Thursday, October 31, 2019

Treats design as art Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Treats design as art - Assignment Example She emphasizes that in the contemporary times, designs need to be evolved to incorporate the important issues and compulsions of the times. The recessive economy, environment and sustainability of resources are vital issues where the designing of objects could make a significant impact. She says that designers are creative and have the ability to effectively use any material to make a difference to the world. She has accurately summed up the role of designers as the ‘biggest synthesizer in the world who (excels) in synthesizing the human needs’. Indeed, there design, sometimes may not be understood but the wider ramifications of those designs on the contemporary issues give them the necessary impetus to continue with their work. She concludes her talk by exhorting the designers to let go of their creativity in a way where they can visualize at different scales. She declares that design is not only aesthetic but it also serves the humanity through innovative input that facilitates to meet the challenges of the time. (272

Monday, October 28, 2019

A Format Paper Essay Example for Free

A Format Paper Essay Paragraphs in a Poetry Analysis Essay: Note: It is important to follow the guidelines for each paragraph as you would a cooking recipe. In other words, for each body paragraph, follow the simple ingredients. Format/Recipe for an Introduction: a). Write one to two sentences that briefly summarize the poem. Your first line should state the name of the poem, the poet’s full name, and the speaker’s intent or main idea. Note: For example, if you were writing about Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18, your first line would look something like, â€Å"William Shakespeare’s ‘Sonnet 18’ discusses the conflict that the speaker faces in trying to preserve the beauty of a young and innocent man. † Notice how this opening line follows the above instructions. b). Write about to three sentences that allow you to transition to the element that you will be discussing in your paper. This part is not your argument; this part is designed to transition yourself and your reader to the main point of your paper. ). Write a one to two sentence thesis statement. Your thesis statement will state your overall argument and include at least three rhetorical devices that you will analyze in order to support your argument. Note: For an in-depth discussion on constructing a solid thesis statement for this type of essay, feel free to refer to my previous article in the link provided here: Thesis Statement for a Poetry Analysis Essay Format/Recipe for Body Paragraph 1: a). Write one to two sentences that provide a discussion of your argument. Be sure to also mention one rhetorical device that you will use for support. This part of your paragraph should explain your argument and explain how and why the rhetorical device supports your claim. b). Quote a relevant line/lines that illustrate the rhetorical device that you are discussing, and make sure the quote is relevant to your argument. c). Write about two to three sentences that analyze this quote. Your analysis should reinforce your argument and your discussion of the rhetorical device. d). Write one closing sentence to seal off the paragraph. Format/Recipe for Body Paragraph 2: ). Using a transitional phrase, write one to two more sentences that further discuss your argument. Also, mention another rhetorical device that you will use for support. Your rhetorical device should be different from the first one that you discussed. However, this paragraph is set up just like body paragraph 1. b). Pick another relevant line(s) that support your claims about the second rhetoric al device. Again, make sure that the line(s) are relevant to your argument. c). Have about two to three more sentences that provide an analysis of these quoted lines. Just like body paragraph 1, your analysis should support your argument and the rhetorical device that you are discussing. d). Provide one closing sentence that seals off your paragraph. Format/Recipe for Body Paragraph 3: a). Starting with another transitional phrase, write one to two sentences that discuss your overall argument even more. Just like body paragraph 1 and 2, this paragraph will also include a discussion of a rhetorical device that proves your argument. Your rhetorical device needs to be a different from your first and second body paragraphs. When it comes to content and organization, body paragraph 3 will look just like body paragraph one and two. b). Provide a different line or lines that further emphasize your argument about your third rhetorical device. These lines need to relate to your argument. c). Just like body paragraph 1 and 2, include about two to three sentences that analyze your quoted lines. Just like body paragraph 1 and 2, your sentences should prove your argument, and show the reader how the rhetorical device that you are discussing illustrates your claims. d). Seal off your paragraph with one concluding sentence. Format/Recipe for a Conclusion: a). Write about one to two sentences that re-mentions your thesis statement from letter â€Å"c† in your introduction. Be sure to re-phrase your sentence structure so that you are not repetitive. b). In about three to four sentences, re-mention the rhetorical devices that you discussed to support your argument, and reiterate how these rhetorical devices proved your point. c). Write about two intelligent closing sentences that offer your reader some insight or philosophy about the poem that you wrote about. Editing:

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Analysis Of The Code Of Conduct

Analysis Of The Code Of Conduct Planning is no longer a fashionable concept particularly after the collapse of socialism in the recent past and which has exerted the influence upon the environment (Evans, 1995). It is the part of land use planning system which used to balance the developments in future in context of economic, social and environment areas. According  [2]  to Davies, A N, Planning is the process of setting goals, developing strategies, and outlining tasks and schedules to accomplish the goals and it is a tool for guidance and facilitation for various areas like regeneration and development. According  [3]  to Lewis Keeble, Planning is the art and science of ordering the use of land and the character and siting of buildings and communication routes so as to secure the maximum practicable degree of economy, convenience and beauty. Since the postwar planning system was put into place in Britain, Major changes have taken place during this time in society, the economy, and the political scene some of which have been touched upon in this rapid overview. In these changing frames, town and country planning has grown into a series of different policy areas which gave different directions for the profession. As the profession underwent a number of changes, the development of various acts, policies, frameworks and guidance notes came into existence. According to Evans, B., The British planning has emerged out from particular circumstances like economic, political and cultural as a form of land use control which is different to the emerged systems in other countries. The essay analyzes the critical adequacy of Royal Town Planning Institute`s (RTPI) Code of Conduct in other light of ethical concerns which are also an important concerns in planning actions/decisions. It begins with introduction about RTPI`s Code of Conduct, distinguish between ethics, ethical issues and as well as between Codes of Conducts and Codes of Ethics. It then describes the arguments between different authors about ethical dilemmas in the context of planning theory, changing role of professional planners due to confronting of ethical issues/dilemmas and criticism of the RTPI Code of Conduct in different ethical concerns like personal, social and environmental etc because the involvement of political/personal concerns, social reforms and environmental protection/concerns were added to the planning actions/decisions over the time. So its really important to analyze the Code of Conduct in their context. It concludes by looking over different ethical concerns critically to find out the importance of Code of Conduct for future in the context of different ethical concerns. In the British Planning practice system, The Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) is a dynamic organisation leading the way in the creation of places that work now and in the future  [4]  . The RTPI has its own professional Code of Conduct as last amended on January 2007. The Professional Code of Conduct sets out that how the members of RTPI should behave among their all the professional activities and ethics. It has also numbered clauses which are more detailed, explains the Code of Conduct. Ethics are defined  [5]  as the moral quality of an action or the rightness. It is important to distinguish the ethics and ethical issues. Ethics are helpful to guide the planners in their daily professional work schedule while ethical issues majorly focused upon the moral correct behaviors and involve conflicts/dilemmas about the right/wrong ends and principles. Within the planning profession there are codes of conduct (RTPI, adopted 1994) and codes of ethics. It is important to differentiate these: a code of ethics is comprised of visionary statements regarding the normative and ethical aspects of the profession While a code of conduct has certain guidelines/regulations for professional behavior including conflict of interest and professional competence (Hendler 1991). The ethics of competence, integrity and equality are the main objectives in the purposes of RTPI`s Code of Conduct among their all the professional activities and Code of Conduct is also giving emphasis to personal, professional and political ethical frameworks. Planning theory is also describing the ethical dilemmas of different sectors which are like environment, social and economic etc. According  [6]  to Campbell S S. Fainstein S., Planning theory in itself, is a slippery subject and explanations are often frustratingly tautological or disappointingly pedestrian Consequently it appears as overlap with theory in all disciplines of social sciences and its hard to limit the scope of planning. According to William L., planners are torn between public, serving professionals and fellow members. So this dilemma is further complicated by the extension of planning actions and conflicts between the different sectors like environment, social and economic development and these conflicts creates problems not only in planning actions as well as in professionals and in the whole planning process. The changing role of planners over the time is also a one of reason for the increase in confronting of profession by ethical issues. These changes can be measured from two perspectives as Change in the planning profession itself over time and changes in the way in which public and clients perceive planning professionals and their profession. Planners have seen in different role models over the time and recently they are seen to be more interactive, exchanging knowledge and ideas with clients and a wide range of other interested parties (Healey 1991). Now planner is recognized as expertise, is more to deal with exchanging ideas/knowledge instead of framing policies and report writings. According to Prior (2000), the current role of planner is seems to be as a mediator between different interests in land development and Forester (1989) also gave examined planner`s current role as a facilitator who is assisting others rather than a technical expert. Thomas and Healey (1991) also describe  [7]  planning as a multi-disciplinary field drawing on diverse fields of knowledge. Planners must be able to draw together these diverse fields and co-ordinate agencies with different knowledge and responsibilities. Every country has its own bodies (Government/NGO`s) for ensuring the equality among different groups in the society. The RTPI Code of Professional conduct under No.2, It mentions the equality and elimination of discrimination in the context of sex, religion, disability, age and sexual orientation in all the professional activities among members others. In the 1970s, to address the new questions and goals, an attempt was done to broaden them by criticizing the professional code of conducts by Howe, Kaufman and Marcuse. According to them, as they were criticizing the professional planning codes from the UK, Canada USA, some of the codes in UK have no references to the ethics, and they are just mentioning some general terms related with ethics and in some, more emphasis on personal ethics of individual planners. The RTPI Code of Conduct also mentions that the members have to keep their personal, private, political and financial interests separate from their professional duties so that they should perform their duty without any disruption and take steps/precautions time by time to keep them separate from professional responsibilities but according to Marcuse (1976),  [8]  In most cases, even the rules for telling right from wrong are not clear. Obligations to clients conflict with obligations to the public; following professionally accepted standards of conduct produces results repugnant to most laymen; professional integrity and democratic decision making seem to conflict; the bounds of professional concern are hazy. Marcuse also mentioned that the existing ethical and professional standards are often inherently inconsistent, conflicting and contradictory with the profession`s public oriented image. So ultimately they are a weak guide to ethical conduct for practicing planners. The conflict between the views of elected members and the professional planners is also another dilemma. As elected members have different views  [9]  compared to planners because members are typically interested in getting votes which can resultant in different views priorities for a member. So an elected member may have different priorities for developments in district as like social/economic instead of environmental and ultimately it conflicts with the views of planners because planners are responsible for the development of all the sectors and the prioritized issues but in RTPI Code of Conduct, it doesn`t have no references or guidelines for such issues/conflicts between elected members and professional planners. Its true that planners should act professionally but it is also important not to take the biased steps/planning actions under any pressures of elected members or other pressure groups. Even According  [10]  to Brewster R., there are chances of conflicts between the views between elected members/representatives and the planners working in the local Government and its crucial to ensure the successful completion of planning actions. According  [11]  to Friedman, It may be a biggest problem in understanding and theorizing of planning, in his paper on planning research and he mentioned the approach of planning research by encouraging planner researchers to identify the actual situations of city politics with planning to address the question of power. From point of view of planning research and issues related with it, a very little discussion of ethical issues related to planning research has done compared to ethical issues relating to planning only (Hendler,1995)  [12]  . While in the criticism of professional Codes of Conduct done by Howe and Kaufman, (1979); Marcuse, (1976) shows that there is no direct reference/link to planning research in these codes, as these codes are for the regulation of planning profession but which is a different activity from research. So planning research is a part of planning actions/decisions which also deals with the same ethical issues/dilemmas as well as to identify vario us specific issues like related with power, politics etc. Social Justice There are significant shifts over the time in ethical judgments which were informed by notions in the context of social and ethical concerns (Watson, V., 2006). According  [13]  to David Harvey, The social justice is ideally based upon the principles of equal worth of all, shelter and other basic amenities, opportunities for all and eliminating the inequalities from society. The equal distribution among individuals is a simple meaning of social justice (Ernesto M., 2008). The issues of social justice are a prime concern in the context of development, socio-economic aspects. There are number of examples of injustice in the form of suppression, unequal opportunities, inequity etc. According to (Okin, 1989), Feminists have complained that the principles of justice do not apply to the family, and thus, cannot secure equal justice for women and children and he also suggests about the gender neutrality of the original position which will guard against gender discrimination While Rawls notes that the principles of justice apply directly only to structuring the basic social institutions; they do not apply to structuring voluntary associations, including the family. The social issues like equality and elimination of discrimination can be eliminated as mentioned by RTPI Code of Conduct and It will also help to maintain the equal distribution of social benefits and burdens of the society at all the levels of Government but the influence of the class and professional background of planners in producing the cultural prejudice in their attitudes and efforts in the planning profession and increase in the social groups awareness and participation can also affect the professional ethics and planning actions in terms of personal behaviors and time deadlines for applications. The communities and pressure groups are becoming more aware, demanding so the planners are facing ethical issues which become more important and increased. As a result, planners encouraged to interact with communities/groups but at some stages these involvements/interactions with communities creates pressure on the planning actions and as well as on planning professionals. The increased involvement of community groups was identified  [14]  by particular Councils as an increasing challenge facing district Councils in the planning actions in terms of creating more ethical dilemmas for planners. According to Marcuse`s (1976) criticism of the implicit conservation of the ethical discussions and codes of practices which ignores the social values and ethics while the individual actions which can help, remains in the process because of individual concerns as due to their nature and focus on individuals behaviours and neglects the conditions and supports which can help towards ethical concerns. Even According to Wachs (1985), work on planning ethics has focused on the codes and the individual planners behaviours is more instead of social ethical concerns in the planning codes of ethics. Healy (1991) also identified  [15]  the distinction between professional related practice and scholarly practice and different relationships between planning research and planning practice. So she also recognized that scholarly researches as well as planning research are not much in practice. Environmental Justice Environmental Justice is a subset of social justice concerned with the environmental consequences (Ernesto M., 2008). As like Social justice, planners are facing the most important change in all over the changes is the environment. The importance of environment has been increased as it is confronted for number of problems and issues in recent time. So now the authorities/agencies are also concerned about environmental justice as like social justice. As economic growth was the main aim of local authorities and the professional planners but recently and even since the Earth Summit in Rio in 1992, the environment and sustainable development have become major issues. This introduces a whole new field of thought to planners, namely Environmental Ethics. Environmental ethics can be defined as that area of thought and moral discourse dealing with our ethical duties to, and relative to, the natural environment (Beatley 1994). There are number of arguments on this point of view by planners and environmental agencies in the light of the increasing importance of the environment and it has lead to an increase in the issues that planners must consider which consequently creates further ethical issues. So like other ethical issues, environmental justice issues are also important concerns in the planning actions and how we can address all these ethical issues and what weight can be provided to environmental issues in planning actions, what issues are more important. Nowadays in the urban forms, the effects or issues related to environmental hazards need more concern as like other developments. So to identify the solutions for these kinds of issues and their prioritization in planning actions, there is no reference given in the RTPI Code of Conduct. Conclusion The RTPI Code of Conduct sets out the professional practices and procedures for the planning members to perform their professional duties for the better and safe future directions for society. The RTPI Code of Conduct is particularly only oriented to the members of the planning profession which are working in the planning and development sector to ensure that the decisions should be appropriate and transparent. As the planning professionals are ensured by Code of Conduct towards their professional services, it can help to achieve the better environment for them and society in the light of those ethical concerns but Kaufman and Marcuse reviewed the Codes which explains the lack of proper referencing to ethics, but it gives only a reference to general terms, They also identified the conflicts between the statements like `Loyalty to public and to the one`s sponsor. From Planning theory point of view, it is also concerned about the different ethical issues between different concerns like environment, social and economic etc. According to various authors, its hard to define the exact scope and limits of planning theory and planning in it and the role of planners is also under such circumstances that the planners are confronted by ethical issues as well as by the field. So this dilemma is further complicated by the extension of planning actions and conflicts between the different sectors and these conflicts confronted by planning actions as well as in professionals and in the whole planning process. The RTPI Code of Conduct will help to the planning professionals to set out open, fair and transparent planning decisions based upon sound judgments and justified reasons and the Code of Conduct also sets out further Supplementary regulations and Bye Laws about the continuity of professional development, planning aid etc can be helpful to young planning professionals to confront the ethical issues. From point of view of other ethical concerns, Social justice and Environmental justice are also prime concerns in future planning actions/decisions. As the essay analyses the importance of social and environmental concerns and why they are more concerned in present and future scenario`s so it becomes an important part of such regulations or Code of Conduct to give emphasis towards these concerns. Furthermore, the increase in communities and agencies awareness demands more expectations from professional planners to undertake these concerns as well. From point of view of Planning research there are no links to the planning research, as these codes guides the profession which is totally different activity from research. So we can not apply the Code of Conduct directly to the planning research. However, The RTPI Code of Conduct guides the professional planners for or encourages the higher level planners to support and encourage other planners to maintaining the professional standards and following the guidelines of Code of Conduct and to deal with the and discuss the ethical issues/dilemma so that they can be further researched by professional planners. For Instance, if we think about the planning decisions and services without the set of practices and procedures given by RTPI`s Code of Conduct or other regulations in planning field, it can create an un-planned and haphazard situation for the planning professional as well as for society. So at the last, for the better planning futures and right decisions, we need appropriate changes/developments in the planning system in the form of rules/regulations, such Code of Conducts, policies which can help the professionals to achieve objectives of planning profession. As The RTPI Code of Conduct is helpful up to an extent for the planning profession to engage the planners with the set of procedures and guidelines but in future there is a still need of further additions/modifications in it. So that it can cover existing and future coming gaps in it and can direct the planning professional for better tomorrows and address the other major ethical concerns like social and environmental concerns.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Essay Interpreting one Art By Elizabeth Bishop :: essays research papers

Essay Interpreting "One Art" by Elizabeth Bishop In "One Art" by Elizabeth Bishop, the speaker's attitude in the last stanza relates to the other stanzas in verse form and language. The speaker uses these devices to convey her attitude about losing objects. The verse form in "One Art" is villanelle. The poem has tercet stanzas until the last, which is four lines. In the first three stanzas, the poem is told in second person. "Lose something every day." seems to command one to practice the art of losing things. In the three stanzas, first person is used, and the speaker relates how she "lost her mother's watch" and other life incidents. However, the speaker addresses her beloved "you," and then in the last line, herself. Language in "One Art" is simple, yet many literary devices are used. The last line repeated, to the effect of "The art of losing isn't hard to master" suggests that the speaker is trying to convince herself that losing things is not hard and she should not worry. Also, the speaker uses hyperboles when describing in the fifth tercet that she lost "two cities...some realms I owned." Since she could not own, much less lose a realm, the speaker seems to be comparing the realm to a large loss in her life. Finally, the statement in the final quatrain "Even losing you" begins the irony in that stanza. The speaker remarks that losing this person is not "too hard" to master. The shift in attitude by adding the word "too" shows that the speaker has an ironic tone for herself in her loss or perhaps her husband or someone else close to her. Language and verse form show in "One Art" how the losses increase in importance as the poem progresses, with the losses in lines 1-15 being mostly trivial or

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Evaluate the Current State of the Economy Essay

Labor market conditions are important especially for the following categories, businesses, individuals, and governments. The nation’s labor market conditions are constantly monitored by statistical analysis, unemployment rate being the primary metric. In April of 2014, the unemployment rate fell from 6.7% percent to 6.3% percent (Bureau of Labor Statistics. May 2014), which was the lowest rate since September of 2008. Since January the unemployment rate had been somewhat flat, but in April 2014 it dropped. However in April, the labor force additionally dropped by 806,000 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2014) meaning the current ratio drop from 6.7% to 6.3% comparatively remains approximately the same as the constant trend. In other words, because of the decrease in workforce, the drop in unemployment may be partially a result of the decrease in workforce. The consistent level of unemployment makes shifts on AD and AS curve minor. When unemployment decreases, as it did in April, a correlation linking the drop in unemployment to an increased demand of goods and services can be made. This increased demand requires the productivity of companies to increase to meet the supply deficit, creating more jobs for individuals. With a greater demand for goods and services, there is a greater need for people to produce them, therefore a decrease in unemployment. Additionally, the decrease in unemployment means household income will improve, providing them with more disposable income. As noted above, because of the increase in demand (seen in the decline in the unemployment rate), a direct correlation can be made to an increase in supply, though delayed. The increase in supply increases the number of new employees as employers look to meet the demand for goods and services, shifting the AS  curve to the right as well. In most cases unemployment remains constant, but in US, the high unemployment rate (compared to the past) can have a negative effect on the economy. The steady unemployment rate can reduce the supply of labor in the economy, as unemployed people become discouraged and stop looking for jobs. This would shift the aggregate supply curve to the left. Also employers may use the threat of unemployment to cut wages, exploiting their workers. Expectations The great intangible factor directly affecting the economy currently is people’s expectations for future economic growth. These economic expectations influence the economy greatly. If businesses and households are more optimistic about the future of the economy, they are more likely to buy large items and make new investments, increasing the aggregate demand. The AD can change in a variety of ways. Peoples expectations causes them to spend less or be forced to cut spending, it causes the government to cut its spending, and it causes businesses to be more money conscious when choosing what their investment in goods will be from other companies. As a gauge, many people look at the gross domestic product (GDP), the broadest measure of economic activity, which grew at a 0.1% annual pace in the first quarter of 2014 (U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, April 2014). This is slow growth compared to recent annual rates of 2% to 3% (U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, April 2014). Many think the slowdown was caused by the long winter felt throughout the country. These slow growth rates shift both the AD and AS curves to the left, as consumers and business feel the affect or people’s â€Å"wait and see† attitude in economy. Assuming this is all weather based, the economy should bounce as household moral improves with the warmer spring and summer weather. Consumer expectations are also reflected in their spending. Consumer spending rose 0.3 percent last month after a downwardly revised gain of 0.2 percent in January (Mutikani, Lucia, March 2014), positive for now, but on a larger scale reports show the slowdown in real GDP growth is reflected in the downturn in exports. The exports of industrial supplies and materials as well as foods, feeds, and beverages  declined after increasing in the fourth quarter of 2013. (U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, April 2014). Additionally, imports have also declined by 0.4 percent in April, after increasing 1.8 percent in the first quarter of 2014 (Bureau of Labor Statistics. April 2014). The April drop was the first monthly decrease since the index fell 0.9 percent in November 2013 (Bureau of Labor Statistics. April 2014). Import prices also fell 0.3 percent over the past 12 months and have not recorded a year-over-year advance since the index increased 0.9 percent from July 2012 to July 2013 (Bureau of Labor Statistics. April 2014). There drops in the US economy are felt in the household sector through the implementation of monetary and physical policy which are used to combat economic declines which directly affect consumer’s expectation and spending habits. Consumer Income As mentioned above, consumers are still buying things. Consumer spending continues to be a bright spot, growing at a 3% annual pace. (Mutikani, Lucia, March 2014). This occurred even though prices of goods and services bought by U.S. residents rose 1.4 percent in the first quarter, after rising 1.5 percent in the fourth quarter of 2013. Both energy prices and food prices turned up. Excluding food and energy, prices increased 1.4 percent in the first quarter after rising 1.8 percent in the fourth quarter (U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, April 2014). This illustrates the shift in AD tow the right. Meaning consumers are willing to pay higher prices at current production rates. The increase in consumables indicates consumers have more disposable income to spend on goods and services, and they are not choosing to save. Personal income and personal saving statistic showing that personal income adjusted for inflation and taxes increased 1.9 percent in the first quarter, compared with 0.8 percent in the fourth quarter of 2013 (Mutikani, Lucia, March 2014). Incomes also rose 0.3 percent last month after rising by the same margin in January. Additionally, inflation has remained low. Combining  these factors, consumer spending, price increases, low inflation, increased personal income, will inevitably be forecasted by business as indicators to increase production. Increased production also increase supply, shifting AS to the right as business attempt to meet consumer demand. Interest Rates Interest rates in the United States are the lowest they have been in years. This indicates the policy and stance taken by the government for lending money. The government is trying to entice consumers to file for loans as well as encourage banks to lend and approve loans. With interest rates this low and consumer income increasing, one would expect consumers to increase their buying of more significant items. The aggregate demand curve shows, at various price levels, the quantity of goods and services produced domestically that consumers, businesses, and governments are willing to purchase. The increase in demand for low interest loans would shift the AD curve as a shift to the right. Domestically, the Federal Reserve expected to remain in a â€Å"wait-and-see† mode, hoping to get a clearer picture of U.S.’s future economic strength (Kurtz, Annalyn, April 2014). Moreover, the Federal Reserve has been buying bonds to stimulate the U.S. economy on and off since 2008, but the central bank is now gradually bringing that program to an end. The withdrawal process is expected to reduce bond purchases to around $45 billion a month (Kurtz, Annalyn, April 2014), and this process potentially will shift the nations monetary policy to focus more on interest rates rather than adjustments to the monetary base. These changes to the interest rates will impact capital goods decisions made by consumers and by businesses. Lower interest rates will lower the costs of major products, such as houses, and will increase business capital project spending because of the reduction in long-term investment costs. Such changes will move the aggregate demand curve will down and to the right. But, in the event of an interest rate hike, the higher real interest rates  will make capital goods relatively more expensive and cause the aggregate demand curve to shift up and to the left. Recommendations America’s recent financial crisis and the anticipated future economic outlook can be traced back to 2007 when the U.S. housing bubble burst. The bank failures created a dominos affect, creating an economic meltdown in all sectors of the US economy. Despite government attempts to help the situation, the economy has slowed and has slipped in and out of recession. As a result, the current government policies have not been effective, creating hesitations in consumer spending. Since 2008, the actions taken by the Federal Reserve have put the U.S.’s economy in jeopardy. To stem the economic slide of the U.S. housing collapse, the Federal Reserve has printed off trillions of dollars and has increased government spending in the economy hoping the influx of cash will jump start economic activity. But is has had an inverse affect. This dilution of the monetary base has diluted the value of the U.S. dollar (USD) domestically and internationally and has caused concern of consumer spending in the loanable funds market. Consumer spending is a 69% of the US GDP (The World Bank, 2013). An increase in spending would stimulate additional demand for products. With an increase in demand, business would increase productivity resulting in an improved GDP and lower unemployment. Additionally, in 2014 one of the greatest uses of a consumer’s income is to pay health care costs. The Bureau of Economic Analysis noted that the increase in health care costs was driven primarily by the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. Removing the Affordable Health Care Act will improve consumer spending, as their disposable income percentage will increase. When the financial crisis began in 2008, the U.S. national debt stood approximately at $10 trillion. Based on the US Treasuries own figures, the national debt will reach be close to $20.0 trillion by the end of this decade (US Treasury Department – Treasury Direct, 2014), greater than our nation’s GDP. Reducing government  debt takes a long time, especially with the current international influences (China, Japan, EU). A fiscal policy to increased taxes and reduced government spending would be a place to start. Additionally, a reduction in monetary base will again, strengthen the USD internationally, helping facilitate and increase import/exports. Part 2: Evaluation of Recommendations Keynesian Perspective: Based upon the thorough analysis completed above, the Keynesian model is an appropriate mechanism for stimulating an economy that is growing but at a much slower rate than what is typical during a period of economic expansion. After a couple of years of substantive growth, the numbers for the first quarter of 2014 showed a GDP increase of just 0.1%. While the unemployment numbers continue to show a decline. While stubbornly remaining at 6.7% nationally through April, the most recent numbers show significant decline to 6.3%. The mortgage interest rates fell recently to 4.29% as the housing market has slowed down recently. While the Fed is beginning to slow down buying treasury bonds, it will continue to keep interest rates low until all signs point to GDP growth returning to a normal rate of 3.28% annually. Those numbers are indicative of annual GDP growth rates from 1948 to 2009. The first quarter of 2009 saw the economy shrink by nearly 5% following the market collapse and the bank bailouts just before President Obama took office. Subsequently, the bailout of GM and Chrysler in 2009 also impacted the economy as well, but was necessary to save the industry and jobs in Detroit and elsewhere for parts manufacturers and suppliers. The risk of course was the loss of more than a million jobs, but in the end the loss was $10.5 billion in taxpayer money not repaid by GM. Classical Macroeconomic theory assumes that market conditions will sort themselves out, but the confluence of catastrophic economic issues such as: the real estate market collapse, bank insolvency, the stock market collapse and the auto industry bailouts meant looking at long-term solutions would  not provide the confidence in the markets and consumers alike. Short-term or stop gap measures needed to stem the downward spiral to depression and economic contraction were and are required to right the economic ship. Keynesian economic theory is more prone to acceptance of government stimulus as it relied on government spending during economic downturns. They Keynesians believe that the economy is made up of consumer spending, business investment and government spending and because of this, Fed monetary policy adjustments should be made to promote banks to make loans, businesses to invest in growth and expansion and consumers to have more buying power due to lower interest rates. When consumer spending is decreasing, the Keynesian theory believes that the government spending can help with economic growth. The current course of action taken by the Fed and the President should be continued for the foreseeable future until economic conditions stabilize back to the norms over the last 60-plus years. Once GDP growth returns to expansionist highs and inflation begins to rise, there may be a need to take corrective action again to slow the economy down, but for now that is not an issue. Since economic growth is lacking, government intervention is needed to help regulate and jumpstart the economy. This will allow banks to lend more, businesses to invest more and households to spend more. It is crucial for these three entities to do as such since it will help the economy grow and progress. Classical Perspective: A portion of the AS curve that is almost vertical is associated with a real GDP rate that fully employs a nation’s resources. At a rate of output, the nation has reached the limitation of its short run capacity, so an attempt to increase employment or output beyond this rat would result only in a higher aver price level. The theory is built on the fact that in the long run, a nations move gradually and automatically moves toward full employment. This inexorable like movement toward full employment is the  result of supply and demand forces that cause prices (wages, interest rates, and exchange rates) to adjust so that markets clear. And after enough time, the market will settle the supply and demand in all markets, and thereby eliminate any imbalances, such as employment. Since many classical economists do not believe that government spending gives power to the public sector and decreasing the private sector, they do not fully agree with too much government spending as it ex ploits a lot of economic resources. Example: â€Å"Suppose a nation had excessive unemployment. Classical economist would agree that a major cause of the unemployment was an average real wage rate that was above equilibrium. At this wage rate the amount of labor supplied exceeds the amount demanded, resulting in unemployment. The excessive supply of labor would put downward pressure on real wages. Falling real wages would then have two reinforcing affects that acted simultaneously to bring the labor market back into equilibrium. First, lower real wages would increase the incentive for businesses to hire workers; second, they would reduce the number of individuals in the workforce. For instance, instead of looking for work, some individuals might stay in school or remain homemakers. If real wages fell the amount of labor supplied would equal the amount demanded and unemployment would be solved.† (Marthinsen, John E. (2007)) The classical perspective emphasizes on the belief that government spending is detrimental to the economy and that the market itself is self-sufficient and can automatically adjust to increases and decrease of employment, consumer spending, business investment and so on. The current government policies have not been effective and when looking at it from this classical perspective, it might be necessary for the government to step back and let the mark equilibrate itself. References: Bureau of Labor Statistics. (April 2014), U.S. Import and Export Price Indexes Retrieved from http://www.bls.gov/news.release/ximpim.nr0.htm Bureau of Labor Statistics. (May 2014), Labor Force Statistics from the Current Population Survey Retrieved from http://data.bls.gov/timeseries/LNS14000000 Conerly, Bill (2014) Economic Forecast 2014-2015: Looking Better With Help From Oil And Gas Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/billconerly/2014/01/22/economic-forecast-2014-2015-looking-better-with-help-from-oil-and-gas/ Congressional Budget Office, (February 2014). The Budget and Economic Outlook: 2014 to 2024 Retrieved from http://www.cbo.gov/publication/45010 Kurtz, Annalyn, (April 2014). U.S. Economy Slows to Stall-Speed Retrieved from http://money.cnn.com/2014/04/30/investing/gdp-economy Marthinsen, John E. (2007) Managing in a Global Economy: Demystifying International Macroeconomics. Mason, OH: Thomas Southwestern Mutikani, Lucia (March 2014). U.S. consumers lift spending, but sentiment slips. Retrieved from http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/03/28/us-usa-economy-idUSBREA2R0UB20140328 The World Bank. (2013). Household final consumption expenditure, etc. (% of GDP) Retrieved from http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NE.CON.PETC.ZS U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, (April 2014). National Income and Product Accounts Gross Domestic Product: First Quarter 2014 (advance estimate). Retrieved from https://www.bea.gov/newsreleases/national/gdp/gdpnewsrelease.htm US Treasury Department – Treasury Direct, (2014). Historical Debt Outstanding – Annual 2000 – 2012 Retrieved from http://www.treasurydirect.gov/govt/reports/pd/histdebt/histdebt_histo5.htm

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Is the Canadian Prime Minister Too Powerful A Critique

Is the Canadian Prime Minister Too Powerful A Critique Introduction Canada has one of the unique forms of governments in the developed nations and the world as a whole. According to the Constitution Act of 1867, the country is described as parliamentary democracy given the fact that the constitution provides for the democratic election of representatives to the parliament (Clark, 2010). The parliament in this country is made up of the Crown, the Senate and the House of Commons (Clark, 2010).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Is the Canadian Prime Minister Too Powerful? A Critique specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In this paper, the researcher is going to critically analyze whether it is a fact that the prime minister holds too much power. To this end, some of the advantages and disadvantages of a powerful prime minister will be looked. The reforms that are needed to give the elected representatives more power relative to the premier will also be viewed. Is the Canadian Prim e Minister Too Powerful? Yes Indeed I believe that the prime minister holds too much power. This is strange especially given the fact that the office is not enshrined in any constitutional document. But this does not stop the prime minister from assuming the role of â€Å"†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦(the) leading minister of the Crown† (Clark, 2010: p. 2). Incumbent Stephen Harper may not agree with me here, but it is evident that the majority of Canadian citizens share my opinion. An opinion poll conducted in 2008 by Nanos Research (and cited in Clark, 2010) is perhaps one of the best indicators of the attitudes of Canadians towards the PMO. The poll may have been conducted four years ago, but the findings are an essential pointer to the place occupied by the premier in the hearts of the Canadians. According to the poll, 42 percent of the citizens are of the view that the powers vested in the Office of the Prime Minister needs to be checked (Clark, 2010). The citizens think that th e office is one of the weakest links in the country’s democracy. Majority of those polled felt that the premier holds more power than other constitution offices such as the federal cabinet, the Supreme Court and House of Commons among others. So, why exactly is the prime minister regarded as one of the most influential public figures in Canada? One of the primary reasons is the fact that the incumbent takes over the constitutional role of the Crown (Jarvis Turnbull, 2012). It can be argued that the incumbent plays the most prominent role in the country’s government operations. Vast resources are at the disposal of the prime minister. For example, the incumbent has the power to appoint and dismiss the cabinet and such other institutions. A case in point is the appointment of Lloyd Axworthy as member of the cabinet by two of most notable premieres in the country’s history. These are former Prime ministers Trudeau and Chretien (Jarvis Turnbull, 2010).Advertising Looking for essay on government? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Another reason why I think the prime minister is too powerful emanates from the treatment accorded to the incumbent by both the national and international media houses. According to Clark (2010), it appears that media houses would instead get direct communication from the incumbent rather than going by what is presented by the office. Canadians also look up to the incumbent in times of crises (Jarvis Turnbull, 2010). A case in point is when the country was faced with the decision of either supporting or not supporting American invasion to Iraq. The country and the media went by the decision made by the premier not to support the Americans. There are those who argue that the prime minister is not as powerful as portrayed in the media. They argue that the incumbent does not hold absolute power given that he is controlled by the parliament and other const itutional bodies such as the Supreme Court. However, these arguments hold no sway given that the prime minister can directly control the supreme court through the appointment of the judges as well as control the parliament through the members of his party. Advantages and Disadvantages of a Powerful Premier One of the significant benefits of a powerful prime minister is the fact that government decisions can be made fast and efficiently. When the prime minister has full control over the legislative arm of the government, government bills brought on the floor of the house can be passed effectively (Clark, 2010). This may spur development especially if the bills are critical to the nation. However, a significant weakness of a powerful premier is the fact that absolute power may corrupt the incumbent. For example, the prime minister may appoint his cronies as Senators. By 2010, the incumbent had appointed 33 Senators most of who were drawn from his party. Conclusion: Reforms Necessary t o Give Other Elected Representatives More Power Relative to the Premier One such reform is making sure that Senators are elected and not appointed by the premier. This will reduce the hold that the premier has over these leaders. Another reform can involve limiting the tenure of the incumbent to two terms in office (Clark, 2010). This would have prevented premiers such as William Mackenzie from ruling for 15 years. The structure of power in the country should also be overhauled. This will ensure that power is not concentrated in the hands of a single individual such as the prime minister. This is given that such concentration makes it hard to balance and check the operations of the incumbents.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Is the Canadian Prime Minister Too Powerful? A Critique specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More References Clark, C. (2010). PMO too powerful, Canadians say. Web. Jarvis, M. D., Turnbull, L. (2012, Ma y 2). Canadian prime ministers have too much power. National Post. Retrieved from https://nationalpost.com/opinion/mark-d-jarvis-lori-turnbull-canadian-prime-ministers-have-too-much-power

Monday, October 21, 2019

Psychic Powers

Psychic Powers Free Online Research Papers Dictionary.com defines the word Psychic as â€Å"a person who is allegedly sensitive to psychic influences or forces.† This definition is very vague and therefore it is necessary to try and understand what psychic influences or forces mean. One of the biggest problems determining if psychics are real is that there is not a regulatory or licensing guidelines like there are with other professions. Therefore there is not a real definitive guideline for measuring their truthfulness or validity. According to the source Psychic Detective, a professional psychic relies heavily on his or her reputation. Obviously, one with a bad reputation is not going to be able to remain a psychic for very long. A psychic’s reputation is clearly based on the feed back of his or her clients. With this in mind, it would logical that a particular psychic would want good references and thus help the psychic to remain in business and successful. I interviewed my mother who has had a few encounters with a psychic, and she feels that it is very likely that the â€Å"Psychic† she worked with was legitimate. Her husband murdered a good friend of hers, but her body has never been found. There was never any evidence of her husband killing her therefore, he was never questioned. My and a couple of her friends started talking about possible ways to find some end to this tragic event. My mom and her friends hired a psychic to help them, and the police, find the body. My mom’s closest childhood friend, Janet, disappeared on August 15th, 1996. Her husband Perry was able to keep it from everyone for almost two weeks. Once the word got out, and the police got involved, he left the city with his two children and never returned. My mom instinctively knew that Perry was responsible for her disappearance, and ultimate murder. A few months after Janet’s disappearance, my mom and five of her friends met with a Psychic and had a sense. Pat, the psychic, asked them all to close their eyes and think about their friend Janet. After a few minutes she told them that Janet was present in the room. Pat looked at my mom and said, â€Å"Is there anything you would like to ask Janet, â€Å"Dianeee Poo Poo.† That is the name that Janet called my mom since they were little girls. My mom told me that there would be no way that Pat would know that. Pat had said other things to my mom and her friends, and they all felt that a connection with Janet had been made. My mother contacted the police after the first meeting with the Psychic and informed them about the details that were given to them the night of the sà ©ance, and asked the lead detective on the case if he has ever worked with Psychics on other cases. My mom was so excited to hear that he had worked with Psychics before, and was willing to talk to Pat. My mom and Pat met again and Pat was able to contact Janet and find out more details about her disappearance and the location of her body. Apparently, Janet described to Pat the location of her body and how she ended up there. Pat, the detective, his dog and my mom, spent days trying to locate the place Janet described. My mom thinks it is very likely that they discovered where Janet’s body was originally placed. However, years later it was revealed during Perry’s trial that the body had been moved from it’s original place. Perry’s father was an accomplice to the crime and testified in court that he helped move Janet’s body from the place that Perry had first put her. The site he described in court was the exact spot my mom and the police searched. Had she not been moved, my mom feels sure that they would have recovered her body. Every few months my mom and Pat would get together to try and make some progress on Janet’s mystery. Very often they would spend a day with the detective and his hound dog searching out places based on the information given to the Psychic and the clues that the police uncovered. This went on for years. My mom told me that there were times that she had her doubts about the whole thing, but overall, she felt that the information Pat knew about Janet was very legitimate and there was no other source where this information could have come from. Ten years later Perry was brought to trial. The trial lasted two weeks and Perry was found guilty of murder even though her body was never found. My mom was called to the stand to testify and the defense attorney asked her questions about her work with the psychic. He did this to try and discredit her as a witness. She thinks the jury was intrigued by her work with the psychic even though nothing concrete came from it. My uncle Don also had a very interesting Psychic experience that is truly unbelievable. My uncle is now 52 years old, but when he was in his mid twenties he met with a psychic. He really did it more out of curiosity then anything else. His one-hour conversation with the psychic was tape-recorded. He was willing to sit down with the psychic even though he was not entirely sure of the outcome. At the time he met with the psychic he was single and living in Nashville, Tennessee working for his fathers company, and assumed it would be his one-day. The psychic predicted that very soon he would meet a girl with blond hair and they would get married and move out of town. Within a few months he had met Suzy. She had blond hair and there was an instant connection. Within a few months they were engaged, and a few months after that they moved to St. Louis, Missouri where they have settled and raised a family. At the original psychic meeting, the woman also gave my uncle some information that was very troubling. She predicted that his father, my grandfather would pass away when we least expected it. About 8 years later, at the young age of 62, my grandfather dropped dead of an abdominal aneurism. This event even influenced the fact that And lastly, the psychic told my uncle that she did not see a long future with his wife. She predicted 3 children, and they did have three children. However, when their youngest child was only 4 years old, my aunt Suzy was diagnosed with a brain tumor. After a very hard, three year battle with the disease, she passed away a few days after her 40th birthday. My uncle would tell you that he definitely believes that psychics have some type of special energy within them, which allows them to feel the energy of the people around them, and in some cases, predict the future. But to some people psychics are un-real, lucky or just a coincidence. Can they truly see the future? Do they actually have the ability to speak to the dead, foretell future events and recount past lives? According to one article by Jeffery Palmer, There are no professional policies or standardized practices to adhere to. According to Ray Hyman and the National Science Foundation, suggest that parapsychology has methodological flaws that can explain the experimental results that parapsychologists attribute to paranormal explanations, and various critics have classed the field as pseudoscience. This has largely been due to lack of replication of results by independent experimentershere is no established governing body to report fraudulent psychics to. People have no guidelines to base there decision if they are real or not. Determining if a psychic is legitimate or not, is all based on reputation. Works cited 1. Herbert , Frank. A real psychic. frank herbert, october 8 2008. Web. 8 Oct 2010. 2. Kazan, Lorrie. How do psychics find missing people or solve murders. Intuitive Connections Network (2006): 1. Web. 26 Sep 2010. intuitive-connections.net/2006/psychicslocatemissing.htm 3. zammit, victor. detectives psychic . psychic detectives (2010): 1. Web. 26 Sep 2010.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

How To Plan Your Next Trade Show Using CoSchedule

How To Plan Your Next Trade Show Using Planning a trade show booth is one of THE hardest things to do as a marketer. There are always a million very specific rules + guidelines to follow†¦ (that vary from trade show to trade show)†¦Ã°Å¸â„¢â€ž A thousand random deadlines to keep track of†¦. (uh, the booth design was due when again?) AND a million things to coordinate†¦ (ranging from giveaways + landing pages to the ever-stressful shipping logistics). The problem? With all these moving pieces plus  coordinating everything between sales, finance, operations, and your own marketing team. Some of those important details are bound to get missed. *insert panic attack here* Luckily, with †¦ You can easily create a solid strategy to plan, execute, and track your entire trade show from start to finish! And as the one responsible for making sure the trade show goes off without a hitch†¦ You can rest easy knowing every task will get completed†¦ Zero details will get missed†¦ AND you’ll never miss a deadline. Because with , you’ve got everything under control. Let’s dive into how you can do it in 4 easy steps. 😎 How To Plan Your Next Trade Show Using @Step 1: Create A Marketing Campaign In After you get a clear idea of everything you need to get done to execute your trade show†¦ It’s time to create a marketing campaign  in ! AKA a folder inside that can house every single piece of content, project, event, social campaign, task, and deadline related to your trade show booth. Here’s how to make your marketing campaign in : Head to your calendar Use the +  sign to add content to your calendar and select â€Å"Marketing Campaign† Give your marketing campaign a name (ex. INBOUND) Select a color label (to make it easy to find on your calendar!) Give it a start date (the day you start working on items for the trade show) and an end date (this could be the start date of the trade show, the day your last post promo email goes out, or whenever the last item related to the trade show is due!) Onto the next step! Whats the secret to planning perfect trade show booths with @? It starts with MarketingStep 2: Add EVERYTHING You Need For The Trade Show To Your Marketing Campaign Once you’ve added your marketing campaign to the calendar†¦ You can start adding everything (and yes, I mean EVERYTHING) you need to get done to perfectly execute your trade show. Here are a few ideas to get the wheels turning: Trade show booth design Swag + prizes Geo-targeting Facebook Ads Itineraries for sales team Book hotels, flights, etc. Booth handouts/flyers Social campaigns (pre-trade show and post-trade show) Landing pages Blog post Booth video or presentation Post-trade show email campaign And once you’ve generated a list of everything you need to include†¦ Start adding them to your marketing campaign! Here’s how to do it: Inside your marketing campaign, hit the +  sign in the upper right-hand corner. Select the type of project/type of content you want to add you want to add (article, project checklist, social campaign, etc.) Give it a title (ex. â€Å"Trade show booth design†) Give it a color label (usually the same label as the overall marketing campaign, but that’s up to you!) Choose the owner of the project (aka the person responsible for making sure the project is completed). Select the date that specific item is due. Repeat until you’ve added everything you need for your trade show! And if other projects come up later, you can easily add those to your trade show plan as they come! Just make sure everything gets added to your trade show marketing campaign so all those moving pieces get in ONE place.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Frasier Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Frasier - Essay Example Majority of the scenes takes place in a bar known as cheers located in Boston Massachusetts. A group of locals met in the bar where they got drunk and relaxed at the same time. The rest of the scenes take place on stage 25 in Paramount Studios besides various locations within Los Angeles. Period allocated for a particular show in television and strategic scheduling usually plays a significant role in attracting as well as retaining audience. Shows, aired for shorter periods, attract audience more compared to those having long durations. Frasier show lasted for 30 minutes and aired after the Seinfeld hit series, which had a very huge audience. The Frasier show rated as one of the most successful spin-off series in television history besides being the greatest comedy series of the time that received critical acclamation (Gates). According to many viewers, the show attracted a huge audience due to Cranes’ intra-family culture clash. This was symbolic of what occurred when the blue-collar Americans sent their children to Harvard. Most of the American Television series frequently featured socioeconomic systems but not the class system as presented by Frasier series. Gates, Anita. TELEVISION; Yes, America Has a Class System. See Frasier. New York Times. 19Th April 1998. Web. 9Th September 2013.

Friday, October 18, 2019

Balance Score Cards Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Balance Score Cards - Research Paper Example However, before certain innovative measures to assess performance were in vogue, there were some prevalent and commonly used performance measures. With advancement of knowledge in this area, it was evident that the prevalent measures of performance can lead to false and poor inferences due to loss of variance of the data that represent performance. With repeated use of certain quantitative measures or indicators that might measure performance, over time, they tend to fail to discriminate between bad and good performance. A change toward betterment often happens when people learn to deliver what is measured, and even when performance is sought but measured imperfectly would lead to deficient delivery (Kaplan and Norton 1996). In this assignment the four measures of the balanced score card approach in performance management and change agency will be discussed in detail. The balanced score card is a tool for the managers who desire to achieve competitive success in a future time. In the present context of complex organizational environments, this approach provides a strategy to attain goals following a complete understanding of these goals from different perspectives. In order to that this method delineates a comprehensive state of performance measures within the framework of the existing management system in line with the organizational strategy, mission, and stakes. This framework may this also provide a framework of strategic measurement, while also retains an emphasis on accomplishment of financial objectives of the firm. However, this also introduces the dimensions of measurement of performance drivers necessary to achieve the financial objectives. As indicated by Kaplan and Norton (2004), the strategy maps thus describe how an organization may create value by linking strategic objectives in explicit cause and effect relationships. They propose d four balanced score card objectives, namely, financial, customer, business process, and learning and growth. The ingenuity of this model lies in the fact that this not only formulates the strategy, it also incorporates a method to measure the achievement of the targets (Kaplan and Norton 2004). It has been stated that processes hold the central area of the balanced score card approach, since only processes can define the targets of the organization. Organizational processes are viewed in this approach to be central enablers for planning, acting, measuring, and evaluating work, and thus they provide some parameters to examine whether organizational targets are achieved or not. Financial Perspectives The balanced score card tends to replace the traditional financial only approach to business. Historically, the cost financial accounting model cannot build long-range competitive capabilities of an organization. The balanced score card approach, although synthesizes into a novel process oriented measurement system; it does not discard the traditional financial system of business. Current business is futuristic in the sense that there is a

Your Career Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Your Career Development - Essay Example Furthermore, I will present an analysis of how my decision related to career has influenced my career prospects – both in the positive and negative ways – and what have I achieved so far. Introduction It will seem odd to say that I have quite a few MBA’s in my family and I have seen them struggle. Since MBA is a family thing I never had much of a choice, but when I got in and decided that I will make best of what I had; I also resolved in my mind that I will do more, and something worthwhile with my life and career, not sit around waiting for someone to offer me a job. Having my own business set up, however small it might be, was the ultimate solution for me. Hard work has never been bothersome to me, but to wait upon others to recognize my potential and tell me what to do is just not my cup of tea. I made up my mind with regard to my career before I joined the MBA, but I never meant to study to get a job, having a business of my own is the ultimate goal for me. My career anchors, lifeline, Wheels of life, strengths exercise and integration allow me to look closely into the choices I have made and the extent to which they favor my career choice. Personal and Career Purpose While thinking about the personal and career purposes I have to take family and work together. I chose to study MBA for lack of choice and to show respect to what my family thought best for me. Seeing the way many MBA’s suffer while waiting for a job I decided that I had to make myself self-sufficient, so much so, that I shouldn’t have to wait for a salary to run my house hold and to fulfill my and my family’s needs. Starting a business from scratch is no easy task, thus I decided to first take advantage of my MBA to gain necessary understanding of how things work in the business world. The course modules have given me an insight into the business world and have made me firm on my decision rather than weakening my resolve. Courses like entrepreneurshi p, HRM, Supply Chain have provided me with a clear and detailed understanding of the functionalities and complexities faced in the world of business. But I still believe that I lack in understanding of how to make things happen for me when it comes to starting a business from scratch and running it successfully. The severity of competition is becoming even more evident with the crisis threatening businesses all around. After an MBA, I consider it necessary to take courses that offer understanding of starting a business. Free courses and certifications are available online to take. These courses provide with all kinds of information on businesses, financing, accounts and marketing strategies (Norman). Online workshops along with videos from the IRS are also an instrumental tool towards gaining the understanding of personal business (Norman). Such courses and research are free and only require an investment of time. Significance of My Own Business My own business holds significance fo r me in multiple ways. I have always aspired to be unique and to stand out. I enjoy being unique and creating uniqueness. My business will be my own; unique and innovative. Allowing me the freedom of choice I crave. I realized also how much this business is significant to me as I studied about the recession during my classes and how people have been losing their jobs. So many jobless people and such limited opportunities, made me think of creating my own circle of opportunity which will not only make me self-sufficient but also will allow me to help other jobless people by recruiting them. My key anchors, independence, sense of service and entrepreneurship enabled me to realize how significant this venture is for me. Whose Support Will Matter? Rome was not

Thursday, October 17, 2019

International Cross Cultural Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

International Cross Cultural Management - Essay Example Culture refers to the way of living of a people basically referring to the way people carry on in their daily life. Each and every group of people has its own culture and this is what creates a difference between various groups of people. National culture is commonly used to refer to or is described as the shared programming of the mind of the people nationally. This makes one country unique from another. Individual countries have various cultural rituals as well as cultural activities. This includes the way that these people understand and think about the world, the values and beliefs they hold. The differences in national culture are more often reflected in the basic solutions given to the organisational issues and problems in various countries. The various national cultures normally have differences in the preferred ways towards the organizational structure as well as different modes of motivating the employees. For instance, some organizations minimise on the options appraising employee performance, managing the organization by objectives, and the use of strategic management. National culture is not an individual affair but rather a function of a group. The boundaries between countries usually put boundaries for national culture. This form of culture is usually instilled in individual's right from birth. The national culture has everything in regard to what is perceived as proper, polite behaviour in that particular country. This includes for example how to behave in front of the family, colleague's strangers, family. Germany's National culture Germany is a culturally diverse state. German is the language spoken by almost every citizen. Other cultural groups found in Germany include the Frisians, Danes, Sorbs, and Gypsies; these are the people who are non-Germany minorities. The religious beliefs observed in Germany include Protestants which has the largest percentage of approximately 38%, the Catholics who form a proportion of 34% and a small portion of Jews. Islam has also become common from immigrants. The culture of this country has been influenced by the middle ages. The philosophers from Germany have assisted in shaping the culture of this nation. There is a lot of influence by the guild system of the medieval times. This system has today seen Germany attain an apprenticeship system. The people have a pride in their occupations and the organizational managers need not work too hard on their motivation. The country is rated as having very productive personnel but does not have good leadership skills. Magala, S. (2005). The united Kingdom The UK is made up of North Ireland and the Great Britain. The United Kingdom is culturally diverse wit a total population of close to 58,587,194 people. Majority of these people live in the suburban and urban areas. The UK is home to different cultures especially due to immigration. The people have their origins in China, the Caribbean, Africa, India, South Asia, Pakistan and continental Europe. The indigenous people include the Celtic, Anglo-Saxon, Roman, and the Pre-Celtic. The dominant language spoken here is English. Other languages include Scots aw well as the insular Celtic Languages. The religious beliefs are also diverse with reports of having Hinduism, Christianity, Islam, and

Revised Progress Report Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Revised Progress Report - Assignment Example In the case of Chopsticks Express, they are targeting only the small amount of Chinese consumers, who are the students of the State College. My efforts would be to make consumers aware of the Chinese foods in the market along with highlighting how the local customers could be attracted towards Chinese foods. The role of supervisor has been important for this project, and I have been guided by my supervisor throughout the project and this has helped in improving the quality. I have been incorporating the feedback of the supervisor and will continue doing so. After receiving further feedback, the research will continue in steps for the submission of its final draft of the proposal. Work Completed I have received the approval and feedback from my instructor concerning my research based on my course, which includes supply and demand analysis in order to understand the competition in the restaurant market. The feedback from my instructor included instructions of carrying out my research a nd his instructions have been helpful in improving the work. Based on the feedback, I came to know by surveying the downtown area that Chinese restaurants are facing some direct competition from other Asian and American restaurants because some of the Chinese restaurants offer American or Asian based cuisine at lunch time. The draft proposal was due from 10th June and after purifying my research according to the feedback received, I submitted my final proposal on 19th June with my final topic of Research Information of Chinese Restaurants in State College. My research included the analysis of Chinese restaurants. 13 Asian and 8 Chinese restaurants are located in State College Downtown. Among the Chinese restaurants Chopsticks Express offers the authentic cuisine of Chinese. Chopsticks Express, which is situated at the central in the state downtown, has an advantage because it could attract more customers apart from the local Chinese customers. But the reason for not influencing othe r customers of the region, which I figured out from my survey, was that Chopsticks Express has a very crude environment. I found that majority of the people do not visit Chopsticks Express because of its unpopularity. The main weakness of the restaurant is that it does not have a welcoming environment and why would anyone want to visit a restaurant which does not have a welcoming environment? I read case studies about the restaurants, analyzed the competitive market of restaurants by supply and demand analysis. In the ending days of June, I was supposed to work on the demography part. Demography includes the study of population size. The study included sample size of 800 customers who received a questionnaire; these 800 people were those who belonged not only to the area of downtown but also those who visit downtown. The questionnaire was also conducted from the managers of the Chinese restaurants operating in the State College downtown area. The responses from the questionnaire I c onducted helped me to learn the importance of information; information plays an important role in terms of restaurant market. The responses suggested that awareness of Chinese food in the US is relatively low and only local customers like Chinese students prefer Chinese cuisine in the US. For determining the possible solutions for the Chinese resta

Managing Financial Resources and Decisions Essay - 6

Managing Financial Resources and Decisions - Essay Example Failure to have a financial plan will always result in the organization being unable to meet its expenses whenever they arise (Berry, Jarvis, and Jarvis, 2005, p. 28). The success of any financial plan will largely depend on the effective disseminate of information to various decision makers within the organization. This is because it will ensure support and compliance among different stakeholders of the organization. It will also facilitate faster decision making which will ensure maximum utilization of business opportunities. Some of the key decision makers include: The CEO: he/she is responsible for the overall performance of the organization. The most important information for the CEO is the budget forecasts and financial statements. This information serves the purpose of providing information related to organizational needs and the overall performance of the business. The CFO: responsible for the allocation of the organization financial resources. The most important information for the CFO is the budget estimates because they present the financial needs of the organization. Other Employees: they are responsible for the running of daily activities within the company. The most important information is the company strategic plan which will guide their actions to ensure that the organization achieves its goals. The first option is the best among the three because the business will manage to get financing at no extra cost. The second and third options are not attractive because they result in payment of interest and issuance of stock respectively. Faulty arithmetic in the budget figures: the errors include the errors of commission or duplication of financial figures. For instance, Â £ 22,500 may have been duplicated on either materials or direct labor. The occurrence of reality: this is possible especially when there is an occurrence of an event that

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Consumerism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Consumerism - Essay Example In America a child spends averagely 10 700 minutes in a week watching advertisements. There are so many advertisements aired daily in America convincing people to buy products from different companies. This is mainly because America is a hyper-consumerist society. An advertisement not only helps companies in product promotion but also gives a new perception about shopping. The advertisement tends to make people believe that shopping is about happiness. Therefore many consumers become obsessed with shopping believing it brings self-happiness (OGuinn et al. 283). The truth of the matter is that happiness is realized even if it is for a while. The good thing is that there is creation of more and more companies, more goods as well as job opportunities. This in turn helps in the growth of the United States economy. Most of the advertisements also are directed by children. Business Corporation uses the nagging idea. This is whereby the corporations use children in their advertisements. In turn the children watching the advertisements will nag their parents into buying the new product. Consumerism has also promoted better housing as compared to some years back. People are also buying more sophisticated home theatre systems, cars as well as clothes (Dwyer 23-46). Consumerism if not well looked at can be a problem to environmental sustainability. Planet earth cannot support the American style of consumption in every nation. There is need for magnitude change in consumption patterns among consumers behavior in buying items. Consumers need to stop buying too many toys and base their consumption on non-renewable resources. However, hyper- consumerism brings up many questions. One of the main questions is the use of money. Toys are bought using money, the money used to buy the toys take time to earn (Veblen 1). Most of the people in the contemporary American society, spend most of their times

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Managing Financial Resources and Decisions Essay - 6

Managing Financial Resources and Decisions - Essay Example Failure to have a financial plan will always result in the organization being unable to meet its expenses whenever they arise (Berry, Jarvis, and Jarvis, 2005, p. 28). The success of any financial plan will largely depend on the effective disseminate of information to various decision makers within the organization. This is because it will ensure support and compliance among different stakeholders of the organization. It will also facilitate faster decision making which will ensure maximum utilization of business opportunities. Some of the key decision makers include: The CEO: he/she is responsible for the overall performance of the organization. The most important information for the CEO is the budget forecasts and financial statements. This information serves the purpose of providing information related to organizational needs and the overall performance of the business. The CFO: responsible for the allocation of the organization financial resources. The most important information for the CFO is the budget estimates because they present the financial needs of the organization. Other Employees: they are responsible for the running of daily activities within the company. The most important information is the company strategic plan which will guide their actions to ensure that the organization achieves its goals. The first option is the best among the three because the business will manage to get financing at no extra cost. The second and third options are not attractive because they result in payment of interest and issuance of stock respectively. Faulty arithmetic in the budget figures: the errors include the errors of commission or duplication of financial figures. For instance, Â £ 22,500 may have been duplicated on either materials or direct labor. The occurrence of reality: this is possible especially when there is an occurrence of an event that

If I Were A Bird Essay Example for Free

If I Were A Bird Essay If I were a bird! As a little bird-maybe a nightingale or an innocent dove-if I were born on this earth, I would have been very happy. As a nightingale, I would be adored by the people for my sweet songs. I would have built my tiny nest on the top branch of a tree. My nest would give shelter to me and my brethren. From the top of the tree, I could see the greenery of the fields, the flowing rivers and the far horizon. In a storm, my nest would be swung to and fro, without being detached from the tree. I would pass my life, living in that nest in summer, monsoon, or winter. A free bird I would have been, without any burden of thought or tension like that of the human beings. I would fly to any part of the world, and watch various lands and people and their way of life, their joys and sorrows, their failures and successes. From high in the sky, I would watch the broad river flowing like a thin stream, and a stream like a line of white thread, and on the railway lines the wagons and compartments like match-boxes, and also the trees and fields jinn reduced sizes, as are drawn on the pages of a picture book. After landing on the ground, I would settle on a tree pear a park in order to watch downward the innocent children playing gaily on the green lawn. A bird with two strong wings, some day I could fly to a fairy land and see many strange things that I cannot even imagine now. As an aero plane flies to distant lands, or as the migratory birds cross the oceans and mountains every year to reach distant lands to settle their temporarily, I would have also travelled to an unknown land and migrate there for a Couple of months along with other species of birds which are rare in my native land. That would have been, no doubt, a strange experience for me. As a human being in this birth, I have very little scope to visit distant lands and meet new people and know how do they live and behave. But as a bird, it could be my sweet will to fly easily to any place I liked. My wings would carry me any where that my mind would desire. As a nightingale, I would sing happily, when at night there was the full moon in the cloudless sky, and cool breeze blew creating soft waves on the faces of the paddy plants. I would sing to my hearts content the song of life and joy in praise of this beautiful earth and of God. If I were a bird, I would like to be one of the small species, cute and beautiful. I would love to be a tiny mania that is beautiful, tiny and above all, it is a bird that man can keep as a pet. I would love to stay with men, study their ways and enjoy their company. This I would be able to do with men as, God have given the mania a power of speech just like men. It talks like a human being, has a sweet voice and, above all also has a great capacity to learn whatever it is taught. If I were to be a bird, I would like my life to be a beautiful blend of freedom of flying in the high skies and the love and care given by man. I see advantages in both and find it difficult to make a choice. My ambition as a bird would be able to fly high as high can be, like any other bird. This would give me an insight into what all exists in the atmosphere. I would also be able to assess first hand, the life of birds as a community, the advantages and the disadvantages they live with. I would share my experiences with my kin and understand the difficult ways of life. I would attain knowledge of lives of birds big and small as I would move with them and conversing with them while flying high in the air, or sitting on trees with my other colleagues. Though I would love all this, at the same time I would love to become a pet in a nice family. This family would keep me closed in a cage lest I fly off. Here, in the family I would learn to be controlled and restricted. It would be no doubt a punishment of sorts to be tied down in a cage but I feel so happy imagining the love and care I would get from each member of the family that would adopt me. Here, at home, I would be served food in a platter, water in a dish in a right royal style. Aha! What a life that could be for me. Hunting for food and being frightened of bigger birds attacking me would not be a care for me. I would be a loved one of many – what a wonderful feeling it gives. While living with a family I would also be able to learn about the ways of men. How many lives, how he behaves, and what his attitude is towards birds I would be able to understand first hand, being so close to man. I would thus also get an insight into all this. Together with all these advantages, living with human beings, my art of talking like a human would get encouraged and I would get several chances to talk to the family. I understand man keeps manias and parrots just for this art of these birds, of talking like men. My master, mistress and some small children of the family would teach me how to speak and what to speak. Once I would get the training to speak, I would be able to chat with each of the family members and guests. This would earn for me heaps of praises by all who heard me. This I say because I hear a mania has a very clear and sweet voice, and a capacity to talk like a human. If I were a bird, I would like to get the blessing of this combination to be set into my life. It would give me a healthy and relaxed sojourn in a family, together with free visits to the sky, trying out my skills of taking high flights. The two together would give me as if, the best of both the worlds, of birds and humans. Oh! God, please grant me this life, that is, if I am not asking for too much.

Monday, October 14, 2019

Chronic Kidney Disease: Pathology and Biochemistry

Chronic Kidney Disease: Pathology and Biochemistry The kidneys are a pair of organs that function to removing metabolic wastes like urea, carbon dioxide, salts, and chemicals from the blood and excreting these wastes as urine. Kidneys also regulate the concentration of body fluids and electrolyte concentrations, arterial pressure, secretion/excretion of hormones and acid-base balance of body fluids (Guyton Hall, 2005). The main functional filtering unit of the kidney is the nephron. At least 800 thousand nephrons are in one kidney. The initial filtering unit in the nephron is the glomerulus, and the filtrates coming from the glomerulus are formed into urine as it passes the other components in the nephron. Diseases in the kidney cause a significant number of deaths and disabilities worldwide (Coresh, et al., 2007). Acute renal failure is manifested by the kidneys abruptly stopping, although the chance exists that the kidneys could recover, while in chronic kidney disease there is a progressive decline in the function of the nephrons. More specifically, chronic kidney disease is defined as damaged or decreased kidney function measured by a decrease in the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) for a period or three or more months (Levey, et al., 2003). Initial damage to the nephron results in compensatory responses of the remaining nephrons allowing for the continuation of clearance of blood solutes. The compensatory action of the nephrons during early damage is thought to be a major cause of renal damage, because during compensation the glomerular capillary pressure is increased so much that damages are incurred leading to lesions in the glomeruli (Arora Verelli, 2010). Chronic kidney disea se is also caused by hypertension, diabetes, disorders in blood vessels and glomeruli, infections, immune system disorders, congenital disorders, and urinary tract obstructions (Guyton Hall, 2005). Clinical symptoms for chronic kidney disease are not evident until the number of functional nephrons decreases by 70-75% (Guyton Hall, 2005). The progressive deterioration in kidney function could ultimately lead to end-stage renal disease where the patient must undergo dialysis to remove wastes from the blood, or transplanted with a new kidney. Chronic kidney disease has 5 stages based on the GFR (National Kidney Foundation, 2002). Patients with the stage 1-3 of the disease do not show symptoms. At stage 4-5 electrolyte balance and endocrine disorders become evident. It is believed that the uremic disorders observed at stage 5 are due to the accumulation of toxins (Arora Verelli, 2010). Increased retention of potassium (hyperkalemia) occurs due to inability of the kidneys to excrete potassium. Metabolic acidosis results from the inability of the kidneys to produce enough ammonia necessary to react with the endogenous acid and produce ammonium. Phosphates, sulphates, and other organic anions accumulate, causing large anion gaps. Metabolic acidosis increases protein degradation and amino acid oxidation, and reduces albumin synthesis, resulting in protein-energy malnutrition, decreased body mass, and increased muscle weakness. Acidosis also interferes with Vitamin D metabolism and mineral imbalance resulting in renal osteodys trophy or renal bone disease. Renal bone disease can be averted with timely dietary measures and medications like phosphate binders and calcitriol (Renal Resource Center, 2007). Skeletal and extraskeletal complications result from the progression of renal bone disease. In chronic kidney disease, renal bone disease is categorized into four general types: (1) low turnover disease or defective mineralization; (2) high turnover bone disease brought about by high levels of the parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels; (3) beta-2-microglobulin associated bone disease; and (4) mixture of the 3 diseases (Arora Verelli, 2010). Diagnosis and management of chronic kidney disease Chronic kidney disease is diagnosed by laboratory tests on urine and serum. Serum creatinine as an estimate of glomerular filtration rate, albumin-creatinine ratio in the urine, and examination of urine sediment and dipstick test for erythrocytes and leukocytes are recommended (Levey, et al., 2003). Image analysis by ultrasound can be performed for patients with symptoms of stones, infection, obstruction of the urinary tract and having a family medical history of polycystic kidney disease. Serum electrolytes should be measured on patients who are hypertensive, diabetic, and those who have been exposed to drug toxicity. Other tests include urinary concentration or dilution, and acidification for selected patients who present symptoms of polyuria, metabolic acidosis, metabolic alkalosis, hypo- and hyperkalemia (very high levels of potassium). Kidney function is assessed by analyzing serum creatinine along with a blood urea nitrogen test (Lab Tests Online, 2009). Creatinine clearance is an indication of the efficiency of the kidneys in filtering small molecules out of the blood. A traditional and principal marker of kidney damage is persistent or recurring proteinuria (Kean Eknoyan, 1999). Proteins are large molecules, and therefore they cannot pass the membranes of the glomeruli into the urine. Glomeruli, being negatively charged, also repel proteins. Size and charge barriers do not allow the passage of proteins into urine, unless the glomeruli are damaged (Proteinuria and microalbuminuria, 2007). Proteins can be measured using reagent strip tests for point of care detection and laboratory tests, including immunoassays (Carter, Tomson, Stevens, Lamb, 2006). When the protein level is more than 3500 milligrams, extensive glomeruli damage has already occurred. An albumin (or protein)-creatinine ratio higher than 30 mg albumin/g creatinine, is abnormal since the cut-off points are greater than 17 mg/g in males and more than 25 mg/g in females (Warram, Gearin, Laffel, Krolewski, 1996; (Jacobs, Murtaugh, Steffes, Yu, Roseman, Goetz, 2002). Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is currently the best test for detecting kidney disorders. GFR is estimated using a formula that uses serum creatinine value, and gender, age and weight of individual. The GFR has been recommended to be the main criterion in classifying kidney disease. Five stages of chronic kidney diseases have been identified based on the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) (National Kidney Foundation, 2002). Kidney damage has been proposed with normal or increased GFR of > 90 mL/min per 1.73 m2, while kidneys have already failed when the GFR greatly decreased at Indications of chronic kidney disease are varied and diverse. Increase or decrease in levels of important electrolytes phosphate, potassium and calcium. Other indications are metabolic acidosis, pericarditis, malnutrition, neuropathies and cardiovascular complications (Shlipak, et al., 2005; Tonelli, et al., 2006). The treatment of chronic kidney disease depends on the stage of the disease and should focus on several important factors (Arora Verelli, 2010). The primary objective is to delay and halt the progression of the disease by treating the known underlying condition (e.g. hypertension, diabetes). Systolic blood pressure, hyperlipidemia, and glycemic levels must be controlled, and use of angiotensin receptor blockers is recommended. Pathologic symptoms should be treated as follows: anemia with erythropoietin; high phosphate levels with dietary means for binding and restricting phosphate binders; low calcium levels with supplements and hyperparathyroidism with vitamin D analogs or calcitriol (Arora Verelli, 2010). For uremic manifestations, dialysis and transplantation are recommended depending on the stage of the diseases, and the indications. Timely planning for renal transplantation is also necessary in order to prepare the patient. Reflection on module Chronic kidney disease is prevalent worldwide, with millions of people affected. The review conducted here shows that the disease has been well characterized with respect to the point-of- care and clinical tests for diagnosis. Chronic kidney disease affects the accumulation of ions in the blood therefore leading to a multitude of adverse conditions. The US National Kidney Foundation has spearheaded efforts to standardize and systematize the different stages, diagnostic approaches and treatment modalities. Apparently, chronic kidney disease results from other disorders. Therefore it can be prevented and corrected by first preventing and curing the underlying cause. This makes the nature of the disease complicated, and solutions are also complex. What is clear is that kidney disease is mostly a result of lifestyle, since most underlying causes like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and hyperlipidemia are mostly due to lifestyles. A limitation in the publications that were reviewed was the lack of clear recommendations on how the onset of chronic kidney disease can be prevented, and what specific medications can lead to repair of the glomeruli and the nephrons after damage has occurred. Clearly, a patient with chronic kidney disease is saddled with the knowledge that a complete cure is not possible; and it only takes a matter of time for one to have the end-stage renal disease. The challenge for the medical community is to come up with a clear preventive strategy against kidney disease, and to have other long-term options aside from dialysis or organ transplantation.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Hello, I Must Be Going: Why Improve Communication Technology? :: essays research papers

The interesting thing about the Internet is how it allows us to communicate. The problem with the Internet is how it allows us to communicate. Bear with me. The telephone. Look at a phone, there’ll be a phone quite close to you right now, so just sit and look at it. Admire its simplicity of design, and with that think what you can do with it. By just pressing the correct combination of numbers on this device you can talk to anybody, anywhere. Hell, forget correct, just bash them and see who you get. Isn’t it incredible? When you appreciate it without all you take for granted, for how people might complain and bitch about how they don’t get enough MTV channels that show the same videos, if you can just consider the phone for what it really is†¦ how monumental its ability, how pivotal it is to the world today – the blood veins of the changing earth. Its pretty god damn impressive. And as for mobile phones†¦well. Getting back to the Internet, I’m talking about communicating via computers. Now the Internet is a fine example of how mans efficiency improves a previous invention, like the new Gameboys requiring only two AAA batteries to run, while the first ones needed four AA’s. It’s a geeky analogy, but it decorates the point: using the same technologies as phones, we can now do a hell of a lot more with them. Now we’re well above surpassing the Shannon limit (maximum Kbps through a standard phone line) and new digital technologies allow us to send more, faster. Soon we’ll have optical connections, and then some. E-mail, now I like that. Instant letters, appearing in inboxes faster than it took you to write them. Again, bettering old technology, to use the hideous yet accurate term snail-mail. Royal Mail have just been running ads in Britain – ‘nothing gets through like a letter’. Now there’s a certain truth about that, as the advert states: â€Å"After all, you can’t re-read a phone call.† While that is true, you can re-read an e-mail. You can also print it. However I believe that, although the advert didn’t mention it – there’s something much more personal about a letter, it requires a little more effort to write and send. However I also believe that more people are finding it much harder to summon that effort, considering how much easier it is to e-mail.