [3]  . The efforts of the authorities in Sri Lanka remain useless since the terrorist group is still active, despite its defeat as a conventional organization in 2009. The group continues t o become the strongest militant nationalist group in Sri Lanka because of their aggressive use of suicide terrorism  [4]  . The use of suicide bombers and the legacy of mass bombing have raised the LTTEs profile as an international terrorist group. The group, furthermore, is involved in money laundering, human trafficking and light weapons trade which serve as source of revenue for its operation  [5]  . In fact, being an active separatist organization, the LTTE caused the creation of a separate Tamil state in the north and east parts of Sri Lanka. Another well known terrorist group, the Irish Republican Army (IRA), began to emerge in 1916 to advocate Irish sovereignty and freedom against the British rule which marked the brutal treatment and harsh discrimination of the native Irish Catholics  [6]  . The terrorist acts of the IRA arouse because of the desire of its members to take over Northern Ireland, which is constitutionally part of the United Kingdom but geographically located on the island of Ireland  [7]  . Unlike the LTTE which only terrorizes for a political and economic agenda, the IRA has been organized to fight the long history of oppression and discrimination against the Catholics during the British rule. Notwithstanding its violent and controversial tactics in achieving its goal, the militant group has been able to encourage loyal allegiance from the urban businessmen, rural farmers, men, women, old and young citizens of the area. IRA members who were armed with weapons were willing to die to attain their political aspirations and defend their community from the abusive ruler  [8]  . At first, the government of the country, with the help of other international law enforcement agencies, had unsuccessfully put the conflict on IRA terrorism to an end. There were seven attempts to restore peace in Northern Ireland, but these attempts were considered as failures as shown in many events such as the 1974 workers strike, the feeling of threat of minority parties, and the lack of sustained initiative and power-sharing  [9]  . But in the end, the government solved the conflict brought about by the IRA because of the strategic and effective peace talks and ceasefire policies. The cases of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the Irish Republican Army (IRA) have been resolved by strategic interventions from the governments of the said countries. However, the two cases had different results in the end of the long peace talks and ceasefire policies initiated by the authorities. The interventions done by the government with regards to the problems of the LTTEs terrorism acts were considered as a failure since the terrorist group was not eradicated. The failure was due to the conflicting international interests between the country and corrupt officials as well as the use of terror to force terror out of Sri Lanka  [10]  . The efforts of the Sri Lankan government to counter the movement of the LTTE before 1994 were considered to be essentially domestic initiatives  [11]  . Military measures were merely based on the provisions of the 1979 Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA). During the administration of the three successive presidents of the Uni ted National Party (UNP), which include JR Jayewardene (1977-1988), Ranasinghe Premasada (1989-1993) and DB Wijetunga (1993-1994), the government was considered to be a failure in acknowledging and responding to minority grievances and human rights violations. This was due to the effort of the government to manage and solve the conflicts of the LTTE terrorism in a minimal and economical way. During the administration of Chandrika Bandaranaike of the Peoples Alliance (PA) in 1994, the government initiated unconditional talks with the LTTE to minimize the problem of corruption. It is believed that the conflict with the LTTE was prolonged because of the corruption done by the politicians and service commanders. Since then, the Sri Lankan government pursued a four pronged strategy to solve the problem on the terrorism acts of the LTTE. These strategies included regaining control of the LTTE dominated areas, offering a devolution package which could form the basis for a negotiated settle ment, restoring normalcy, providing humanitarian assistance to the areas affected, and pursuing a politico-diplomatic propaganda to deny the LTTE international sympathy  [12]  . At the multilateral level, the Sri Lankan government adopted the UN Declaration on Measures to Eliminate International Terrorism in 1994. In addition, the UN Ad Hoc Committee on Terrorism was set up two years later. Moreover, as a country based measure, the terrorist group was declared as an unlawful association in 1992 after the death of Rajiv Gandhi. This act forced India, the country who initially armed, trained and gave refuge to the LTTE, to ban the terrorist group and withdraw its support to the group in terms of training, weaponry and other military needs  [13]  . In addition to these measures were the peace talks and ceasefire policies initiated by the Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi  [14]  . Nevertheless, despite these measures following the 1987 ethnic riots, the case on the LTTE ter rorism acts was not totally resolved because of the use of terrorism to eradicate terrorism itself. Sri Lankan police had shown violence to the suspected members of the terrorist group which caused the increase of LTTE recruitment. Since innocent people were experiencing great violence from the authorities, they were left with the option to join the force of terror in order to avoid the terror done by the authorities themselves. This particular related to the fact that individuals of any social status may engage in violent activities  [15]  . In contrast to the LTTE, the concerted peace talks and ceasefire policies in the case of the IRA became successful because of the cooperation and mutual interest of the parties involved in the problem. The 1994 and 1997 ceasefires and peace talks were considered to be the result of many factors. The effort to re-energize governmental initiatives to solve the Northern Ireland settlement was initiated by John Major (British Prime Minister 1991-1997) and Albert Reynolds (Irish Taoiseach 1992-1994)  [16]  . Unlike the case of the LTTE, the British rulers did not use terror to eradicate the threat of terrorism in Northern Ireland. In fact, the British and Irish governments launched the Downing Street Declaration in December 1993, wherein the British government recognized that Ireland should be for the Irish people alone. This decision made by the British ruler showed that anti-terrorist interventions, such as peace talks and ceasefire policies, would only become effective if both part ies are willing and dedicated to solve the issue for the mutual benefit of the involved parties. This is thus the reason why the problems of this terrorist group were solved peacefully and effectively. In total, the Sri Lankan government had been considered to waste several opportunities to take control over the LTTE terrorism acts due to party interests taking precedence over the national interest  [17]  . Through the case of the LTTE, it was proven that international action, which is considered as a necessary condition in grappling the problems of terrorism, is not enough to solve the conflicts of the LTTE, if the engaged parties are not willing to engage in negotiations. The creation of effective and efficient policies to eliminate and solve the problem of the LTTE terrorism acts has not been compensated by the ceasefire policy and peace talks since 2002  [18]  . In this sense, Sri Lankas government had no effective measures implemented with regards to the problem on LTTE terrorism. In contrast, the peace talks and ceasefires in the case of the IRA became successful because of the willingness of both parties to resolve the issue between the government and the terrorist g roup. The IRAs case has been resolved at its earliest stage since there was no conflict on the interests of the government and the terrorist group. Unlike the LTTE case which was prolonged because of the intervention done by the corrupt government officials who gained from weapons trade, the case of IRA was not tainted by the political propaganda of some abusive authorities. The British governments declaration which acknowledged the rights and privileges of the Irish people to their own land was indeed very helpful for the resolution of the issue. Through the cases of the LTTE and the IRA, it can be concluded that peace talks and ceasefire policies are to be considered positive and effective ways to eliminate and eradicate terrorism acts in the world if both are willing to resolve the main root of the problem. The use of terrorism to force out terrorism acts is not the effective and best way to cease the problems of terrorism. Terrorism only becomes more serious and destructive in the presence of greedy interventions done by corrupt officials and businessmen who are gaining from manufacturing and trading weapons used for terrorizing the world. The best way to eradicate terrorism in the world still lies in peaceful interventions, such as peace talks and ceasefires. After all, war against something does not always signify using of destructive means such as guns, weaponry and violence.

Features and Functions of Information Systems

Features and Functions of Information Systems In this assignment I am going to describe the features and functions of an information system and demonstrate my knowledge in information systems and ability to use the skills necessary to produce management information (information to aid in decision making) I am required to know the features and functions of information systems and to be able to use IT tools to produce management information. In this assignment I am to use my own client. I am required to write a report for my client that uses some theoretical knowledge and spreadsheets from my client. In the assignment I must describe the features and functions of information system and explain the one I am using in my spreadsheet and why am I using it. I am to produce information from my clients system access and manipulate the data to present it in suitable formats to support organisational decision making. Describe the features and functions of information systems (P4) Features and functions of information systems (IS) There are various features of an information system and each of them has a specific function. Data is the most essential element in an information system. Raw details and figures of the company is known as data which is processed to make information. All the data have to be stored in the information system and processed in an accurate way. Data without being processed is of no purpose and use. Once it is processed it is called information which can then be used for required purposes in the system for gaining commercial advantage. The data which is obtained has to be reliable as the whole system will get corrupted if it comes from an unknown and devious source. The data has to be up to date and timely as there are updates and modernisation which happens frequently. For instance, Data can be about various things such as figures of the age groups, addresses and gender of clients. In an IS to obtain and capture data, it has to be collected from people. People can manipulate as well as help in making information for the system. For instance if data has to be collected about the number of cars people bought in a month it has to be collected from people. They are the main interpretation of information and chose what data to be entered into the system. For instance a person from the banking department can choose what all information to display in there IS. The same way there are different organisation which presents information depending on how it will benefit their company. A person can even be part of the information system if they are trained well to use the system accurately. People even play as the client and all data is collected from them for the flow of information. This data captured is then used for processing information which would help the organisation to know about the sales and finance of the company and analyse to improvise its systems. In an information system hardware is the computers used to store and collect information. Hardware is another essential feature of an information system for its functioning. The hardware should have large storage space to store the vast amount of data input into the system.   For small companies PCS can be enough but for larger companies they have to collect information from other sources so need to have internet access. So servers are connected to the system so that it provides internet for sharing information online via email. For safety purposes so that only the employees of the organisation can have access to the information servers such as intranet can also be used. So the hardware which would be used should be compatible to connect to the internet and transformation of data into information. The hardware used should even be easily accessible and up to date for functioning without any disruption to the IS. To build an information system a software have to be used. Along with the hardware the software is also essential as the main processing of data into information takes place in the software. Depending on the quires of the users the information has to be processed. The software used should have common features for building the system with causing minimum errors in the system. The software has to be compatible of processing vast amount of data. For instance any Microsoft program can be used to build a software, preferably Microsoft excel is used for financial stats and figures. In information system telecommunications play a vital role for the transfer of data and information using internet/intranet. It acts as the distribution of data from people to different organisations for the required queries. Mostly organisations prefer using intranet for more safety so that only the employees of the company can have access of the information being processed. As the information is on the internet it has to be shared on a reliable source. Apart from all the features of an information system it even has large amounts of functions. One function of the information system is the input. It is divided into two sub-parts. The function of the first part is that the input of detailed data is stored, processed and creates the base from the information system. The second sub- part of the input is that the user must also tell what kind of analyses they want from the IS. The input allows users to specify what they want from the output and analyse what must be done to make any changes. Sometimes this second sub function is hidden from the users and not always available. The second function is known as Storage handles all the data that is inputted into the information system. Everything stored is always in the highest detailed level so that it is accurate and easily accessible. There should be regular backups done so that in case of any error/virus, all the data stored is not lost. They should always be stored in different locations to avoid getting damaged by natural calamities. This storage has an impact on the original data storage as well as the backup data storage. The third function is processing which converts data into information. A simple process would be adding up all the products sold by a company by a variable such as the location, time and date of the store. Select information to support a business decision-making process (P6) In this part of the assignment I created quotes for a car insurance company called P.B Services Ltd. I created them by entering random peoples names, addresses, gender, cars bought, and ages, what kind of insurance they bought, if there is another driver who would use the vehicle and if they would receive any no claims discount or not. After I entered data I filed a quote for each person. Then the software which I used created quotes for their overall car insurance.   I did the same for around fifteen people. The prices differed for each person because the data entered was different. This information which I selected and created can be used for gaining commercial advantage as well as decision making. If this information collected is analysed the company would know how much insurance is paid by each person and how they could improve their service by adding any extra service and increasing the cost. This information would even be helpful to know the statistics and figures of the company.

Circuits :: electronics circuit board

Circuits, what is up with that? First you need to understand how all the parts of a circuit relate. The main thing that a circuit has is conductance and that all the parts are conductors. Conductors are materials in which electric charges move freely. If the material isn't a conductor, it is either a insulator or a semiconductor. Conductors are mainly metalic substances such as copper, aluminum, and gold. Conductors allow a charge to build up and move "freely" through the conductor. When dealing with circuits and the moving of electrons, free movement at the moment is the best movement. I will get to reasons to but a damper on the movement of electrons later. Now, if a conductor allows a charge to build up and move freely, then it should be easy to understand that an insulator is just the opposite, it might build up a charge but that charge isn't going anywhere. Semiconductors is the crossbreed of the other two types. Semiconductors are usually a conducting material that has been "do ped" or has been added to from a insulating material. This makes it so the charges don't want to move as freely but they can still move. Now, just like lightning, charges have a tendency to try to make their way to the earth if they can. This is why if you have a conducting material and connect it to the earth with a wire or something, it is said to be grounded. Grounding is a good thing to do with circuits because if there is too much charge going through a circuit, you don't want it to stay in the circuit and fry everything, grounding a circuit is generally safe. To finish off the idea of the very basic circuit, we know that it allows a charge to build up and move through it, now we need to know that the circuit must be complete. The ending picture of the circuit must make a complete loop so that those charges that like to move have somewhere to allways go. What happens if you hook a wire from one end of a battery to nothing else.....NOTHING. The circuit is not completed therefore the charges can't move off the end of the wire and continue to go. Voltage, Current, and Resistance When working with circuits, the three basic elements to anaylizing the circuit are voltage, current, and resistance. These three readings help you find out all the information you need on how the cicuit will work and they are all related to eachother through Ohm's law which states that Voltage is equal to current times resistance.

Change Blindness Essay -- Health Medical Medicine Essays

Change Blindness After investigating spatial cognition and the construction of cognitive maps in my previous paper, "Where Am I Going? Where Have I Been: Spatial Cognition and Navigation", and growing in my comprehension of the more complex elements of the nervous system, the development of an informed discussion of human perception has become possible. The formation of cognitive maps, which serve as internal representations of the world, are dependent upon the human capacities for vision and visual perception (1). The objects introduced into the field of vision are translated into electrical messages, which activate the neurons of the retina. The resultant retinal message is organized into several forms of sensation and is transmitted to the brain so that neural representations of given surroundings may be recorded as memory (2). I suggested in my previous paper that these neural representations must be maintained and progressively updated with each successive change in environment and movement of the eye. Furthermore, I claimed that this information processing produces a constant, stable experience of a dynamic, external world (1). However, myriad studies and the testimony of any motorist who has had the unfortunate experience of hitting an unseen object, contradict the universality of that claim and illuminate a startling reality: human beings do not always see those objects presented in their visual field nor alterations in an observed scene (3,4,5,6,7,8,9). The failure to consciously witness change when distracted for mere milliseconds by saccade or artificial blink events is referred to as "change blindness." In order to comprehend this phenomenon, the physical act of looking and the process of seeing must be diffe... ...47/print 5)Cognet, a site on Cognition http://cognet.mit.edu/perspective/item.tcl?msg_id=00005N 6)Memory For centrally attended changing objects in an incidental real world change, An article by Levin, Simons, Angelone, and Chabris http://wjg.harvard.edu/~cfc/Levin2002.pdf 7) Scott-Brown, K.C. & Orbach, H.S. (1998) "Contrast Discrimination, Non-Uniform Patterns and Change Blindness". Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. 256 (1410): 2159-2164. 8)Max Planck Institute http://wjg.harvard.edu/~cfc/Levin2002.pdf 9)A sensorimotor account of vision and visual consciousness , Behavioral and Brain Sciences article from 2001 http://www.bbsonline.org/documents/a/00/00/05/06/bbs00000506-00/index.html 10)Glasgow Caledonian University, current research in vision sciences http://www.gcal.ac.uk/sls/Vision/index.htmlresearch/current_research/h.html

Theme of Forgiveness in Nathaniel Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter :: Scarlet Letter essays

Theme of Forgiveness in The Scarlet Letter "The public is despotic in its temper; it is capable of denying common justice when too strenuously demanded as a right; but quite as frequently it awards more than justice when the appeal is made, as despots love to have it made entirely to it's generosity." The Scarlet Letter (156) One of themes that Hawthorne conveys in The Scarlet Letter is that society is more willing to forgive people who ask for forgiveness with humility and generosity than those who demanded it as a right. This theme was conveys using Hester Prynne, a young women who committed adultery. This was considered to be one of the worst crime someone could commit in the Puritan society during the eighteen hundreds, where she resides in. As punishment, Hester was required to wear a scarlet letter "A" upon her garment in order for everyone to recognize her crime. Her society had condemn her, they believed that she "has brought shame upon all of us, and ought to die..."(59) Yet, as time went by, because of the way in which Hester carried herself wearing the scarlet letter, the symbol had taken a new meaning. Although, when the scarlet letter was first place on her bosom it was a symbol of Hester's crime, burden, seclusion, and shame. However, as a result of Hester's generosit y and humility the scarlet letter had come to symbolize Hester's strength, philanthropy, and gained her very high respectability in her society. "Let her cover the mark as she will, the pang of it will be always in her heart."(59). The scarlet letter was place upon Hester Prynne bosom as a punishment for the crime she committed; the letter A to signified adulteress. The letter A on her bosom was there as a reminder the townspeople, strangers and Hester herself of the crime she committed. Likewise, it was there to ensure that such a crime would not again befell upon their Puritan community. " "Drink, then," replied he, still with the same cold composure. "Dost thou know me so little, Hester Prynne? Are my purposes wont to be so shallow? Even if I imagine a scheme of vengeance, what could I do better for my object than to let thee live-than to give thee medicines against all harm and peril of life so that this burning Shame may still blaze upon thy bosom?

English Departmnet Essay

APA REFERENCING WORKSHEET STUDENT HANDOUT (1) ? APA REREFRENCE LIST FOR BOOKS, ARTICLES FROM THE INTERENET, MAGAZINE AND THE NEWSPAPER. ? BOOKS: A. A book with one author: Last name of the author, First letter of the author s name. (Year of publication). The title of the book (Should be Italicized). The place of publication. Example: Author: Martine Stephen Title of the book: English Literature: A student guide Year of publication: 2000 Place of publication: Pearson Education, London Stephen, M. (2000). English Literature: A student guide. Pearson Education, London. M ( E L A s g P E L B. A book with two authors: Last name of the first author, First letter of the first name of the author. , & Last name of the second author, First letter of the first name of the author. (Year of publication). The title of the book (Should be Italicized). The place of publication. Example: Title of the book: Reason to write, strategies for success in academic writing Name of the authors: Robert F. Cohen and Judy L. Miller. 1 | P a g e ENGL1111/1222 MRS. UMAMA AL KALBANI ENGLISH DEPARTMNET IBRI COLLEGE OF APPLIED SCIENCEs Year of publication: 2003 Place of publication: Oxford University Press, New York Cohen, R. , & Miller, J. (2003). Reason to write, strategies for success in academic writing. R & M J ( R t w s f s i a w Oxford University Press, New York. U P N Y C. A book with three authors. The last name of the first author, The first letter of the first name of first the author. , The last name of the second author, The first letter of the first name of second the author. , & the last name of the third author, the first letter of the first name of the third author. (Year of publication). The title of the book (Should be Italicized). The place of publication. Example: Title of the book: Writing A college Workbook Name of authors: James A. W. Heffernan, John E. Lincoln and Cindy Moore. Year of publication: 2001 Place of Publication: USA ? Write the reference of the previous book using the provided information?__________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ ? ARTICLES FROM THE INTERENET: It is recommended that when you search for articles from the internet to select that articles that have authors and the year of that submission date of that article. Some students only write the website name of the source that they get from the internet in which it is not enough. You need to cite the article from the internet in the correct APA format. So in your search for articles from the internet you have to select articles that have authors and date of submission. The next possibility is to go for articles that are written by well-Â ­? known organizations such as educational, scientific, governmental or 2 | P a g e ENGL1111/1222 MRS. UMAMA AL KALBANI ENGLISH DEPARTMNET IBRI COLLEGE OF APPLIED SCIENCEs ministerial organization. The last choice is to go for articles that are writing by anonymous (No name of authors) or that may have no submission date. A. Article from the internet with one author: The last name of the author, The first letter of the first name of the author. (Submission date). Name of the article (Italicized). Retrieved month date, year, from the website. Example: The article name: The importance of the internet for teens. The author of the article: David Thelan Submission date: 2002 Website name: htt://4teachers. org/kidspeak/theland/index. shtml Retrieved Date: 3ed October 2011 Thelan, D. (2002). The importance of the internet for teens. Retrieved October 3ed, D ( T i o t i f t R O 3 2011, from htt://4teachers. org/kidspeak/theland/index. shtml. f h B. Article with two authors: The last name of the first author, The first letter of the first name of first the author. , & The last name of the second author, The first letter of the first name of second the author. (Submission date). Name of the article (Italicized). Retrieved month date, year, from the website. C. Article with three authors: The last name of the first author, The first letter of the first name of first the author. , The last name of the second author, The first letter of the first name of second the author. , & the last name of the third author, the first letter of the first name of the third author. (Submission date). Name of the article (Italicized). Retrieved month date, year, from the website. 3 | P a g e ENGL1111/1222 MRS. UMAMA AL KALBANI ENGLISH DEPARTMNET IBRI COLLEGE OF APPLIED SCIENCEs D. Article with no author and no sponsored organization: Anonymous (No author). (Submission date). Name of the article (Italicized). Retrieved month date, year, from the website. ? Write the APA reference for the following articles from the internet: Article One: Article name: Integration of students in the teaching process. Name of authors: Jorgen Erik Christensen and Kirsten Ribu Date of submission: July 23, 2006 Website name: http:// www.icee. usm. edu/icee/conference/icee2006/papers/3387. pdf Retrieved Date: 9th October 2010 Article two: Article name: Transcript of Andrew Rawsnley s interview with the Prime Minister (BBC Radio 4 s The Westminster Hour) The name of author: No author but this article is sponsored by BBC News UK Edition. Date of submission: 6th February 2005 Website name: http://news. bbc. co. uk/go/pr/fr/i/hi/programmes/the_westminster_hour/4241787. stm Retrieved Date: 25th May 2005 P a g e ENGL1111/1222 MRS. UMAMA AL KALBANI ENGLISH DEPARTMNET IBRI COLLEGE OF APPLIED SCIENCEs.

Budweiser’s Internal Constraints

Budweiser is produced by Anheuser-Busch Companies (Anheuser-Busch), one of the world's largest brewers best known for its Budweiser and Bud Light brands. The group is a leading brewer and operates 12 breweries in the United States (Company Website, 2007). As a company, Anheuser-Busch’s internal constraints are as follows: 1. High dependence on domestic beer division Although the company operates through four business segments including domestic beer, international beer, packaging and entertainment it is still dependant on the domestic beer segment for majority of its revenue.During the fiscal year ending 2006, company generated approximately 74. 8% of its total revenue from the domestic beer segment. In contrast the other three segments accounted for only 25. 2 % of the total revenue during the same period. Strong dependence on a particular segment increases the business risk of the company thereby putting it in a competitive disadvantage (Anheuser-Busch Annual Report, 2006). This is why Anheuser-Busch is currently battling for a presence in China, the world’s largest beer market, as state owned breweries seek foreign help with privatization.In 2004, Anheuser-Busch outbid Miller for the Harbin Brewing Group of China (Modern Brewery Age, Weekly News Edition, June 14, 2004). This year, Anheuser-Busch may acquire Scottish & Newcastle's 37. 5% stake in India-based United Breweries. 2. ) Poor liquidity position Anheuser-Busch has substantial outstanding long-term debt. As of December 2006, the company had long term debt of approximately $7,653. 5 million. The company's debt equity ratio is 2. 2 times which is quite high as compared to industry average of 1. 3 times.The company's interest coverage ratio is 6. 2 as compared to industry average of 10. 1 times (Anheuser-Busch Annual Report, 2006). This ratio clearly signifies that the liquidity position of the company is bad and this would hamper company’s credibility in the market and would be diff icult for them to raise money from the market for their expansion plans. 3. ) High dependence on wholesalers Anheuser-Busch sells substantially all of its beer to independent wholesalers for distribution to retailers and ultimately consumers.During 2006, approximately 94% of the beer sold by the company, reached retail channels through more than 600 independent wholesalers (Anheuser-Busch Annual Report, 2006). In 2007, Anheuser-Busch was appointed as the United States importer for a number of the premium European brands of InBev (International Herald Tribune, 4 February 2008). Many of the wholesalers of these brands have not traditionally been wholesalers for Anheuser-Busch. As independent companies, wholesalers make their own business decisions that may not always align themselves with the company's interests.Dependence of the company on the wholesalers may affect the bargaining power of the company in the market, thus affecting its financial performance. Works Cited Anheuser-Busch . About the Company. Anheuser-Busch Website. 7 Feb. 2007. http://www. anheuser-busch. com/Company. html. Anheuser-Busch. Anheuser-Busch Annual Report, 2006. 7 Feb. 2007. http://www. anheuser-busch. com/Stock/2006AR_Anheuser_Busch. pdf. International Herald Tribune. InBev Linked with Mergers, 4 February 2008. Modern Brewery Age, Weekly News Edition. Anheuser is Victor in Harbin Bidding War, 14 June 2004.

Lifecycle of a Tyre and Creative Intervention Essay

The increased number of vehicles has led to a tremendous growth in the volume of used tyres. Over a billion tyres reach their end of life in the world each year (cited Brown & Watson, 2002) of which about 200000000 arises in Europe and 290000000 in the United States (cited RMA, 2003). From 1998 to 2008 this is expected to change by 2% every year. Vast quantities of tyre are stocked piled in designated landfills or illegally dumped. Besides posing pressure on the environment and the existing waste management sector, this erroneous waste flow also create opportunities for new recycling market to evolve. The tyre lifecycle traditionally comprises four main stages. These include production, consumption, collection of used tyres and waste management (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2006: 134). The final stage in the life cycle describes the ultimate destination where used tyres arrive. The term â€Å"used tyre† defines a tyre at the end of its first lifecycle. Two sub-types of used tyres are distinguished. The â€Å"part worn tyre† is a used tyre that can either directly be reused or retreaded. The â€Å"worn out† or â€Å"scrap tyre† is a used tyre that cannot be reused for its original purpose but may have a further use as a material or for energy recovery (Limbachiya & Roberts 2004: 273) The current solution of recycling is commercial development of a new building material made from recycled tires called the ‘Tire Log’. The Tire Log is a patented innovation made from waste tires with a unique and energy efficient approach to recycling tires. RTP recycling method is based on a simple procedure that helically wraps the steel belted tread of the tire around a core of tire treads to essentially any length or diameter. The net result is a building material that engineers say could revolutionize flood control, earthquake survivability and homeland security (Re-Tread Products, Inc. (RTP), 2008). References Limbachiya, M. C & Roberts, J. J. (2004). Sustainable waste management and recycling: used/ post-consumer tyres. Tokyo: Thomas Telford. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2006). Improving recycling markets. Paris: OECD Publishing. Re-Tread Products, Inc. (RTP). (2008, Jan 30). New York company announces new solution for recycled tires. Retrieved May 25, 2010, from www. environmental-expert. com: http://www. environmental-expert. com/resulteachpressrelease. aspx? cid=24895&codi=26319

Media – Pre production piece, storyboard for music video

In order to make my storyboard I had to research many different music videos. I looked at music videos from many different music channels and from many different musical genres, such as rock, pop and hip-hop. After analysing these videos I came to the conclusion that there were a number of important points I had to consider when making my storyboard. I decided to use Bob Dylan's ‘Blowin' in the wind' for my music video storyboard as there was never a video created for it. Also I think the issues of war in the song are very topical to the current affairs in the world today. Firstly, something I had to consider carefully was my audience. The song I chose was released in the 1960s. So, obviously it would not significantly appeal to the younger age groups. The majority of my audience will be of the older age group, probably between 40 and 60. This song would appeal to both men and women, so there was no particular gender to target. I do not think that this song would attract any particular class of people, as the song discusses issues that affect all social classes. Furthermore, I had to consider the length of each frame, as it must coincide with the rhythm of the music playing. For example, if I were to make a storyboard for a slow song then I would most probably have long frames of about 4 seconds. Whereby on the other hand if I were to make a storyboard for a fast song then I would most probably have short frames of about two seconds. So, in my case I chose to use long frames to capture the slow, mellow rhythm of the song. Another point to deliberate was whether to follow the words of the song in my storyboard or to use a number of interesting images linked together which don't have much relevance to the song. I decided to use the words of the song in my storyboard to convey what the song was about. Some of the words in the song were ambiguous, but I conveyed what I felt the words meant. All of the images are outside and most are linked with nature. I chose to do this to give the video a relaxing and peaceful theme, to fit in with what the song is about. This is also linked in with my target audience, as I tried to achieve a calm video, something that someone of the older generation would enjoy watching and would help relieve them of stress. I decided to repeat the same images in each chorus to reinforce the meaning and importance of the words. Furthermore, I also chose to repeat the same images in each instrumental section of the song. I chose the image of the sun going down, from morning, to afternoon, to evening, to dusk; I did this to create the affect that one verse was over and the next was beginning. I also used it at the end to indicate the song was ending, as the day was ending.

Apple Case Study Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Apple Case Study - Coursework Example The paper tells that it would appear that Apple segments its business into business units on a geographic, rather than product bases, in addition to the four geographic business units, the company treats the retail business as a separate business unit. Each business unit reports sales and profitability from all product and operational categories within the region, with the exclusion of retail operations which fall under a separate SBU. In analysing Apple’s strategy, subsequent sections of the report will refer to the European SBU where appropriate. The financial performance of Apple’s European SBU would seem to be quite impressive in light of the economic events taking place during the period. Europe represents Apple’s second largest market by sales volume as the Americas division. Sale have risen from $9,233m in 2008 to $18,692 in 2010, a rate of growth of over 102%. Profit during the period has similarly increased from $3,022m in 2008 to $7,524m in 2010, an inc rease of 149% suggesting that profitability is increasing at a greater rate in proportion to sales. As such, this suggests that Apple’s European SBU has effectively kept expenses under control and is beginning to benefit from various economies of scale as sales increase . An interesting aspect of Apple’s capital structure is that the company reported to have no long term debt financing in the period 2006 to 2010. As such the company is wholly financed through equity. ... Key Ratios Ratio Apple Sony Samsung GP Margin 33.17% -2.95% 26.00% NP Margin 14.22% -1.28% 7.40% EPS 4.04 -98.95 29.98 Current Ratio 2.01 0.95 1.52 Acid Test 1.96 0.74 1.23 Debt to Equity 0.57 1.68 0.09 ROCE 14.09% -1.21% 12.28% 1.2 Marketing Analysis The following analysis of Apple’s marketing has been conducted using the standard 4p’s approach to the analysis of the marketing mix4: Price – Traditionally Apple has followed a premium pricing strategy often attempting to appeal to the early adopters in the field of interest. This has been especially true in the computer product segment. Product – While Apple has consistently brought new and innovative products to the market, the main features and benefits sold to computer is that Apple products are simple and easy to use, a marketing strategy which has helped Apple to a appeal to a wide audience. Place – Apple products are distributed through a wide range of retailers in the European SBU including hi gh street electronics retailers, major supermarkets and online sources such as Amazon. A key strategy however has also been the setting up of Apple’s own retail SBU which operates a number of stores within the European market dedicated to Apple products. Promotion – Apple makes use of a standard array of mass media advertising techniques including television advertising, targeted print media advertising as well as viral and other online advertising techniques. Overall, the marketing activities of Apple in the European SBU may be seen as aimed to create a product mix which is aimed at the mass luxury market. The product is appealing to those with higher levels of disposable income yet not so high as to be