Thursday, October 31, 2019

Controversial Issues in the NGO Committee Research Paper

Controversial Issues in the NGO Committee - Research Paper Example NGOs otherwise known as non-governmental organizations or civil society organizations have been in existent for a long time. As a result, their needs have received recognition by intergovernmental organizations such as the United Nations. Therefore, they have been consulted since the inception of the United Nations under its original name, League of Nations, their consultative status got inclusion in the United Nations charter under the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). Moreover, the goal of this council was to consult with non-governmental, organizations on matters that concerned them creating an opportunity for the consultative status of NGOs. There are numerous NGOs with the consultative status at present demarcating high placement status of NGO . However, controversy has rocked the placement of NGOs into this bracket of consultancy owing to the fact that the NGOs apply to be included in the consulting committees. The first significant controversial issue is the importance attached to NGOs due to their integration across the board in almost the entire United Nations system. This is owing to the fact that the UN is becoming highly dependent on NGOs to conduct field services and implement the resolutions that the UN passes. Despite the benefits it poses, this dependence shows the unbecoming nature of the UN in delegating responsibilities. The other issue concerning consultancy status is the impact that NGOs have on political outcomes.3 This is because for NGOs to advance that which they stand for, they require access to influential figures such as state delegates who hold the power to advance their objectives. Therefore, granting access to these influential leaders affects policymaking. Still, on consultancy, political interests influence the NGOs selected to have the status, sometimes. This is because the Committee on NGOs makes recommendation on which NGOs should take up a position, but the fi nal decision is made by the ECOSOC. This brings up controversy due to the criteria used in making the final decision, based on either merit or political interests. For example, some members of ECOSOC have successfully stopped the approval of NGOs that have beliefs that go against the stances of the countries as seen in the cases of China and Cuba against the NGO, A Woman’s Voice International.4 In addition, there is the issue of separatism that is plied on some NGOs owing to political interests of some countries. Such include the Kurdish Human Rights Project that was branded as a separatist movement that did not stand for the needs of the people but instead was a political movement.5 In the application, the NGO withdrew owing to the fact that some members hold such prejudices and thus do not grant fair hearings in the application of consultancy status. Moreover, some NGOs raise controversy by going against the UN charter that allows them to be in the consultancy position they enjoy. This is by questioning the sovereignty of some nations or having ulterior motives concerning their application for the consultancy status. However, some nations bear the punishment of going against the UN charter in spite of not violating the rules that put them in the consultative position just as seen in the case of the Kurdish Human Rights Project.6 This means that most of the controversy found in the NGO committee is largely

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Marketing demographics Essay Example for Free

Marketing demographics Essay The profile for the potential customers of Bob Bicycles consists of the following geographic, demographic, and behavioral factors: It is said that the immediate geographic target of the company is London. In terms of demographics, the company’s market segment includes male and female whose age ranges from 25 above. In a study conducted, it is noted that commuter cycling in the city is mainly dominated by white males with ages ranging from 25-44; this is because women is facing more barriers in cycling than men (See Figure 2). Most cyclists are also employers and employees who have seen the benefits of cycling with their health, economic and personal factors. As can be seen, children are not considered as a potential market since London is not allowing children to use bicycle for transport. Aside from this, other factors to be considered in the demographics of the potential customers of Bob includes the levels of bicycle usage, reasons for use, behavioral factors and geodemographic factors. Figure 2 Profile of Commute Cyclists 2006-2007 Behavior Factors. In terms of behavioral and cultural aspects, it can be said that Bob bicycles can be considered to have a big potential in London because of the high quality bicycles of Bob which meets the current trends in the bicycle market. In addition, there is a value attributed to the used of bicycle as a means of transport. There are various attitudes to cycling that should be considered by Bob in the London market (See figure 3). This result was based on the study conducted by TFL Omnibus Survey in 2007. Most of the perception of the individuals with regards to cycling is its economic, personal and health benefits. Figure 3 Attitude towards Cycling. Based on the analysis, it can be said that Bob’s plan of expanding his business in the London market, is very feasible and potential based on the current trends in business environment and the pool of demographics and potential target markets. Reference Automatic Traffic Count Data (2007). London Travel report 2007, 2007, TfL. Online available http://www. tfl. gov. uk/assets/downloads/corporate/London-Travel-Report-2007-final. pdf. Retrieve October 6, 2008. Heywood, C (2004). The Near Market for Cycling in London. Online available at http://www. tfl. gov. uk/assets/downloads/businessandpartners/cycling-market-report. pdf.retrieve October 6, 2008 Cycling Action Plan (2004). Creating a chain reaction The London Cycling Action Plan. Online available http://www. tfl. gov. uk/assets/downloads/businessandpartners/cycling-action-plan. pdf. Retrieve October 6, 2008 Cycling and Motorbikes (2008). Online available at http://www. bbc. co. uk/london/content/articles/2005/06/14/cycling_inlondon_feature. shtml. Retrieve October 6, 2008 Synovate Ltd (2008). TfL Omnibus attitudes to cycling, 2007, Synovate. Online available http://www. tfl. gov. uk/assets/downloads/businessandpartners/cycling-training-effectiveness-results-summary-2008. pdf. retrieve October 6, 2008.

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Contributions Of Lim Guan Eng In Penang

Contributions Of Lim Guan Eng In Penang As a democracy country, there are many politicians in Malaysia. Based on the Oxford English Dictionary, politician means that a person who is professionally involved in politics, especially as a holder of an elected office. Besides, due to the Macmillan Dictionary, it is defined that politician is someone who has a job in politics and especially a member of parliament. Other than that, politician is a leader engaged in civil administration and always active in party politics. For those who are interested to become a politician or a political leader, he or she is involved in influencing public policy and decision making. This may be included people who hold decision making positions in government, and people who seek to those positions. However, politics is not limited to governance through public office. Political offices may also be held in corporations, and other entities that are governed by self-defined political processes. This can be known as freedom fighters. In order to become a politician in Malaysia, the individuals must be very active in political area. They are politically active especially in party politics. They must be a person who is holding or seeking political office whether elected or appointed, whether professionally or otherwise. Besides, the positions range is from local offices to executive, legislative and judicial offices of state and national governments. Some law enforcement officers, such as sheriffs are considered to be politicians also. There are many roles that need to be carried up as a politician. It is a common error to assume that the politicians role is to create jobs, encourage economic activity, enhance the welfare and well-being of his subjects, preserve the territorial integrity of his country, and fulfill a host of other functions. However, in truth, the politician has a single and exclusive role which is to get re-elected. His primary responsibility is to his party and its members. His relationship is with his real constituency, the partys rank and file. So, we can simplify that a politician is just like the CEO (Chief Executive Officer) and he needs to answer to the corporations major shareholders. Lastly, a politician must manage to persuade people that everything will just go on getting better. As a general rule, politicians cannot lie. They can just say the real thing to the society. All politicians know that they will never get elected if they did not tell out the truth and try to lie to the society. No opposition politician will make strong statements pointing out structural difficulties or impending disaster because one day they hope to be in power and so they will do nothing that might frighten the electorate. So, a politician must be a very sincere person and he or she must stand towards the justice. Biography One of the respected and honorable politician in Malaysia is Lim Guan Eng. Lim Guan Eng is a Chinese man who was born on 8 December 1960. The place of birth of Lim Guan Eng is in Johor Bahru. Lim Guan Eng is a Chinese name and Lim is the family name. The father of Lim Guan Eng is Lim Kit Siang who was also involved in politic before this. Lim Kit Siang, father of Lim Guan Eng is a prominent leader of the Democratic Action Party. This is a democratic socialist opposition party in Malaysia. Lim Kit Siang had become the leader of the opposition party in the Dewan Rakyat from 1973 to 1999 and 2004 to 2008. Besides, Lim Guan Eng is married to Betty Chew Gek Cheng. Betty Chew Gek Cheng is one of the Malaysian Chinese politicians. She is coming from the Democratic Action Party which is also known as (DAP). In the year of 2005, Betty Chew Gek Cheng became the chief of the DAP Malacca womens wing. Other than that, she is also represents the constituency of Kota Laksamana in the State Assembly of Malacca.  [1]  Lim Guan Eng and Betty Chew Gek Cheng have a total of four children. They have three sons and a daughter only. In addition, Lim Guan Eng himself is a Member of Parliament for Bagan, State Assembly man for Air Puteh. He is the 4th Chief Minister of the State of Penang. He is also the Secretary-General of the Malaysian Democratic Action Party (DAP). DAP completed a clean sweep of all 19 Penang state seats it contested in the 12th Malaysian General Election. Moreover, there is also the early education of Lim Guan Eng. First and foremost, Lim Guan Eng attended to the La Salle Primary English School which is situated in Petaling Jaya. After that, he also continued for his study at Montfort Primary English School which is situated at Batu Pahat. Next, as for his secondary education, he went to the High School which is also situated in Batu Pahat. Later, he went to the Malacca High School to further his study. As for his universitys life, he was study at Monash University which is one of the famous universities in Australia. The course that he was taking during that time was the Bachelor of Economics. Finally, Lim Guan Eng managed to graduate from Monash University, Australia. He was successfully became a qualified professional accountant in the year of 1983. Other than that, he was also the president of (MUISS) which is known as Monash University International Student Society. Political Career Furthermore, there was also the early career of Lim Guan Eng. Before participating himself into the political area, Lim Guan Eng was a Bank Senior executive. He was first elected as a Member of Parliament for Kota Melaka in the year of 1986 by defeating the former Malaysian football captain, Soh Chin Aun with a majority of 17,606 votes. In October of the year 1987, Lim Guan Eng was detained in Operation Lalang under the inhumane Internal Security Act also known as ISA for almost 18 months. He was released after 18 months on April 1989. After joining in the Democratic Action Party, his political life becomes more active. As a proof to show that he began to active in the political area, he was appointed as the DAP Socialist Youth Chairman in the year of 1989. Then, he was elected to that post in the year of 1992. Besides, he was then re-elected in the subsequent year of 1990 and 1995 for general elections as MP for Kota Melaka for the second and third term, albeit with reduced majority votes. He thus became the first person to be elected for three consecutive terms in Kota Melaka. Other than that, he was also the first Malacca High School alumnus to achieve this. In the year 1995 also, he was elected as the DAP Deputy Secretary-General. Unfortunately, Lim Guan Eng was charged under the Sedition Act during this year also. After 12 months, Lim Guan Eng was released which is on 25 August 1999 due to his good behavior. Due to his incarceration, he was barred from standing for election for a period of five years. Therefore, he was ineligible to contest in the 2004 General Election. So in the year of 2004, he became the Secretary-General of the party in May. In 8 March 2008, Lim Guan Eng again contested in the Bagan parliamentary seat and Air Putih state seat in the General Election. Finally, he won the Bagan seat, defeated Song Choy Leng (BN) with a majority of 22,070 votes, and the Air Putih seat beating Tan Yoke Cheng (BN) with a 4,061 vote margin. Besides, during 11 March 2008, he also sworn in as the Chief Minister of Penang and initiated a system of governance which is based on the principles of Competency, Accountability and Transparency and with a soul as one that adopts an ethical and moral leadership that professes and gives faith, hope and love. Problems and obstacles faced by Lim Guan Eng Based on the whole political career stated above, Lim Guan Eng had faced some problems and obstructs in the year of 1994. He was arrested by the Malaysian police in 1994. This is because of his criticism on the governments handling of allegations of statutory rape in one of his constituents by former Chief Minister of the state of Melaka, Tan Sri Abdul Rahim Thamby Chik. Consequently, while the Attorney General decided not to press charges on Rahim Thamby Chik, Lim Guan Eng was charged under Section 4(1) (b) of the Sedition Act 1948 and also under Section 8A (1). The victim who was actually a Malay girl was initially detained by Malaysian police without parental consent for 10 days. With the verdict on the trial of Malaysian parliamentarian Lim Guan Eng due to be delivered shortly, Amnesty International reiterates its concern that Lim Guan Eng could face up to six years in jail and be disqualified from Parliament. Amnesty International considers that the charges against Lim Guan Eng were politically motivated, designed to intimidate dissenting voices and to limit debate on an issue of genuine public concern. Amnesty International believes that if convicted, he would be a prisoner of conscience imprisoned solely for the peaceful expression of his political views. Lim Guan Eng was charged in 1995 under the Sedition Act and the Printing Presses and Publications Act. His trial opened in January 1996 and concluded on 28 February 1997 at the Malacca High Court. The judge who was Datuk Mohd Noor Abdullah was expected to deliver his judgment on 28 April 1997. Due to the happening of this incident, Lim Guan Eng was barred from standing for election for a period of five years. Base on the rule, members of parliament who are jailed for a year, or who are fined more than RM2000 (approximately US$780), will automatically forfeit their parliamentary seats. In addition, Amnesty International concern that Lim Guan Eng could be imprisoned. Besides, the organization is also concerned that if he is convicted, his constituents will be denied their elected representative simply because he spoke out on their behalf. Malaysian police arrested and charged Lim Guan Eng after he had publicly criticized the governments handling of allegations of statutory rape against the former Chief Minister of Malacca, Tan Sri Abdul Rahim Tamby Chik in the year 1994. In January 1995, Lim Guan Eng also stated that double standards were being applied in the statutory rape case. Attorney General Mohtar Abdullah had decided not to prosecute Rahim Tamby Chik, while the underaged alleged victim, a fifteen-year old Muslim school girl was placed under protective custody. On 28 February 1995, Lim Guan Eng was accused under Section 4(1) (b) of the Sedition Act of prompting disaffection with the administration of justice in Malaysia. If he found guilty, he need to face up to three years in jail and a RM5000 (approximately US$1,960) fine or both. In addition, on 17 March 1995, Lim Guan Eng was charged under Section 8A (1) of the Printing Presses and Publications Act for maliciously printing a pamphlet containing allegedly false information specifically because he had used the term imprisoned victim in reference to the alleged rape victim. This charge carries a jail term of three years, a fine not exceeding RM20000 (approximately US$7,894) or both. Following the Federal Courts ruling, Judge Datuk Mohd Noor Abdullah ruled that the prosecution had in fact proved both charges against Lim Guan Eng beyond reasonable doubt and that the defense had a case to answer. Regarding Lim Guan Engs allegedly seditious verbal statements, the judge ruled that the report of a single junior police officer which was unsupported by an audio recording, constituted sufficient evidence to proceed. Besides, regarding the charges of printing false information, the judge ruled that the prosecution had proved beyond reasonable doubt evidence and suggesting that the phrase imprisoned victim was false. This was apparently ignoring assertions that the statutory rape victim had been detained by police for ten days without parental consent. Finally, after a series of appeals, Lim Guan Eng was sentenced to 18 months of imprisonment. However, he was released after 12 months on August 25 in the year of 1999. During the judicial procedure, Lim Guan Eng said that If I fail and have to go to jail, I have no regrets. I have no regrets of going down fighting for the principles of truth and justice and pursuit of human rights, especially womens rights. There can be no womens rights if women rape victims are considered equally responsible, and even detained, whilst the accused remain free.  [2]  Lim Guan Eng is such a good politician that stands on behalf of justice. Contributions of Lim Guan Eng in Penang As a politician, Lim Guan Eng does play his roles and manage to carry on all his responsibility towards the society. He had contributed so many things that are benefit to our society. In Malaysian general election at the year of 2008, the coalition of DAP-PKR-PAS later known as the Pakatan Rakyat had won 29 out of 40 state seats contested, in which DAP is the largest winning party with 19 seats, PKR 9 seats, and PAS 1. Thus, it defeated the former ruling coalition of Barisan Nasional for the authority to rule Penang for the next five years. However, Lim Guan Eng is not a resident in Penang. So, as the Secretary-General of DAP, he was nominated to be the next Chief Minister (CM) of Penang and replacing the long serving former Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr. Koh Tsu Koon. Senior DAP leaders of Penang such as Lim Hock Seng, Phee Boon Poh, and Chow Kon Yeow were bypassed and were instead appointed as excos. As the new Penang Chief Minister, Lim Guan Eng announced an amnesty on all summonses issued by the Penang Municipal Council and Seberang Perai Municipal Council which involving vendors licenses and parking offences issued before March 2008. On March 14, a rowdy group comprising mostly Umno members and supporters took to the streets illegally after Friday prayers to protest his statements on the NEP. No arrests were made but two men were taken in for questioning. Various BN-backed groups and NGOs continued to make different sorts of protest and lodge police reports as a form of continued harassment.  [3]   Besides, in year 2008 on March 19, Lim Guan Eng announced that the state exco had approved an open tender system for projects exceeding RM50,000. For projects between RM20,000 and RM50,000, a balloting system will be introduced. Furthermore, a two-week objection period would be given for both the open tender and balloting systems. This is a stark contrast to BN governments usual way of directly awarding lucrative contracts to companies without any form of open tendering, mostly to shell companies created by connected personnel or BN politicians. For example, there is a major project which is the Penang International Convention Centre (PICC) was nearly launched without open tender. As of 2010, Penang remains the only state in Malaysia that practices a blanket open tendering system.  [4]   During his tenure as Chief Minister in Penang, it has ranked top among the list of investments in Malaysia which attracting RM12.2 billion worth of total capital investments in 2010. This is also a 465% increase compared to the total investment of RM2.17 billion as of 2009. Consequently in 2011, Penang became top in manufacturing investment in Malaysia for the second consecutive year, with RM9.1 billion in total. In a new measurement indicator of total investment however, which comprises manufacturing, services and private sectors, Penang ranked second in Malaysia after Sarawak in total investments, with the total amount of RM14.038 billion, this was due to not having much primary sector investments.  [5]  Consequently, the public debt in Penang has decreased by 95% from RM630 million in 2008 to RM30 million at the end of 2011.  [6]   On April 28, 2011, Lim signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with China. This is witnessed by Chinese premier, Wen Jiabao and Malaysian Prime Minister, Najib Tun Razak on the proposal of the construction of three road and tunnel projects in Penang island. This had including a 6.5 km undersea tunnel, a third link between the island and Butterworth on the mainland. The purpose for Lim Guan Eng to do so is because this will manage to ease the traffic congestion in the area and to improve the links between the island and the mainland.  [7]   Moreover, Lim Guan Eng has launched the concept of Competency, Accountability and Transparency (CAT) in his governance. This slogan is to make sure that the state government can achieve an efficient, responsible and clean government. Other than that, the emphasis of the slogan aims to allow people in Penang in order to share the state governments prosperity when the slogan is achieved. Besides, CAT also comprises positive work ethics and inculcates a team spirit based on performance. This slogan is eventually achieved when the state government enjoys record budget surpluses in successfully attracting up to RM 12.2 billion of total capital investments and practicing an open tender system.  [8]  The reform of the government with its new policies has ended the cronyism and corruption that led to major deficits under the previous regime according to the report in international weekly newsmagazine-The Economist.  [9]   As a result, the Auditor-General praise the Penang state government as the best financially managed state in Malaysia each year from 2008 until 2010. According to the AG report, the consolidated fund has increased by 2.7%, from RM1101.89mil in 2009 to RM1,131.17mil in 2010. Likewise, the consolidated revenue fund has surged by 6.2% from RM538.95mil in 2009 to RM572.49mil in 2010.  [10]   Other than that, there is one program in the Penang state government which is named by Cleaner, Greener Penang. This program is launched by Lim Guan Eng in the year of 2010. The purpose of this program is to transform Penang into the environmentally friendliest and most livable city in Malaysia through education, enforcement and appreciation. This is to restore the current living environment into a cleaner and more sustainable city, which in turn improving the quality of life.  [11]   There are basically four objectives of Cleaner, Greener Penang. The first objective is to improve the quality of life and create a greener public realm. This is to create a sustainable and inclusive community in order to achieve a better living environment. The second objective is to raise awareness and education. This is to encourage the spirit of volunteerism and to forge a committed leadership, strong partnership active community involvement, desire for quality and innovation. The third objective is to carry out policy mapping and institutional Improvements. Lastly, the last objective is to to get the basics right. This is to have effective policies and department process maps to tackle the cleanliness issues and to raise awareness to provide a better living environment for the communities. There are also many reasons for the program of Cleaner, Greener Penang. The first reason is to envision a better living environment. Next, this program is to reposition Penang as a sustainable city. The other reason is to revitalize the urban space and streetscape. Finally, it is an initiative that brings change to the way of Penang residents lifestyle and to be the Habitat of Choice, My Penang My Pride. Due to the program of Cleaner, Greener Penang, Lim Guan Eng enforced the ban on free plastic bags throughout the state on January 1 in the year of 2010. In order to ensure of the renewal of business licenses, retail stores, food outlets and hawker stalls state-wide are required to adhere to the rulings which is the ban of free plastic bags. The proceedings from the sale of plastic bags went to the Partners against Poverty Special Fund to assist the states hardcore poor. This initiative was the first of its kind in Malaysia.  [12]   In the other hand, on December 11 of the year 2011, Lim Guan Eng initiated the Car Free Day which would be held every Sunday at particular stretches of roads in the interior city of George Town, Penang. All motorized vehicles are prohibited from entering these areas on that day, which are part of his efforts transform Penang into a sustainable city and fight climate change.  [13]   In addition, the state government is also considering a proposal to set up bicycle lanes around Penang Island, which is mainly along coastal areas and Seberang Perai, which is scheduled to complete by 2020. Lim Guan Eng wanted to promote Penang as the first state that practice cycling as a healthy form of activity and reduce dependency on motorized vehicles.  [14]   Another contribution that had been done by Lim Guan Eng to the Penang residents is the welfare aids and program. These record budget surpluses are directed towards social benefits such as financial aid to the hardcore poor, cash handouts to the elderly as anti-corruption dividend, upgrading of public housing, free Wi-Fi internet services at selected hot spots and free bus services within the city and between Penang island and Seberang Perai for workers.  [15]  Social welfare aid of RM100 is awarded annually to senior citizens, single mothers, disabled individuals, new-born babies and school-going pupils in Primary 1 to 4 as well as Form 1 to 4.  [16]   Besides, Lim Guan Eng had launched a program due to the bus service in Penang on March 1 in the year of 2011. The main purpose of this bus service is to increase the usage of public transport. In the other hand, this bus service can reduce traffic congestion during peak hours on the Penang Bridge and therefore ease the financial burden of the factory workers. One of the example is the Bridge Express Shuttle Transit which is also known as (BEST) is a free-of-charge park and ride shuttle bus services which ferries commuters across the Penang Bridge from Seberang Jaya to Bayan Lepas Free Industrial Zone. Other than that, there is also a SMART Centre in Penang which is an initiative set up by the Penang state government. In June 2009, during the Penang Outlook Forum, Lim Guan Eng also launched a think tank invest in Penang. The intention of this SMART Centre is to provide market intelligence, business advisory, information and resources and training services to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Penang. In assisting these SMEs, it focuses on promotion of local sourcing, investments and networking by providing various programs such as business matching, seminars and talks.  [17]   Under Pakatan Rakyats Agenda Economic Social (AES) or also called as Social Economic Agenda, The Penang state government is aiming to be the first state in Malaysia to eradicate poverty by ensuring every household in Penang has an income of at least RM770 per month. In Peninsular Malaysia, the poverty line is RM763 per month for every family. However, those families with less than RM770 monthly income will have the difference topped up by the state government every month. In other words, a family with RM600 monthly income will receive RM170 monthly under this program.  [18]   Controversy in His Political Life On September 20, 2011, Australia Broadcasting Corporation had conducted an interview with Lim Guan Eng. However, the Malaysian news agency, Bernama reported that he had criticized over disparaging remarks about security of the state of Johor.  [19]  During his speech, he said that You dont have to worry about your safety when you come to Penang. In Johor, if you are a Singaporean, you are likely to get kidnapped. Lim Guan Eng insisted he never mentioned Johor during his interview. Wong Kim Fei, who is a press secretary of Lim Guan Eng had wrote a letter to Bernama editor-in-chief Datuk Yoo Soo Heong, saying that the article that had published was false, untrue and a pack of lies. Instead, he said Lim Guan Eng had merely discussed the Malaysia Solution deal with Australia, the governments pledge to repeal the Internal Security Act (ISA) and Penang issues. Besides, he demanded that Bernama retract their story and issue a formal apology or face a lawsuit.  [20]  He also hopes th at they will continue to uphold professional journalistic standards of integrity and truthfulness by doing so again. Opinion is free but facts are sacred. After that, Lim Guan Eng has apologized to the Sultan of Johor and his subjects over the alleged disparaging remarks he made about Johor in Singapore. It is because the recording of his remark was revealed by the government controlled television channel, TV3, showing clear evidence of his proclaiming that Singaporeans who are in Johor are likely to be kidnapped. On December 14, 2011, Lim Guan Eng has won the defamation suit against Malay daily Utusan Malaysia, which has been ordered by a High Court to pay RM200,000 in damages for publishing a defamatory article about Lim Guan Eng and a cost of RM25,000 to him. Justice Varghese George Varughese, in allowing the defamation suit by Lim Guan Eng against the Malay daily, said he had examined the seven paragraphs containing the defamatory words and found that they were malicious, had intention to mislead readers and was written in bad faith. The article is entitled Kebiadapan Guan Eng (Guan Engs Arrogance) which had defamed his political career and subsequently picturing him and Democratic Action Party (DAP) as anti-Malay and anti-Muslim. The papers publication company, Utusan Melayu (M) Bhd, in its statement of defence, stated that the article was published in response to Lim Guan Engs verbal attack against the paper during his speech at the Pakatan Rakyat convention in Kepala Batas on 19 Decembe r 2010.  [21]   On June 22, 2011, Lim Guan Eng has won the second defamation suit against Utusan Malaysia, which was ordered by the Penang High Court to pay Lim Guan Eng RM200,000 in damages and RM20,000 in costs. Lim Guan Eng had claimed a March 12, 2008 article headlined Tiada Lagi DEB (No More NEP) in the Malay-language newspaper which said he would abolish the New Economic Policy was inaccurate.  [22]   Earlier in 2012, Penang state UMNO claimed that the developer of Penang World City in Bayan Mutiara made no provision for mosques, pointing out that the plot has yet to be subdivided. According to Chief Shaik Hussein Mydin, under the Town and Country Planning Act (TCPA) 1976, all land must be sub-divided according to an approved project plan before land title can be transferred to the developer. However, he said that the Penang government had failed to observe the rule in the Bayan Mutiara land deal. Lim Guan Eng responded that the developer Ivory Properties Group Bhd (IPGB) will only do the subdivision when it submits development plans for the 41.5-ha real estate to Penang Municipal Council (MPPP). In his statement, he said that the new plans and subdivision of title has not yet even been submitted, how can Umno claim that the mosque or school land has been sold or disappeared. Umno must remember that there are standard requirements for schools and places of worship including surau or mosque that are compulsory by local government or must be included in any development project. He also stressed that the people-centric state government would hold on to its fundamental principles and not let land marked for schools and places of worship to disappear. The DAP secretary-general will take legal action against Umno and Utusan Malaysia for claiming that he had sold off the mosque land, and warned Barisan Nasional (BN) from further stoking religious tension. Lim Guan Eng was willing to retire from politics if critics of the deal could prove that the land sale was not done through an open and competitive tender.  [23]   On 6 December, 2012, Lim Guan Eng wants to prove in court that he is not corrupt and doesnt take RM 40 million donations. Penang UMNO Youth Chief Shaik Hussein Mydin and Gerakan have claimed that the Chief Minister has personally received money from Kuala Lumpur International Dental Centre (KLIDC) in respect of its proposed private hospital in Penang. His special legal officer Andrew Yong said in a statement that they have made a baseless claim against the Chief Minister. Alternatively, they should prove their case in court when Lim Guan Eng sues them for their defamatory statements, which are intended to damage his public image and political career. Shaik, UMNO Youth nor Gerakan have so far shown any proof to back their baseless allegations that KLIDC offered money to the Chief Minister to help secure the tender award for the 1.1 acre piece of land in Taman Manggis to build a private hospital. In fact, it was Health Minister Liow Tiong Lai himself who announced that KLIDC has finally obtained a license to operate the private hospital in Penang. In other words, are UMNO Youth and Gerakan also implying that Liow Tiong Lai must also have received money from KLIDC? So, there is a conflict occur on their statement. Nevertheless, KLIDC was given no advantage or favors when it won the bid for the Taman Manggis land, which was offered to the public by open competitive tender. KLIDC made the highest bid of RM 232 per square foot, and the highest bid was chosen.  [24]   Changing Penang in a Changing World: Transforming Penang Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng was given a speech on foreign news agencies Club in Singapore on August 12, 2011. The first main point about todays changing wo

Friday, October 25, 2019

Shifting Efficiency Essay -- essays research papers

Shifting Efficiency One of the most important and life-altering inventions in history is the creation of the automobile. The first model was built with a manual transmission, meaning the operator of the vehicle was responsible for manually changing gears to increase speed. This method of acceleration, while efficient, required the complete attention of the operator, and it sometimes took away the enjoyment of driving. This led to the invention of the automatic transmission, a method by which the operator of the vehicle no longer had to switch gears, as this was done automatically. Since the development of the automatic transmission, there has always been conflict about which method of acceleration is more efficient. Driving a vehicle with an automatic transmission allows for multitasking such as talking on a cell phone or eating a meal while driving. This, however, is not always a safe way to drive, especially in traffic when frequent stopping and going is necessary. This method of driving, though dangerous to many if it is not undertaken carefully, seems to be popular to most people who enjoy the freedom of multitasking. Driving a vehicle with a manual transmission makes it almost impossible for the operator to talk on a cell phone or do other tasks because the use of both hands is required to direct the vehicle and shift gears at the same time. To some people, this is a much safer method of driving, because it requires the driver to focus more, which reduces the risk of a...

Thursday, October 24, 2019

How far was the growth of the American economy in the years 1890 to 1914 due to the rise of big business? Essay

During the period 1890 to 1914 the American economy grew considerably due to the growth of its capacity to produce, rapid industrialisation and increased domestic consumption. This was, to a large extent, driven by big business. Oil was more readily available which made the transport of goods easier and encouraged development of machinery and industry. Through the dominance of Rockefeller and large oil companies, oil was exploited to the benefit of everyone and especially the embryonic car industry. In 1913, Henry Ford, adopted the moving assembly line, which meant that cars could be produced quickly which made them more affordable and increased sales boosting the economy. Through the work of the steel magnate Carnegie, steel became more readily available due to mass production which supported the development of heavy engineering and production which provided employment. JP Morgan had a leading role in reorganising American railroads which made transport of goods easier and cheaper. Due to ruthless big business culture, smaller companies which were less profitable could not survive, but the economy benefited from streamlined monopolies due to economy of scale. This meant that prices of goods went down and this spurred on the domestic market to buy more. By strictly controlling costs and increasing efficiency, big business moguls such as Vanderbilt, Rockefeller and Carnegie were particularly influential in this respect. In support of the economy banking became more stabilized due to financiers such as JP Morgan who directed the banking coalition that stopped the panic of 1907. This financial crisis almost crippled the American economy due to mass bank closures and major New York banks were on the verge of bankruptcy. The consequence of the intervention of JP Morgan was that banks were then able to provide credit to finance businesses and industry which boosted the American economy. Big business had considerable political influence and exerted pressure on the  government and states consequently passed laws to help big business. The government even extended protection through the Supreme Court such as keeping trade unions weak via super injunctions and the 14th amendment. This enshrined the rights and privileges of the individual, which allowed the development of a laissez-faire business culture. There were however a number of factors which supported the economy which were not directly related to big business. The development of agriculture across the Plains resulted in the cultivation of more land. Technological innovations such as barbed wire helped in this respect because land could be better protected. Innovations such as higher-yielding hybrid wheat made farming much more productive and profitable; this resulted in America becoming a ‘bread basket’ with surplus wheat for export. Likewise the development of technology such as refrigeration was important to farming and the economy. The development of the refrigerated rail car allowed perishable produce to be transported all across America. However, undoubtedly big business helped to fund and channel innovation into even greater profitability. Cheap labour, resulting from immigration, was particularly important to developing the economy and also brought additional skills to the country. As productivity increased trade with Asia created additional markets and demands for products. Indirectly advertising was another area that helped the American economy. Full page adverts in newspapers both in the USA and the rest of the world made people want products and therefore boosted sales and profits. Also the door-to-door salesman developed in this period as new products arrived fuelled demand. In conclusion big business was clearly extremely important in developing the American economy from 1890 to 1914 but many factors interrelate and arguably the government creating a capitalist free market economy through the political influence of big business was a major factor in helping businesses and the economy to grow.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

What You Need to Know About Commedia DellArte

What You Need to Know About Commedia Dell'Arte Commedia dellarte, also known as Italian comedy, was a humorous theatrical presentation performed by professional actors who traveled in troupes throughout Italy in the 16th century. Performances took place on temporary stages, mostly on city streets, but occasionally even in court venues. The better troupes - notably Gelosi, Confidenti, and Fedeli - performed in palaces and became internationally famous once they traveled abroad. Music, dance, witty dialogue, and all kinds of trickery contributed to the comic effects. Subsequently, the art form spread throughout Europe, with many of its elements persisting even into the modern theater. Given the vast number of  Italian dialects, how would a touring company make itself understood? Apparently, there was no attempt made to change the performances dialect from region to region. Even when a local company performed, much of the dialogue would not have been understood. Regardless of region, the oft-used character  il Capitano  would have spoken in Spanish,  il Dottore  in Bolognese, and  lArlecchino  in utter gibberish. The focus was placed on physical business, rather than spoken text. Influence The impact of  commedia dell’arte  on European drama can be seen in French pantomime and the English harlequinade. The ensemble companies generally performed in Italy, although a company called the  comà ©die–italienne  was established in Paris in 1661. The  commedia dell’arte  survived the early 18th century only by means of its vast influence on written dramatic forms. Props There were no elaborate sets in  commedia. Staging, for example, was minimalistic, with rarely anything more than one market or street scene, and the stages were frequently temporary outdoor structures. Instead, great use was made of props including animals, food, furniture, watering devices, and weapons. The character  Arlecchino  bore two sticks tied together, which made a loud noise on impact. This gave birth to the word slapstick. Improvisation In spite of its outwardly anarchic spirit, commedia dellarte  was a highly disciplined art requiring both virtuosity and a strong sense of ensemble playing. The unique talent of  commedia  actors was to improvise comedy around a pre-established scenario. Throughout the act, they responded to each other, or to the audiences reaction, and made use of  lazzi  (special rehearsed routines that could be inserted into the plays at convenient points to heighten the comedy), musical numbers, and impromptu dialogue to vary the happenings on stage. Physical Theater Masks forced actors to project their characters emotions through the body. Leaps, tumbles, stock gags (burle  and  lazzi), obscene gestures, and slapstick antics were incorporated into their acts. Stock Characters The actors of the  commedia  represented fixed social types. These types included  tipi fissi, for example, foolish old men, devious servants, or military officers full of false bravado. Characters such as Pantalone (the miserly Venetian merchant), Dottore Gratiano (the pedant from Bologna), or Arlecchino (the mischievous servant from Bergamo), began as satires on Italian types and became the archetypes of many of the favorite characters of 17th- and 18th-century European theatre. Arlecchino  was the most famous. He was an acrobat, a wit, childlike, and amorous. He wore a cat-like mask and motley-colored clothes and carried a bat or wooden sword.Brighella  was  Arlecchinos  crony. He was more roguish and sophisticated, a cowardly villain who would do anything for money.Il Capitano  (the captain) was a caricature of the professional soldier - bold, swaggering, and cowardly.Il Dottore  (the doctor) was a caricature of learning who was pompous and fraudulent.Pantalone  was a caricature of the Venetian merchant, rich and retired, mean and miserly, with a young wife or an adventurous daughter.Pedrolino  was a white-faced, moonstruck dreamer and the forerunner of the modern clown.Pulcinella, as seen in the  English Punch and Judy shows, was a dwarfish humpback with a crooked nose. He was a cruel bachelor who chased pretty girls.Scarramuccia, dressed in black and carrying a pointed sword, was the Robin Hood of his day.The handsome  Inamorato  ( the lover) went by many names. He wore no mask and had to be eloquent in order to perform speeches of love. The  Inamorata  was his female counterpart; Isabella Andreini was the most famous. Her servant, usually called  Columbina, was the beloved of Harlequin. Witty, bright, and given to intrigue, she developed into such characters as Harlequine and Pierrette.La Ruffiana  was an old woman, either the mother or a village gossip who thwarted the lovers.Cantarina  and  Ballerina  often took part in the comedy, but for the most part, their job was to sing, dance, or play music. There were many other minor characters, some of which were associated with a particular region of Italy, such as  Peppe Nappa  (Sicily),  Gianduia  (Turin),  Stenterello  (Tuscany),  Rugantino  (Rome), and  Meneghino  (Milan). Costumes The audience was able to pick up on the type of person actors were representing through each characters dress. For elaboration, loose-fitting garments alternated with very tight, and jarring color contrasts opposed monochrome outfits. Except for the inamorato, males would identify themselves with character-specific costumes and half-masks. The  zanni  (precursor to clown), such Arlecchino, for example, would be immediately recognizable because of his black mask and patchwork costume. While the inamorato and the female characters wore neither masks nor costumes unique to that personage, certain information could still be derived from their clothing. Audiences knew what members of the various social classes typically wore, and also expected certain colors to represent certain emotional states. Masks All the fixed character types, the figures of fun or satire, wore colored leather masks. Their opposites, typically pairs of young lovers around whom the stories revolved, had no need for such devices. In modern Italian  handcrafted theater, masks  are still created in the ancient tradition of  carnacialesca. Music The inclusion of music and dance into  commedia  performance required that all actors have these skills. Frequently at the end of a piece, even the audience joined in on the merrymaking.

Monday, October 21, 2019

Healthcare IT Essay Example

Healthcare IT Essay Example Healthcare IT Essay Healthcare IT Essay Healthcare IT Name: Course: Institution: Instructor: Date: Healthcare IT Information needs similarities In the publication Perceived Information Needs and Communication Difficulties of Inpatient Physicians and Nurses, Cimino introduces a concept of† common ground† to refer to shared information among staff. In the survey that was done, both physicians and nurses share some information needs. Both had the need for Internet and knowledge based systems especially the WebCIS system, which was used by all physicians and a bigger percentage of the nurses. The main usage for WebCIS was the reporting of laboratory results. While around 92% of the physicians used unique specialty reports, a less number of nurses used this resource. Nearly no nurses used the diagnosis system although most of the physicians used either the info buttons or alert systems. Differences The major differences in the information needs between nurses and physicians lay in their professional areas. Physicians had the need for up to date medication lists and the time that they were administered, outpatient notes and laboratory needs. Nurses, on the other hand, had more use for patient diagnoses than all other types of information. In the institution –specific information needs, physicians required the current providers and their contacts while nurses required the institutions protocols and policies for various function such as blood banks. Lastly, another major difference in the information needs among physicians was their interest in information relating to prescriptions, disease management and medical formulas. The nurses focused on the drug domain and required information in side effects and dosages (Melnyk Fineout-Overholt, 2011). Drug information Integrated information systems draw their information from a variety of sources. The most common sources include medical files and population surveys. Patients who show up at the hospital have their complaints recorded and tests are done to establish the problem after which the treatment commences. The key data inputs here include patient weight and height, drug indications, drug claims and eligibility inquiries. Process in drug information including ensuring tat the drugs are effective and safe through various qualification processes. The best method of disseminating this information is through brochures within the nursing department (McKnight, 2012). Patient diagnoses In performing patients’ diagnoses, the type of data that is collected and recorded by nurses includes patient current medical status and blood samples. This data input will be used later for the evaluation of the outcomes. The data items will be necessary for determining overnight inpatient conditions. The processes in-patient diagnoses include classification of a patients’ condition that will allow a medical decision to be made for instance naming the ailment or using knowledge-based systems to produce results. The best way of ensuring this information reaches physicians is through conferences among practitioners where these new methods can be discussed in detail. Disease management information The types of data that are collected for disease management information include population statistics, the historical trend of the diseases and other demographic issues. The different processes here include the provision of the public with disease management information. There is also a close partnership with the government and private sector institutions to come up with ways to contain diseases. This kind of information can be disseminated through newsletters and reports. References McKnight, Lawrence K., Stetson, Peter D., Bakken, Suzanne, Curran, Christine, Cimino, James J. (n.d.). (2012). Perceived Information Needs and Communication Difficulties of Inpatient Physicians and Nurses. American Medical Informatics Association. Accessed on 2 July 2012. Retrieved from ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC419422/ Melnyk, B. M., Fineout-Overholt, E. (2011). Evidence-based practice in nursing healthcare: A guide to best practice. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer/Lippincott Williams Wilkins.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Analysis of Tchaikovskys Fantasy Overture Romeo and Juliet essays

Analysis of Tchaikovsky's Fantasy Overture Romeo and Juliet essays A Russian composer known for his colorful and romantic music, Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky was born May 7, 1840. He was a composer of the Romantic Period a time when music acquired poetic/philosophical meaning. In accordance with this focus on the arts, Tchaikovsky was an extremely well-read and educated man. Therefore, it was only natural he write a musical interpretation of one of Shakespeares greatest tragedies, Romeo and Juliet, which I had the please of seeing performed by the RPO. The Romeo and Juliet overture is done in sonata-allegro form and contains two major musical themes: the Friar Laurence/Capulet This first theme is broken up into two parts. The music begins as a solemn chorale, much like the music used in the Russian Orthodox Church, here obviously Tchaikovsky is musically representing Friar Lawrence. This section starts off with a series of woodwind instruments, leading to the strings and horns, and coming full circle back to the woodwinds. Tension begins to build as this part of the theme is repeated; the opening wind chords become much faster over plucked strings. The timpani is then added in, making the tempo speed up, leading into the second half of the first theme-the struggle between the Capulets and Montagues. Here, Tchaikovsky brilliantly utilizes a break in the music filled by the crash of the cymbals to indicate a swordfight. Flutes are added in to suggest the scurrying that usually takes place during a battle. Fragments are passed between the woodwinds and strings to illustrate the scrape of metal on metal. Such image painting is a characteristic mark of Tchaikovsky. The first theme is then repeated, and the tempo slows, down decreasing the tension. This is when the transition to the second theme (Love theme) occurs. Like the first theme, the second is also separated into two pa...

Saturday, October 19, 2019

John Berger's Comparison of Fine Art to Commercial Art Essay

John Berger's Comparison of Fine Art to Commercial Art - Essay Example This is because fine art is often esoteric and ultimately meaningless. Art critics might be able to find meaning in certain works of art, but they would be the only ones. The common man would have great difficulty understanding the meaning of a man's urinal used as artwork. On the other hand, commercial art is supposed to be understandable and accessible or, at the very least, evoke powerful emotions. For this reason, commercial art is more successful in conveying messages to mass audiences then is fine art. Discussion John Berger states that abstract art has been adopted by corporate capitalism, which is causing these aesthetics to become emblems of economic power. He says that, through this process of reducing the aesthetics of fine art into something that is used to increase economic power for the entity that uses this art, the lived experience inherent in the art work is eliminated from the image of the art. This results, in his view, in a reduced area of experience, even though it claims to be universal (Berger, 2001, p. 296). This process of commercializing fine art, and the subsequent way that this transformation has robbed the art work of meaning is particularly anathema to Berger, as he feels that art comes from a primitive part of the artist, and that it comes from the lived experience of the artist (Berger, 2001, p. 296). For Berger, drawing and art is about discovery within the artist himself (Berger, 2001, p. 10). The power of the art comes from this lived experience, the faith that this experience can produce the art, and this is typically coupled with a skepticism of the society in which the artist finds oneself (Berger, 2001, p. 297). Thus, in transforming art in commercialism, it robs the art of this lived experience which is the essence, the very heart of the artwork. The meaning of the artwork is dead, at least the meaning that the artist intended, and the meaning is instead transformed into whatever the particular advertisement is attempting to sell. Berger was also highly critical of the fact that paintings have become so commodified. He states that no work of art may survive without becoming a valuable piece of property, and that this spells the death of the painting and sculpture, as â€Å"property, as once it was not, is now inevitably opposed to all other values. People believe in property, but in essence they only believe in the illusion of protection which property gives. All works of fine art, whatever their content, whatever the sensibility of an individual spectator, must now be reckoned as no more than props for the confidence of the world spirit of conservatism† (Berger, 2001, p. 215). Thus, the fact that paintings and sculptures must be commodified to survive in the long term spells the end of the art as we know it, in Berger's eyes. According to Papastergiadis (1993), Berger's issue with the commercialization of art would stem from the fact that Berger contends that art must give meaning to human e xperiences. In particular, art works to increase our understanding of the gap between freedom and alienation in everyday life. He also states that Berger is a combination of a Marxist, in which the art is integrated with the political, thus is an

Friday, October 18, 2019

G & P Trucking Company, Inc Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

G & P Trucking Company, Inc - Assignment Example Apart from these, G&P holds various service awards for deliveries to Eastman Chemical, Wal-Mart and W W Grainger etc. in addition to service awards for commendable service provided, G&P also holds more than 40 safety awards since the year 2000. Further strengths for G&P lay in their operations systems. They have a dense infrastructure system equipped with secured trailer storage, 24/7 central dispatch, repower capabilities, a dense terminal network, pioneering enterprise software, local dispatch at port terminals, mobile satellite communication capabilities, customized reporting and web tracking etc. ii. Weaknesses However, there are still weaknesses that G&P has to face as well. There is a driver shortage because drivers have moved to construction and warehousing jobs. This is because drivers that are employed are required to put in long hour which results in them spending more time on the job than they get to spend at home or otherwise in leisure activities. 14 hours of duty is req uired in a day’s work of which 11 are driving hours. iii. Opportunities G&P faces opportunities from the external environment in the form of the room for growth in the trucking and freight business. Since there is a lot of demand for reliable freight companies that actually provide the quality service that they claim to provide in this globalised world, G&P has great potential for further growth and success. iv. Threats Threats from the external environment include rising fuel costs. There is a base rate for fuel that is almost always non-negotiable. Trucks average 5 miles per gallon and there is no compensation for fuel costs for any empty miles driven or when the drivers stop to rest. There are also hurdles associated with government and agency regulations which sometimes make it difficult for a trucking company like G&P to operate by erecting bureaucratic barriers which slow operations down. (Trucking-How Hard Can It Be?). 2. Environmental Analysis i. External environmenta l Factors When conducting an analysis of the external environment we look at the competitors to G&P. There is Atlantic Trucking Co, Inc. and F & I Trucking Corp. Between the two of them Atlantic Trucking Co poses a bigger threat of competition to G&P Trucking because they have been operating for roughly the same number of years in the same industry, with experience and results almost at par with each other. However, ATC’s operations may be considered more expansive in terms of types of service provided. ii. Current State of Business Target Markets According to an article in USA Today, the trucking industry is facing some difficulties, mostly because of the driver shortage. The U.S government has predicted an increase of 31% in the amount of haulage sent by road from 2005 to 2117 and with a shortage of drivers, the trucking industry will find it hard for this increased workload to cope with. (Glen Creno and Dennis Wagner, 2008). iii. Evaluation of current Marketing Objectives and Performance The trucking industry should join the herd of business entities using the internet and social media to promote and market themselves. Websites and social media websites can be used to more effectively reach out to prospective customers and employees alike. Many trucking companies have improved their current performance by improving their operating costs. G&P trucking needs to further align this area to changes in

Lap report Lab Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Lap - Lab Report Example Directly facing Polaris, the sky chart led to the location of the Big Dipper. The two locations were charted. By pointing one finger at Polaris and one at the middle of the â€Å"cup† of the Big Dipper, the relative angle to the earth position was estimated. Each 45 minutes thereafter, the same observations occurred and those findings charted. Conclusions and Analysis: Since the earth rotates toward the east, the Big Dipper appears to rise in relationship to the more westward star, Polaris. Lifelong observations of the sun and moon bear out this rising and setting phenomenon; however, viewing the path relative to another fixed point in space adds a layer of comprehension to the process. Interestingly, the Big Dipper, at first observation, seemed to be moving slightly east because the tail moved east relative to earth’s horizon. By measuring to the middle of the â€Å"cup†, the land visual cues were eliminated, and the Dipper then appeared to simply rise straight up. The results are as expected. Polaris does not move east or west noticeably, but does appear to rise then fall. The Big Dipper rises, but stays in a steady horizontal position from Polaris, but rises as Polaris falls during the observed

Sustainable Supply Chain Discussion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Sustainable Supply Chain Discussion - Essay Example For example, the value stream mapping (VSM) allows identification of all processes performed during the production of specific goods or for performing specific activity. These mapping processes can be used to identify and differentiate between value-adding and non-value adding activities/processes. Secondly, all staff members should be trained on continuously identification of such non-value adding activities in order to maintain continuous improvement of these processes. 2. Considering the need for going green and the enormous issues that are challenging our environment, there can be numerous ways to contribute towards environmental sustainability. Firstly, the staff can be asked to plant more number of trees/bushes wherever possible. This can start from their homes; one day can be dedicated towards planting activities. These plants need to be cared for at least the first few weeks by these volunteers. Secondly, as an initiative at office, stationery used can be cut down. Stationery wastes could include pens, papers, wired equipment etc. All used/non-usable wired equipment must be sent for recycling. Also, storage of wired equipment must be reduced. Contracting with suppliers for supplying just-in-time can be of help during need.

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Group Project Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Group Project - Assignment Example In addition, it tells when and where to say certain things, to use certain words and when to discuss certain topics. Thus cultural norms are important for creating the impression and picture of the group. They govern the general behaviour of members of the group. Employers may also develop a code of conduct to be adhered to by the employees. Such rules are referred to as work norms often followed at the Different organizations have different work norms. These work norms include signing of time sheets by employees at the arrival time. Some organizations require workers to hold prayer meetings before beginning to work. However, most organizations conform to a particular dressing code which restricts workers on what to put on and what not to wear. Another type of norms that can be adopted by a group is prescriptive norms. These are unwritten rules that indicate what should be done. For example expressing gratitude after a receiving a present is considered as a prescriptive norm. A study group may also consider question session before beginning revision as a prescriptive norm. A prayer session before a match for a team is also a prescriptive norm. Proscriptive norm on the other hand comprises of unwritten rules that one should not do. A group may have its own proscriptive norms. Blaming each other for football players due to a loss can be an example of proscriptive norm. Similarly, abusing each other among members of a bible study group can be another example. Norms are generally good for the group. A dressing code among workers is good because it brings uniformity to certain workers such as medical workers. This helps in easy identification and to prevent impersonification. Calling of names and blaming each other among players may bring disharmony in the team. Similarly insulting each other may lead to the breaking up of a bible study group. Norms generally are good since they help a group to achieve their set objectives. Once in a certain

Christians today Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Christians today - Coursework Example All believers met together at a certain place, and they shared whatever they had. Likewise, Christians today should share what they have with those in need. Another thing that Christians of today can learn from the early church is that there is a need to fellowship with other Christians and worship together. This should be done regularly in churches and other places of worship. Today’s Christians should also learn that they should share generously so that God can add other people to their fellowship. As Christians, there is a need to be in touch with one another and share talents apart from the usual sharing of possessions (Sommer, 2007). Christians of today can also learn from the early church that there is the need to help other people at what they cannot be able to do. In addition, Christians should seek help at what they are not perfect. Just like the bodies of human beings have several parts each playing a certain role, so is the body of Christ. As such, there should be the realization among Christians that they belong to one another as they can be termed as many parts that comprise Christs body (Sommer,

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Sustainable Supply Chain Discussion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Sustainable Supply Chain Discussion - Essay Example For example, the value stream mapping (VSM) allows identification of all processes performed during the production of specific goods or for performing specific activity. These mapping processes can be used to identify and differentiate between value-adding and non-value adding activities/processes. Secondly, all staff members should be trained on continuously identification of such non-value adding activities in order to maintain continuous improvement of these processes. 2. Considering the need for going green and the enormous issues that are challenging our environment, there can be numerous ways to contribute towards environmental sustainability. Firstly, the staff can be asked to plant more number of trees/bushes wherever possible. This can start from their homes; one day can be dedicated towards planting activities. These plants need to be cared for at least the first few weeks by these volunteers. Secondly, as an initiative at office, stationery used can be cut down. Stationery wastes could include pens, papers, wired equipment etc. All used/non-usable wired equipment must be sent for recycling. Also, storage of wired equipment must be reduced. Contracting with suppliers for supplying just-in-time can be of help during need.

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Christians today Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Christians today - Coursework Example All believers met together at a certain place, and they shared whatever they had. Likewise, Christians today should share what they have with those in need. Another thing that Christians of today can learn from the early church is that there is a need to fellowship with other Christians and worship together. This should be done regularly in churches and other places of worship. Today’s Christians should also learn that they should share generously so that God can add other people to their fellowship. As Christians, there is a need to be in touch with one another and share talents apart from the usual sharing of possessions (Sommer, 2007). Christians of today can also learn from the early church that there is the need to help other people at what they cannot be able to do. In addition, Christians should seek help at what they are not perfect. Just like the bodies of human beings have several parts each playing a certain role, so is the body of Christ. As such, there should be the realization among Christians that they belong to one another as they can be termed as many parts that comprise Christs body (Sommer,

Globalization Study Greece Economic Crisis Essay Example for Free

Globalization Study Greece Economic Crisis Essay However, besides Greece, there are other European countries also belonging to European Union; face a similar problem, such as Portugal, Ireland, Italy and Spain. Therefore, Greece’s debt crisis also triggers a European crisis. As the three companies lowered Greece’s credit rating the cost of their debt was on an upward trend. Consequently, Greece initiated an austerity program, the austerity measure resulted mass demonstrations. Background It all started in 2001, when Greece joined the European Union, Greece’s deficit at the time was higher than 3%, the standard of European Union. An American company named Goldman Sachs â€Å"helped Greek government to mask the true extent of its deficit with the help of a derivatives deal that legally circumvented the EU Maastricht deficit rules. At some point the so-called cross currency swaps will mature, and swell the countrys already bloated deficit. †(http://translate. google. com/? sl=en#en/zh-CN/) In comparison to other EU countries, Greece’s economic situation was relatively weak. Tourism being the main source of income for Greece was affected by the global economic crisis in 2007 which reduced the number of tourists form all over the world. This had a strong impact on Greece, as their imports were higher than exports; it caused the outflow of capital. Other factors that added to their crisis were high government spending, tax evasion and corruption. The bailout from European Union European Union and IMF provide 110bn Euros for the first bailout and 130bn Euros for the second bailout to help Greek government pay its creditors. At the same time, the vast majority of Greece’s private-sector creditors agreed to wipe off some of the debts, and also agreed to lower the present interest but this was not enough for Greece. Consequence of Greece’s economy -Austerity measure Increase of taxes, decrease wages What should Greece do in order to change its situation? Greece should implement budget cuts, higher taxes, improve labor market, lower pension reform. What can European Union do in order to protect Eurozone ST-GREEK : Similar to ST-stock (special treatment stock is a stock continues to have a loss for three years and has a risk to leave stock market) For example, European Union can give Greece some special treatment such as: 5% of financial deficits and fewer than 90% of public debt to gross domestic product; change the name of Greece in EU to ST-Greek; Audit Greece’s expenditure twice a year. European Union can also do same thing to Portugal, Italy, Ireland ; Spain. Hidden International Competition. The speed development of capitalist economies after World War 2 resulted between control and anti-control of America and Europe. The frequent trade between European countries helped economic union. U. S and Soviet Union’s situation had threatened the development of European countries. It was impossible for any single country to deal with that kind of threat, unless they stay together. That’s why the EU was formed. It was not a big deal for America at first, until EU had mentioned Eurozone. It suffered a drastic disagreement from London’s financial hub as it threatened the position of the U. S dollar. To split EU they supported the eastward enlargement of EU. When Germany and France succeeded, they already lost the advantage of EU. There’s a big economic difference between east Europe and west Europe and they were not trading frequently. If wolves stare at the most weak sheep, the sheep’s result is certain. Surely, wolves can not be satisfied for just one sheep, they wanted to eat all of the sheep, but a smart wolf would give sheep a chance to breed. After Greece, Portugal, Italy, Ireland and Spain may have risk of being eaten by the wolf. So, France and Germany face a difficult problem, if they help Greece, their citizens are not happy and the countries they help are not grateful for their bailout, they keep asking for more. If they don’t help those countries, they will leave EU subsequently making EU weaker. So, we can fairly say that it is the main purpose of London’s financial hub to make the dollar’s situation safe now as it will be a long time before EU can challenge the US dollar. In my opinion, every great change in this world is controlled by the super powers, to become more powerful they make other countries weak. After Japan, Southeast Asia and Europe, who will be next? The wolf will find different ways to weaken other countries in order to empower themselves. I think the simplest way is to observe what wolf does next. Further global implication and specifically Canada â€Å"Canada and Greece have been enjoying good trade relations for many years. Bilateral merchandise trade reached $256. 3 million in 2011. Canadian exports totaled $88. million, led by furs, vegetables and pharmaceutical products to Greece. Canadian imports from Greece totaled $168. 2 million in 2011, led by preserved food, fats and oil (mainly olive oil) and articles of iron and steel. † (http://www. canadainternational. gc. ca/greece-grece/bilateral_relations_bilaterales/index. aspx? lang=eng) Greece have to control their imports in order to pay for the debt, so their may decrease the import of Bilateral merchandise and furs, vegetables and pharmaceutical from Canada. It will have adverse effect on Canadian economy. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Greek_government-debt_crisis

Monday, October 14, 2019

The Shabbat To The Jewish People

The Shabbat To The Jewish People For thousands of years, millions of Jews/Hebrews around the world live according to the Jewish Law. Jewish and some non-Jews believe G-d created the world in six days and G-d took the seventh day to rest and reflect on his creation (Exodus 20:11). What is the importance of the Shabbat to the Jewish people, what are some of the symbolic items used during the Holy Day which starts at sundown the night before? The symbolic of the word Shabbat was given to this day because the root of the word Shin-Beit-Tav, meaning to come to an end or to rest. Shabbat is the only day mentioned in the commandments therefore it is the most important of all the holy days (jewfaq.com). While the word shamor, means to observe however the word observe has a different cogitations to the Orthodox Jews, then to the Reformed Jews or Conservative Jews. Generally there are variations amongst the different Jewish communities but for the most part the traditional Jewish lethargy is the same. The Orthodox Jews are the more restrictive and will walk two to and from their place of worship while reformed Jews are likely to drive. It is also customary Orthodox men and women to sit separately to allow for the focus on prayer, while in the Conservative and Reformed synagogues the focus is on family, which prays together. My wife and I while traveling to Athens, Greece on our honeymoon attended Friday Evening Sabbath services at Beth Shalom Synagogue. The Temple was constructed in 1930 and is extremely Orthodox. We had no prior knowledge but the usher whom spoke no English, pointed upstairs to my wife and the main floor for me. Like the Hebrews in ancient times, many religions of the Verdic period and the Roman Catholic faiths only Men are Priests. Perhaps traditions and rituals of the past have symbolic meaning but have not changed all that much? The Conservative and Reformed Jewish movement has already crossed this bridge and my research paper will be written from a conservative to reform traditional Jewish approach. My Wife, Kids and I frequent Temple Beth Elle in Boca Raton where my relatives are members. Its not unheard of to see more than one Rabbi in a synagogue but is unheard of to see a template with three full time Rabbis two of which are women. In addition they have a female cantor soloist that makes for a beautiful service. The second candle is lit the welcoming of the Sabbath begins. The welcoming is also known as the Kabbalat Shabbat and is the first of two very short services. Several Psalms are recited such as the Lchah dodi, which is the greeting of the Sabbath Bride. The Psalm is beautiful both in lethargy and the Hebrew melody. My beloved, come to greet the bride; let us receive the Sabbath. The Pslams translation is as follows The only God caused us to hear keep and remember in one utterance; the Eternal is One and Gods name is One, for honor and glory and praise. Come, let us go to greet the Sabbath, which is the source of blessing. From its opening it is pouring as from the beginning; the end of Creation from the beginning of thought. Wake up! Wake up! For your light has come! Rise up my light! Awake! Awake! Sing! The Eternals glory is revealed to you! Enter in peace, O Crown of Your husband; enter in joy and exultation. Come, O Bride! Come, O Bride! To the faithful people of the treasured nat ion. The last prayer, the mourners Kaddish, which is referred to as saying Kaddish and is for those that, have recently lost a loved one(s). The mourners Kaddish does not refer to death at all. The Kaddish is a prayer to praise of G-d in Gods name. The prayers main idea goes back to ancient times and is reflected a similar lethargy of the Christians Lords Prayer (http://www.britannica.com/). The Barchu prayer, meaning to Praise God, the Exalted One starts the Evening Shabbat Services. Two short prayers are recited before the most important prayer the Shema, which means Hear, Israel, the Lord is our G-d, the Lord is One. The Shema affirms G-ds unity and is often said several times throughout the day but most notability when you wake and before bed. The second paragraph of he Shema is also recited followed by three short prayers, then comes the Amidah, a series of 7 blessings which talks about the Avot The Ancestors, Gevurot The Devine Power, Kedushah G-ds holiness, again the blessing of the Shabbat, Avodah The Sacrificial worship, Hodaah The Thanksgiving and Shalom The prayer for peace. Several more prayers complete the evening service including the silent prayer, which is usually last for a few minutes to give everyone a time for a personal prayer. The Mourners Kaddish said a second time followed by one of two medieval poems Adon Olam, meaning, Before creation shaped the world, God, eternal, reigned alone or my personal favorite, Yigdal meaning, Revere the living G-d. The poem has always had a great tune and I have always felt something spiritual to the Yigdal prayer. While reading the comments written by R. Eliesers I have learned the Yigdal poem is a poetic variation of Maimonides thirteen principles of faith (myjewishlearning.com). Meaning summarizes the required beliefs of Judaism. It is also the name of a hospital in Brooklyn where my Grandmother had passed on. Now I understand why I felt so connected to the Yigdal and what a great way to end the service reaffirming my beliefs. The festive meal awaits, the Kiddish, which is an overflowing glass of wine or grape juice is said. The overflowing reminds us of the fullness of joy that we have in the Shabbat. We proceed to wash our hands with a short prayer and finally the blessing of the Challah, called the Ha-Motzi or just the Motzi for short. Symbolically, two Chalot are used for the reason during the time in Egypt on Fridays a double portion of Manna fell from the heavens. The prayer is as follows: Blessed are You, Lord, our God, King of the Universe who brings forth bread from the earth. (Amen). Many years ago my wife and I befriended an Israeli couple and adopted the dipping of the Challah into sea salt. Not understanding why, we looked it looked it up and found sea salt never spoils or decays, therefore, it is symbolic of our eternal covenant with G-d (http://www.askmoses.com.) Finally, the festive meal begins filled with an evening of singing, laughing, rejoicing with family before repairing to bed. Around 9:00am Saturday morning Jews begin to congregate to synagogue also called Shul. The adult men are required to place a Yamaka and a Tallit which both sanctifies a personal space between you and g-d. The Shacharit service begins; the Torah is taken from the Ark and a series of selections are read which are based on the past weeks teaching. The Torah is written with no vowels and is difficult to read even by most skilled Torah readers. It is so important two proof readers called biguys follow along carefully to ensure its accuracy. The Hoftorah is recited, which many Jews like I ask why the Hoftorah is read when its reading are linked to the same torah portion. My understanding is during a period of time Jews were forbidden from reading the Torah and the Hoftorah was a substitute. The Hoftorah reading had continued although the Torah was once again allowed to be read. The Ashrei prayer is repeated and the Torah scroll is returned to the Ark again in a care but accurate procession. Usually, the Rabbi will offer a weekly spiritual sermon, something that is related to the weekly Torah portion. The liturgy in the Musaf service has been changed, identifying the State of Israel as the Jewish homeland, but recognizing the Temple only as historical and not as a structure that will one day be restored (Wikipedia find other source). The Musaf service also includes the Amidah and it follows the same service read Friday evening. The Mincha begins; the second Torah is removed from the Ark using the same procession as the first. The first portion of the upcoming weeks Torah is read and the Torah is returned to the Ark. By the time birkat ha-mazon is done, it is about 2PM. The family studies Torah for a while, talks, takes an afternoon walk, plays some checkers, or engages in other leisure activities. A short afternoon nap is not uncommon. It is traditional to have a third meal before Shabbat is over. This is usually a light meal in the late afternoon. Shabbat ends at nightfall, when three stars are visible, approximately 40 minutes after sunset. At the conclusion of Shabbat, the family performs a concluding ritual called Havdalah separation, division). Blessings are recited over wine, spices and candles. Then a blessing is recited regarding the division between the sacred and the secular, between Shabbat and the working days. As you can see, Shabbat is a very full day when it is properly observed, and very relaxing. You really dont miss being unable to turn on the TV, drive a car or go shopping. Cersus the Christian point of view as a day of prayer much different then that of the Jewish faith. While the following day for morning services. For everyone Simcha, I assure you the oldest grandparent will also do the Mostzi regardless of how shaky their hand is. What does Shabbat mean to me and why is it after all these years I dont consider the things I do on Saturday as working My Grandmother Ida, may she be rested and Im sure she would be very proud to know that we continue to use her candle stick holders each Friday night as she did for some seventy plus years Do not get me wrong here there are variations amongst the different Jewish communities but for the most part the traditional Jewish liturgy are the same and are sung or chanted with traditional melodies.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Moral Disintergration of America Exposed in The Winter of Our Disconten

Moral Disintergration of America Exposed in The Winter of Our Discontent The Winter of Our Discontent The life of Ethan Allen Hawley, which had for so long held to an irrefutable ethical standard, was about to undergo an unexpected and irreversible change. Likewise he was not alone; progress was descending upon all of New Baytown like the jets which swarmed "with increasing regularity" (196) at the nearby Templeton airfield. With them was coming a new breed, more and more focused on material wealth rather than honesty and principle. Ethan’s fourteen-year old son, Allen, was the embodiment of this new morality by which money was God and "morals are paintings on wall and scruples are money in Russia" (from the movie Sabrina, 1995). There was only one goal for this "forward-looking group" (141): money; and as Allen so clearly states, for them "it’s all dough, no matter how you get it" (91). Ethan had always believed there existed certain "unchanging rules" (217) of basic kindness and decency which had always, and should always, govern men. He lived his life simply and honestly, guided by visions of his grandfather and Aunt Deborah who had, from his early youth, instilled in him this strong moral foundation; he was" the kid with the built-in judge" (153). The rules, however, were changing, and changing rapidly. No longer would virtue be the deciding factor when faced with temptation; if one stood to gain from a situation, "who gets hurt? Is it against the law?" (34). Quite the contrary, by the new standards, it would be a crime to act on one’s own behalf. Moral consequences were irrelevant; the only consideration was success, and "success is never bad" (239). Those still cl... ...the end, Ethan’s scheme was a success; the store was his, and the most important piece of property in town now lay under his name. The Hawley name would once again command respect in New Baytown. He had needed only to adopt the new morality for a moment, like a man trying on a different suit . . . The only "trouble with a well-made suit, it lasts too long" (233), a truth Baker knew only too well. Too late, Ethan realized that abandoning his entire code of ethics was not so simple a matter; even if he did return to his old principles, as if he had never strayed from them, his conscience would be forever marred by his indiscretions. Not hat the rest of the world would ever notice. Maybe he’d got a little blood on his fingers, but Ethan had fought the fight; and more importantly, he’d won. "After all, in the end "it’s all dough, no matter how you get it" (91).

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Industrialization - Economic Change and Effect :: European Europe History

Industrialization - Economic Change and Effect Since the 19th century, industrialization has had positive and negative effects on the live of workers. Industrialization is the process of modernization and mass production of most goods. This also includes but not limited to mining and the forging of iron. An area where industrialization had a massive effect was in Eastern Europe. It emerged as a need to modernize and unify Europe. Although Britain led industrialization at first, it quickly exploded from Spain all the way through Russia. Early in the industrial revolution Britain stood alone as the world's industrial giant. To protect its head start Britain placed strict laws monitoring the exportation of inventions. Then in 1807 a British mechanic William Cockerill, opened factories in Belgium for the manufacturing of spinning and weaving machines. Belgium thus became the first European nation to industrialize. By the mid 1800s, other nations had joined the race, and several newcomers were challenging Britain's industrial supremacy. The effects of industrialization were especially obvious in Germany. By the late 1800's Germany had setup a standard for chemical and electric companies worldwide. Germany was second only to Britain among the European powers. Germany spectacular growth was due to the ample amount of iron and coal resources in the area. A disciplined and educated work force also helped the economy, while a rapid growing population provided a huge home market and a highly skilled work force. It almost eliminated the poverty factor in Germany due to the vast availability of employment. But along with the attributions of industrialization also came the bad. Poor work place conditions lead to work place abuses. Workers were forced to work long hours for little pay and even children were abuses during this time. Some of the abuses were children as young as 7 could be seen in work places, sexual discrimination was present. Women were often hired in factories because they could be paid less then men. And pollution was also a serious problem. These were among the most common problems of the time and these were too often seen in most if not all the work places. Workers were outraged by these abuses and how the government, at the time, did nothing to help. Workers established unions and won the right to bargain with employers for better wages and hours. And eventually the government passed laws regulating the employment of children and set safety regulations in the work place.

Friday, October 11, 2019

Maslow’s Theory of Motivation – Hierarchy of Needs

In 1943, Dr. Abraham Maslow ‘s article â€Å"A Theory of Human Motivation † appeared in Psychological Review, which were further expanded upon in his book: Toward a Psychology of Being In this article, Abraham H. Maslow attempted to formulate a needs-based framework of human motivation and based upon his clinical experiences with people, rather than as did the prior psychology theories of his day from authors such as Freud and B. F. Skinner, which were largely theoretical or based upon animal behavior. From this theory of motivation, modern leaders and executive managers find means of motivation for the purposes of employee and workforce management. Abraham Maslow's book Motivation and Personality (1954), formally introduced the Hierarchy of Needs. The basis of Maslow's motivation theory is that human beings are motivated by unsatisfied needs, and that certain lower factors need to be satisfied before higher needs can be satisfied. According to Maslow, there are general types of needs (physiological, survival, safety, love, and esteem) that must be satisfied before a person can act unselfishly. He called these needs â€Å"deficiency needs. † As long as we are motivated to satisfy these cravings, we are moving towards growth, toward self-actualization. Satisfying needs is healthy, while preventing gratification makes us sick or act evilly. As a result, for adequate workplace motivation, it is important that leadership understands the active needs active for individual employee motivation. In this manner, Maslow's model indicates that fundamental, lower-order needs like safety and physiological requirements have to be satisfied in order to pursue higher-level motivators along the lines of self-fulfillment. As depicted in the following hierarchical diagram, sometimes called ‘Maslow's Needs Pyramid' or ‘Maslow's Needs Triangle', after a need is satisfied it stops acting as a motivator and the next need one rank higher starts to motivate.

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Macbeth Apperance vs Reality Essay

The world is governed more by appearances than by realities. Throughout society people are judged based on their appearance. This is unfortunate because appearance can be deceiving. In William Shakespeare’s play Macbeth appearances are not what they seem. Some people may change because they think that their true self does not fit in society while others pretend to be something they are not. In the theme of appearance versus reality Macbeth and Lady Macbeth have an image but as the time passes by their true personalities began to show. Macbeth portrays himself differently from his true inner self. He pretends to be a strong and intelligent person but from inside he is weak and indecisive. When Macbeth first confronts the witches’ prophecies he says, â€Å"Come what may, time and the hour runs through the roughest day† (1. 3. 152-153). Macbeth is leaving his future to ‘chance’. He wants to appear noble and strong but in the end he refutes his statement by killing Duncan and Banquo to get to the throne. Also, when Lady Macbeth explains the plan to Macbeth he asks â€Å"If we should fail? † (1. 7. 59). He is still afraid of the consequences of his actions. His actions look pungent but he does not have any reason to kill Duncan. Macbeth has a debate within himself to murder King Duncan or to spare his life. Macbeth hesitation to kill Duncan proves in realty he is a weak man. Lady Macbeth represents herself as a beautiful and powerful woman in society but she is as weak as her husband Macbeth. To convince Macbeth to follow the plan she says â€Å"I have given suck, and know how tender ’tis to love the babe that milks me. I would, while it was smiling in my face, have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums and dashed the brains out, had I so sworn† (1. 7. 54-58). Macbeth asks for her help, but she responds by being harsh to him to keep up her appearances. Even when Macbeth sees Banquo’s ghost, instead of helping him, she tells him to go to bed and stop imagining weird things. Lady Macbeth appears heartless toward others. However, one night a gentlewomen and a doctor see her sleep waking and mumbling â€Å"Out, damned spot! Out, I say! † (5. 1. 25). She appears to be wide awake but she is unconsciously revealing her true self. Her guilty conscious leads to her downfall through suicide. In this scene her appearance crumbles. She seemed powerful and unsympathetic, but in reality her guilt of Duncan’s murder driver her crazy proving she has become weak. In Macbeth the theme of appearance versus reality is shown through the characters of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. They both revealed a fictitious picture of their personality even though on the inside they are different people. Macbeth’s indecisive personality leads to his destruction. The iron lady, Lady Macbeth appears to be a tough woman, who feels no guilt. But in the ending she shatters to pieces because of her guilt-ridden conscious. No matter what one appears to be reality will defeat appearance. People can put disguise on reality for time being but in the end truth reveals itself.

Wednesday, October 9, 2019

An Analysis of Hermann Ebbinghaus’s Introduction to Cognitive Psychology

An Analysis of Hermann Ebbinghaus’s Introduction to Cognitive Psychology Psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus was the pioneer of Cognitive Psychology, which has a long past with a very short history. The part of human thinking has always been an elemental focus of interest. An Even ancient philosopher such as Aristotle was interested in understanding the mechanics of how our minds work. Psychology can be generally defined as the study of mental processing as well as behavior. Cognitive Psychology is defined the same, just without the behavior. This is why behaviorism is a study set apart on its own, which can be compared and contrasted with Cognitive Psychology. Although Cognitive Psychology will observe some behavior, it is only as a segway to understanding the mental processing that goes on â€Å"under the hood†. These intricate processes include attention, remembering, understanding language, and even solving problems. Even though these processes require a complex amount of thinking, we rarely stop to â€Å"think† about us actually thinking. P sychologist John B. Watson suggested that we separate psychology from consciousness to be able to focus solely on the behavioral perspective. Many experimental methods researching measurements, observations, and repeatability, which Cognitive Psychology is unable to use. These methods are some of the most instrumental in developing research conclusions that have led to some of the most important breakthroughs in history. Watsons approach was later termed, Behaviorism, this dismissed the scientific aspects of psychology while emphasizing the study of observable stimuli with observable responses. This has led to Behaviorism also being called S-R Psychology. In many instances, you cannot observe the same experimental methods and arrive at the same conclusions as you could with Cognitive Psychology, even though Cognitive Psychology does observe little behavior explain why the brain processes the way it does. Behaviorist does not discard the need for consciousness, they do however reject the idea that it is meaningfully studied. In both psychologists, their intent is to fully understand the mind and all it inhabits. Cognitive Psychologist just believes that studying the actual processing of the mind is how you can arrive at the answer. Behaviorist believes that human behavior is the key element in fully understand the way our brains work and function. They both do agree, however, that without either the c onsciousness or the behaviors they would come to a â€Å"standstill† in their research. Most of our research that has been conducted in regards to attention is characterized by the terms of pre-attentive and post-attentive processing. Pre-attentive processing is generally characterized as happening quite quickly, mainly before the attention has been focused on the stimuli. One could say that it refers to arriving at the conclusion before one starts thinking. Thoughts that occur pre-attentively are also considered as synesthetic experiences. Pre-attentive and post-attentive processes contrast in the way that we think about objects. With post-attentive processing, we may actually count objects if there are more than a small amount, or focus on something longer than if we thought about it pre-attentively. In the example of counting sheep pre-attentively, if you see two, chances are that you did not count in your head, one and two. You automatically just saw the two sheep and you r brain processed them as the number two. Post-attentively you would most likely have this occur if there were seven sheep, counting each until you reached the number seven. These processes of counting are referred to as Subitizing, which means quick and effortless. You can see this example when you are counting the two sheep, which seemed quite easy compared to counting numerous sheep. Subitizing is actually faster than counting and if the items are less than three, it is virtually unaffected over time. (Schwartze) The process where we strategically direct our attention in response to situational demands is executive attention. Many describe the nature of executive attention as becoming an object in direct focus recently with many researchers struggling to specify what we might call â€Å"cognitive control†. For example, when you are simply doing homework you may be reading research while typing, along with having music playing in the background. We are able to direct our attention to many different things depending on the relevance or the importance of the subject. The Stroop effect is present when we see a colors word printed out in a differen t color than the word printed. For example, the word blue printed out in pink ink, this would make it very hard for us to say the word pink when we look at it since we tend to read the word. We must slow down and pronounce the word as the color of the ink instead of the word printed, this is relevant to executive attention because we must focus on the color instead of mindlessly reading the word. In regards to the measure of our control on where we focus this attention, this is referred to as the operation span. The operation span can assess a person’s ability to keep track of multiple forms of information. This can go hand in hand with the inhibition effect that inhibits you from processing certain information. The inability to control your attention or to focus it on our homework instead of listening to the background music that was previously stated. (Fernandez-Duque) One original example of a perception of agency is when people visit a hypnotist. They believe their action s are not from their own choice but rather from being hypnotized to do so. This has actually been proven to be a hoax, so the person unknowingly decides to do those actions. People have this feeling that they are not in control and in the case of a hypnotist telling you to do something your metacognition of agency is quite poor. Your metacognition of agency might be quite high if you are doing an activity such as painting. You know you are making strokes with the paintbrush and what colors you are painting with. Knowingly you choose where to paint and even the subject you are going to paint. This is an example of being in complete control of what you are doing while consciously knowing that you are the one doing it. (Carr)