Comparisons And Differences In Intention By The 1960s& 1990s Musicians Essay

Comparisons And Differences In Intention By The 1960s& 1990s Musicians - Essay Example He mainly focused on things that touch people around him and then wrote good lyrics or had them written down by good songwriters for him to sing. He was born in Gary in 1958, at a place called Gary, Indiana in the United States. His father, Joseph Jackson was a guitarist but had to give up following his marriage. Michael Jackson had several nicknames e.g. The Gloved One, Wacko Jacko, MJ and King of Pop. Apart from entertaining through singing, he also had dancing skills which gave a trademark. In his black shoes, white socks and trousers above heel, he showcase the moonlight walk style. His hit 'heal the world' resulted to a Foundation which helped collect funds to purchase foods medical supplies to the then war torn Sarajevo, running of immunization drug abuse educational programmes ,paying child's liver transplants in Hungary. He also did 'We are the world' with Lionel Richie, a co-writer and other musicians like Stevie Wonder. The song was a call to everyone in the world to come o ut and give aid to people in Africa. The income generated was used in buying essential necessities for people in Africa mainly. Former America's president Ronald Reagan wanted to award him with a Humanitarian Rights Award together with other two but, a Chief Justice of the Supreme Court advised against the whole idea, saying it was much worthy of a pop star. His music also educated people, black or white was a song done to inform that skin color did not really matter, whether black or white, there was an equal access to rights at that time when there was tension between blacks &whites. Bellie jean was a ballad, telling a story about how a certain guy impregnated a particular lady and later on denied it. These are things that do happen day in day out to people we know in our societies. It plays the role of an eye-opener (Michael Jackson.com, 2008). Using different song themes, a wide range of ideas were spread to all parts of the world.'Beat it' was used in commercials against drunk driving. The intentional was to evoke changes in lifestyles, warn of the likely dangers and the same time bring fun through the classical beats. 'Jacko'as he was sometimes referred to remains to be one of the greatest artists of all times. As a general expectation of a musician, he did perform songs in praise of women who got him charmed such as you rock my world. Michael Jackson was able to achieve a lot through music. He was the first solo artist to have no.1 hits and albums in the billboard charts. As a result this won him fame and recognition globally. He managed to appear in the Guinness Book of Records as one of the best singers/dancer. When the U.S invaded Iraq, MJ decided to do an anti-war song to show his dislike of the act and as well represent others with the same opinion. The song title was we've had enough. Though little was done about the invasion, at least it showed that people were watching or rather following (Michael Jackson.com, 2008). The second artist am going to highlight about is Stevie Wonder, I chose because of his uniqueness and the ability to sing& play an instrument,

Food and Beverage Essay Example for Free

Food and Beverage Essay * Food and Beverage service is the food and beverage flow (from the purchasing of the foods to service to the customer) mainly concerned with the delivery and presentation of the food to customer, after completion of the food production. * Sometimes, it involves transportation if there is a separation of production and service facilities. Beverage * French bevrage, from boivre (to drink), from Latin bibo . * It is also said to be derived from the Latin word ‘Bever’ meaning rest or repose from the work. * The term beverage refers to all kinds of potable drinks which have thirst quenching, refreshing, stimulating, and nourishing properties. * Any potable( drinkable) liquid can be termed as beverage which regulates the stomach system and balances the pH level. * Beverages are consumed mainly to quench thirst , compensate loss of body fluid due to perspiration, feel fresh and active, as rituals, during social gatherings, and during and after eating. * Broadly beverage can be classified into two ways; 1. Alcoholic Beverage 2. Non- Alcoholic Beverage What is Alcoholic Beverage? * Alcohol is a colorless, odorless and volatile liquid. * It is a potable liquid containing ethyl alcohol or ethanol(C2H5OH) of 0. 5 per cent more by volume. * The percentage of alcohol in a drink varies from 0. 5 to 95 per cent , depending upon the method of preparation. * Alcohol is obtained by fermenting a liquid containing sugar. * The word alcohol came from the Arabic word ‘ al-kohl’ which referred to any fine powder that was applied to essences obtained by distillation by the alchemists of medieval Europe. Fermentation is the process in which a liquid containing sugar is acted upon by yeast which converts the sugar into alcohol and gives off carbon dioxide. * E. g. Grape juice- Wine * Apple Juice- Cider * Pear Juice- Perry. * Distillation is the process of separating elements in a liquid by vaporization and condensation. * During the distillation process of alcoholic beverages, the alcohol which is present in the fermented liquid(alcoholic wash) is separated from water. * Spirits are the examples of distilled drinks and the plants producing the spirits are known as distilleries. * The following wash are responsible for particular spirits which are as following: * Brandy- fermented grape juice * Gin, Whisky- fermented cereals * Tequila- fermented sap of Agave Tequilana weber * Rum- fermented molasses * Vodka- fermented potatoes or cereal.

Hindu Religious Traditions Essay -- essays research papers

Hindu Religious Traditions Most people in the world derive their religious beliefs and traditions from their parents and peer influences. From a religious point of view, â€Å"There are many definitions for the term ‘religion’ in common usage. [Broadly defined], in order to include the greatest number of belief systems: ‘Religion is any specific system of belief about deity, often involving rituals, a code of ethics, and a philosophy of life’† (Robinson, 1996). However, in examining Hinduism, it is difficult to label the practices as a religion. This paper will expound upon the Hindu traditions, taking into account the characteristics of sacred elements, their meaning, and significance. Hindu Traditions â€Å"For thousands of years people have associated objects in the sky, the Earth, and aspects of their physical world with the gods and goddesses of their culture† (Windows Team, 2000, Mythology). The Hindu culture is no different with the association of several gods and goddesses acknowledged through their traditional worship. Worshipping the many gods and goddesses makes Hinduism difficult to comprehend the many elements of the tradition. The worship of many gods and goddesses is rooted in henotheism. â€Å"Belief in one god without denying the existence of others† (Yahooligans! Reference, 2000). This way of worship is what makes Hinduism complex and hard to understand. In addition, what makes Hinduism even more complex, is that fact that it is also â€Å"viewed as a monotheistic religion, because it recognizes only one supreme God: the panentheistic principle of Brahman that all reality is a unity. The entire universe is seen as one divine entity who is simultaneously at one with the universe and who transcends it as well. [Still others] view Hinduism as Trinitarian because Brahman is simultaneously visualized as a triad - - one God with three persons† (Robinson, 1995): †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Brahma the Creator who is continuing to create new realities; †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Vishnu, (Krishna) the Preserver, who preserves these new creations. Whenever Dharma (eternal order, righteousness, religion, law, and duty) is threatened, Vishnu travels from heaven to earth in one of ten incarnations; †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Shiva, the Destroyer, is at times compassionate, erotic, and destructive. Sacred Elements Thus, it is understandable, based on the various gods worshipped in Hinduism that one must look at th... ... largest religion. Retrieved June 13, 2005 from Religious Tolerance Website on the World Wide Web: http://www.religioustolerance.org/hinduism.htm Robinson, B.A. (1995). Hinduism: A general introduction. Retrieved June 13, 2005 from Religious Tolerance Website on the World Wide Web: http://www.religioustolerance.org/hinduism2.htm Robinson, B.A. (1996). About specific religions, faith groups, ethical systems, etc. Retrieved May 31, 2005 from Religious Tolerance Website on the World Wide Web: http://www.religioustolerance.org/var_rel.htm Windows Team (2000). Mythology. Retrieved May 31, 2005 from Windows to the Universe Database on the World Wide Web: http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link%3D/mythology/mythology.html%26edu%3Dmid Windows Team (2000). Surya. Retrieved June 13, 2005 from Windows to the Universe Database on the World Wide Web: http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/mythology/surya_sun.html Yahooligans! Reference (2000). The American Heritage ® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th ed. Retrieved June 13, 2005 from Houghton Mifflin Company on the World Wide Web:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://yahooligans.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entries/13/h0151300.html

Activity Based Costing as an Alternative to Traditional Product Costing Essay

If manufacturing overhead rates were allocated based on direct labor hours, the total manufacturing overhead cost for each product will seven hundred fifty thousand dollars ($750,000) and two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000) for the mono-relay and bi-relay, respectively. This is computed by multiplying the one million dollars ($1,000,000) total manufacturing overhead with the total direct labor cost for each product over the total direct labor cost for both products. The manufacturing overhead cost per unit of product is eighteen dollars and seventy-five cents ($18. 75) and twenty-five dollars ($25) for the mono-relay and the bi-relay, respectively. This is arrived at by dividing the manufacturing overhead cost allocated to each product with the number of units produced. The total product cost is sixty-two dollars and seventy-two cents ($62. 75) and eighty-five dollars ($85) for the mono-relay and bi-relay, respectively. If the manufacturing overhead rate was allocated based on Activity Based Costing, the manufacturing overhead rate will be allocated to each activity pools as follows: maintaining parts – sixty thousand dollars ($60,000) and one hundred twenty thousand dollars ($120,000) for the mono-relay and bi-relay, respectively; processing – seventy-two thousand dollars ($72,000) and eighteen thousand dollars ($18,000) for the mono-relay and bi-relay, respectively; quality control – one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) and one hundred thirty thousand dollars ($130,000) for the mono-relay and bi-relay, respectively; and machine-related overhead – two hundred thousand dollars ($200,000) and three hundred thousand dollars ($300,000) for the mono-relay and bi-relay, respectively. This is computed by multiplying the pre-determined overhead cost for each activity with ratio as given in the problem. The total manufacturing cost for each product is four hundred thirty-two thousand dollars ($432,000) and five hundred sixty-eight dollars ($568,000) for the mono-relay and bi-relay, respectively. The figure is arrived at by adding the manufacturing overhead allocated to the each activity pool for each of the product, as computed above. The unit product cost per unit of product, using Activity Based Costing, is ten dollar and eighty cents ($10. 8) and fifty-six dollars and eighty cents. The bi-relay is not more profitable than the mono-relay. Since the company is producing seventy-five percent less bi-relay than mono-relay, the cost of maintaining parts inventory, quality-control and machine-related cost is much higher per unit of bi-relay than mono-relay.

The Truth behind Lady Macbeth

English 4A 16 October, 2011 The Truth behind Lady Macbeth In the play, â€Å"Macbeth†, the character that stands out the most is Lady Macbeth. Her role in this story is significant, she is an evil, ruthless, and ambitious person. She is responsible for the murders that her husband commits because she was bloodthirsty for the crown. In fact, she then becomes more eager to get the crown than Macbeth himself and soon realizes that once you commit one violent act, there is almost no way of ever turning back. An analysis of Lady Macbeth reveals that she is a powerful character who adds complexity and depth to a play about murder, madness, and revenge. Due to her ambition to become queen, Lady Macbeth persuades her husband to murder king Duncan. She accuses Macbeth of being a coward believing that he is not worthy enough to match his acts with hi desires telling him â€Å"Art thou afeard to be the same in thine own act and valour as thou art in desire? †(1. 7. 39-40). Lady Macbeth is trying to bring out the evil within her husband, she wants to provoke him into doing this terrible deed so that Macbeth will no longer be afraid and shall be devoted to murdering Duncan. She is aware that she has control over her husband which she is using against him. Macbeth does not tolerate being called names by his own wife or by anyone else, he states â€Å"I dare do all that may become a man; who dares do more is none†. To him his wife’s opinion is very important and he is determined to prove his manhood. This shows Lady Macbeth’s manipulative power against Macbeth and how she can use his emotions to gain her personal desires which was the crown. Once her husband has decided to go through with it she then begins to plan out the murder. Careful planning is something Lady Macbeth seems to do very well, she shows this when she is planning Duncan’s death. They both decide that the best time to kill Duncan is when he has fallen asleep, â€Å"What cannot you and I perform upon Th’unguarded Duncan? †(1. 7. 69-70). This shows Lady Macbeth’s intelligence and how she is able to be prepared for such a devious crime. She acknowledges the fact that Macbeth could get caught so she concocts another plan to blame Duncan’s officers for their murder. â€Å"What not put upon his spongy officers, who shall bear the guilt of our great quell? † (1. 7. 70-71). She is confident that her husband will get away with everything as long as he shows no fear and sticks to plan. Without a doubt she shows her fearlessness and loyalty to his terrible act. Not feeling any remorse, she is able to skillfully let go of guilt and skillfully get rid of evidence. As Macbeth comes back to her after the deed is complete he is very shaken up and extremely paranoid that someone saw him with the bloody daggers. Lady Macbeth tells him, â€Å"These deeds must not be thought after these ways; so it will make us mad† (2. 2. 34). By saying this she believes that you shouldn’t feel guilty about doing evil, you should just get it done and move on because thinking about it will only drive you crazy. Also she thinks when commiting violent acts such as murder make sure to get rid of any evidence that will lead people to believe you are a suspect. Frustrated and upset that her husband came home bathed in blood and the daggers in his hand she states, â€Å"Infirm of purpose! Give me the daggers. †(2. 2. 52-53). She is extremely disappointed in Macbeth for being so careless and cannot believe that he did not go through the well thought out plan smoothly. In her eyes he is still a coward and does not know how to behave calmy when feeling guilty. Throughout the play her character develops drastically, for example in the beginning of the play she is cruel, evil, and fearless, then soon starts change and become a new person. At first she would have done anything in her power to get something complete especially if she was sworn to it,in fact she says that she would have killed her own child, â€Å"I would, while it was smiling in my face†¦dashed the brains out. † (1. 7. 56-58). This signifies the depth her character adds to the story, her remorseless attitude and her evil ways make it interesting and encourages the reader to keep reading so that they can find out exactly what she will do next. Actually, without Lady Macbeth, none of the murders in the play probably would have happened since she is the one responsible for all of them. Even though Macbeth physically did the crimes, she believes she is more noble and just as strong as any man, â€Å"That which hath made them drunk hath made me bold. † (2. 2. 1). What this means is that the wine that the men drink makes them drunk, however it gives her strength to do evil things. Towards the end of the story she realizes that crime does not pay off and regrets what she has done, however at this point it is too late. After all of the murders and blood that has been shed she begins to feel guilty. Realizing what she’s done, â€Å"Nought’s had, alls spent,†¦tis safer to be that which we destroy. †(3. 2. 5-7). Crime brings no happiness so why bother doing it when you gain nothing but pain. The worst part of crime is once it has been done there is no way of taking it back, which is exactly what Lady Macbeth thinks when she says, â€Å"What’s done cannot be undone. †(5. 1. 59-60). It is ironic that she feels regretful because of the fact that she was the one who felt that fear and regret was only for the weak and despised cowards. This goes to show how much her character has developed and leads to her turning point in the play where she has a breakdown. Her conscience finally gets the best of her and in the last act of the play she has become insane. This scene is the most important because it describes all of the things Lady Macbeth has gone through. She feels responsible for everything and wishes to take it back. At this point she has completely lost her mind, she is speaking in rhymes, â€Å"The Thane of Fife had a wife, where is she now? †(5. 1. 37). Macduff was the Thane of Fife and she is wondering what has happened to his wife, which shows that she was unaware of how Macbeth slaughtered his family. So much blood has been shed that it makes her sick, â€Å"Here’s the smell of blood still: all the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand. †(5. 1. 44). After all of the pain and agony she has caused and what she has become, Lady Macbeth has had enough. The doctor later tells her husband that she has committed suicide which marks the end of the sad and tragic story of her character. In conclusion, throughout the most powerful tragedy story of Macbeth we see the development of Lady Macbeth’s character. Seeing her go from evil and fearless to a regretful coward is really eye opening on how significant her role is. It truly shows her complexities and the depth of such a powerful character. That is why this play is one of the greatest and most famous of Shakespeare’s work. Works Cited Shakespeare, William, and Alan Durband. Macbeth Modern Version Side-by-side with Full Original Text. Hove, S. Aust. : Townsend School for the Visually Impaired, 1986. Print.

Family life Essay Example

Family life Essay Example Family life Essay Family life Essay Children can be encouraged and assisted by adults to make an active contribution to family life whatever their age. Do you think this statement is true? Children can be encouraged or assisted to contribute to family life, but contributions can be varied and sometimes are not realized by parents or carers because they are not seen as active contributions but are equally important. Sometimes children may need encouragement or assistance to make contributions to family life, learning through association how important contributing to family life is, however many children contribute willingly without assistance or encouragement. Although Babies have physical limitations they can contribute emotionally to a family providing happiness and bringing a family together. Although this may not be seen as an active contribution as in the essay statement, emotional happiness is very important. In the Understanding Children video band 1 mothers are shown interacting with their babies. Some of the babies are very young however they show a range of emotions and responses. Encouraged by their mothers the babies imitate expressions and initiate conversations. It is clear that not only the babies enjoyed the interaction but the mothers also enjoyed happiness. Flynn and Rai (2003 p. 17) describe babies stating they can express a wide range of emotions, communicate with adults in quite sophisticated ways and play a full part in family life Family members may respond to and encourage babies differently. Flynn and Rai (2003 p. 22 23) show a families reactions to a new baby. Each family member observes the babies emotions and abilities, interpreting, making assumptions and responding to the baby differently. : The family joy in watching and interacting with the baby. Simple interactions help each family member bond with the baby, incorporate the baby into family life and encourage the babies physically and social development. Young children can be encouraged and assisted to make contributions in family life by adults in many ways although they may need help in understanding. Flynn and Rai (2003 p. 67-68) describe including information (adapted from:NSPCC, 2002, encouraging better behavior (online) nspcc. org.uk/html /Home/ Needadvice /encouraging betterbehaviour. htm) how parents can encourage children to better behave through positive parenting. They describe how children learn through association, if they are taught good examples, they in turn will express good examples, also that praising good behavior and actions means they will in turn increase. By the use of positive parenting adults can encourage children to contribute actively to family life. Young children may not understand how to contribute and why they should contribute in family life. Flynn and Rai (2003 p.79) state Alfie Kohns three Cs Content, Collaboration, Choice he suggests how adults can assist childrens and adults understanding through three steps. Understanding the Content of the instruction or request being asked, looking through the eyes of the child. Collaboration; parents and children working together, inputting their own views. Lastly through Choices; like presenting two choices to a child empowering them to make a decision on one not feeling someone is deciding for them. Young children show the essay title to be very true for them as they can be encouraged and assisted to make active contributions with adult guidance. As children grow their ability to actively contribute to family life grows along with the understanding they learnt as young children. Many older children make active contributions to family life in many ways. Flynn and Rai (2003 pgs 135-137) describe three children living in the UK and describe the contributions these children make and the variety of their contributions. All the children made lots of different contributions within their families, including one child how helps out in her families shop, one child who helps care for a parent and one child who helps care for a younger sibling. Along with these they also make smaller contributions which may not been realised by adults like taking answerphone messages, looking after a family pet and washing. Although small these contributions are still essential tasks that take up time which adults would have to do if children did not. Flynn and Rai (2003 pg137) state childrens contributions are essential to the smooth running of their families lives Older children have learnt how to realize the importance of their contributions as Flynn and Rai (2003 pg.140) describe the childrens explanations for helping. Although earning pocket money from some tasks may encourage them to contribute, the children are aware of their responsibilities to help out and how they can contribute towards family life. In many tasks or chores the children did not need encouragement or assistance realizing why their contributions were needed and how to contribute. This is also shown by Flynn and Rai (2003 p. 133) they state children can understand the complexities of family life and expect to negotiate their position in decisions I believe the essay title to be mostly true however, the level in which children can be encouraged and assisted to make active contributions to family life can depend largely on their age and abilities. Babies can contribute emotionally to a family and adults can encourage babies through interaction. Young children can be encouraged through positive parenting to make good contributions and understand through association about family life. Alfie Kohns three Cs can assist parents in learning how to work together with their children to build understanding within their family and teach decision making to children. As children grow older they rely less on their parents for encouragement and assistance making active contributions independently and are aware of their importance. Sometimes the contributions older children make may not be realized by parents, their contributions can be very varied and an important part of family life. Word count 943 Bibliography Flynn, R and Rai, L. (2003) Understanding Children, Milton Keynes: The Open University Understanding Children (2003) Video Cassette, The Open University

How to Begin a Sentence With And or But

How to Begin a Sentence With 'And' or 'But' According to a usage note in the fourth edition of The American Heritage Dictionary, But may be used to begin a sentence at all levels of style. And in The Kings English (1997), Kingsley Amis says that the idea that and must not begin a sentence, or even a paragraph, is an empty superstition. The same goes for but. Indeed either word can give unimprovably early warning of the sort of thing that is to follow.   The same point was made over a century ago by Harvard rhetorician Adams Sherman Hill: Objection is sometimes taken to employment of but or and at the beginning of a sentence; but for this, there is much good usage (The Principles of Rhetoric, 1896). In fact, it has been common practice to begin sentences with a conjunction since at least as far back as the 10th century. The Usage Myth Persists Still, the myth persists that and and but should be used only to join elements within a sentence, not to link one sentence to another. Here, for instance, is an edict found recently on an English professors Composition Cheat Sheet: Never begin a sentence with a conjunction of any kind, especially one of the FANBOYS (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so ). This same fussbudget, by the way, outlaws the splitting of infinitives  - another durable grammar myth. But at least the professor is in good company. Early in his career, William Shawn, longtime editor of The New Yorker magazine, had a penchant for converting sentence-initial buts into howevers. As Ben Yagoda reports in When You Catch an Adjective, Kill It (2007), Shawns habit inspired one of the magazines writers, St. Clair McKelway, to compose this impassioned defense of but: If you are trying for an effect which comes from having built up a small pile of pleasant possibilities which you then want to push over as quickly as possible, dashing the readers hopes that he is going to get out of a nasty situation as easily as you have intentionally led him to believe, you have got to use the word but and it is usually more effective if you begin the sentence with it. But love is tricky means one thing, and however, love is tricky means anotheror at least gives the reader a different sensation. However indicates a philosophical sigh; but presents an insuperable obstacle. . . .But, when used as I used it in these two places, is, as a matter of fact, a wonderful word. In three letters it says a little of however, and also be that as it may, and also heres something you werent expecting and a number of other phrases along that line. There is no substitute for it. It is short and ugly and common. But I love it. Know Your Audience Still, not everybody loves initial but. The authors of Keys for Writers (2014) note that some readers may raise an eyebrow when they see and or but starting a sentence in an academic paper, especially if it happens often. So if you dont want to see eyebrows raised, ration your use of these words at the beginnings of sentences.   But in any event, dont start scratching out your ands and  buts on my account.

Opening an Account With Business Letter Writing Basics

Opening an Account With Business Letter Writing Basics Formal English letters have changed recently as email has become more common. In spite of this, understanding good formal English business letter structure will help you write both business letters and effective emails. The only significant change in formal business letters is that the message is received via email, rather than on letterhead. In the case that you send an email, a date and recipient address is not required at the beginning of the letter. The rest of the letter remains the same. Here are helpful phrases and an example of a business letter focusing on opening an account. The following letter outlines the terms of a newly opened business account. Useful Key Phrases Thank you for opening an account with...I would like to take this opportunity ...Invoices are payable within ...As..., I will be happy to answer any questions you may have regarding......and therefore encourage the use of...We consider this incentive... Example Letter I Here is a formal letter providing terms and conditions for opening an account. This letter is an example of a letter individual clients might receive. Dear ____, Thank you for opening an account with our company. As one of the leaders in this industry, we can assure you that our products and our services will not disappoint you. I would like to take this opportunity to briefly set forth our terms and conditions for maintaining an open account with our firm. Invoices are payable within 30 days of receipt, with a 2% discount available if your payment is remitted within ten (10) days of receipt. We consider this incentive an excellent opportunity for our customers to increase their profit margin, and therefore encourage the use of this discount privilege whenever possible. We do, however, require that our invoices be paid within the specified time, for our customers to take advantage of this 2% discount. At various times throughout the year we may offer our customers additional discounts on our products. In determining your cost in this case, you must apply your special discount first, and then calculate your 2% discount for early payment. As the credit manager, I will be happy to answer any questions you may have regarding your new account. I can be reached at the above number. Welcome to our family of customers. Sincerely, Kevin Mangione Online Terms and Conditions Heres an example of terms and conditions that might be provided on a website. In this case, the language is formal, but directed to all.   Key Phrases The user agrees to ...As a condition of use, you agree to ...... you promise to not ....... for any purpose Welcome to our online community. As a member, you will enjoy the benefits of a vibrant online social forum. In order to keep everyone happy, we have these simple terms and conditions.   The user agrees to follow rules posted on the user forum. Further, you promise to not post inappropriate comments as deemed by forum supervisors. As a condition of use, you agree to not post advertisements of any kind. This includes simple messages posted in online chats. Finally, the user agrees to not use content posted in the forums on other sites for any purpose.   Practice Letter Fill in the gaps to complete this short letter setting out conditions to begin writing your own terms and conditions or emails.   Dear ____, Thank you for __________________. Id like to take this opportunity to assure you that _____________. Ive provided this terms and conditions for ____________________. _____________ are payable within ________ days of receipt, with a _______ discount available if your payment is made within ________ days of receipt. As the __________, I will be happy to answer any questions you may have regarding your new account. I can be reached at ________. Thank you for your _________ and ____________.   Sincerely, _________ For further types of business letters use this guide to different types of business letters to refine your skills for specific business purposes such as making inquiries, adjusting claims, writing cover letters and more. For more detailed help with standard business writing skills, I highly recommend these business English books.

Dark Pools Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Dark Pools - Case Study Example They are known to be trading in a dark pool. Thus, the concept of Dark Pool was introduced much back in 1980. This was initiated when many few of the institutional investors and traders got involved in trade in a secure place, away from the interfering eyes of the brokers or public exchanges. Their main aim was to sell or buy large amount of the stocks without being affected by the market fluctuations and achieve a better price than that provided by the public exchanges (â€Å"Definition of Dark Pools†). It was noticed that around 2005, the dark pools was successful in capturing 3-5% of the total market activity. After that, the situation had started to improve when the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) passed a new regulation, called the Reg NMS (Regulation National Market System). In this regulation, there were provisions which had increased the level of competition among the exchanges. However, it got rid of the rules that confined manual quotations which are generated by the stock exchanges. It allowed the investors the option to avoid the exchanges, if they are unsatisfied with the price and receives better price and convenience elsewhere. Dark Pools The dark pools can be defined as the name that is given to the networks which enables the traders to sell or buy huge orders without bearing the risk of other traders and their price of selling the orders. Thus, they are criticized for the lack of transparency that the later possesses. The unavoidable fragmentation of trading can lead to less competent pricing in the conventional open stock exchanges. In the dark pools, the pre-trade prices of the shares that are open for sale are not detectable to the public. The participants are also not aware of the prices at which the shares are traded. The prices are revealed only when the trade is done (â€Å"What the Heck is a Dark Pool and Why are People Trading in Them?†). The Reg NMS gave an opportunity to the brokers and the dealers to start their own automated trading, thereby creating dark pools. The institutional investors and the banks which generate huge money, started to head towards these dark pools in order to save their trading costs. The recent statistics indentify that there has been 12% trading in the dark pool accounts in United States (â€Å"What are dark pools?†). The main benefit of trading in dark pool can be recognized as the price improvement. The benefit can be explained through an example. Suppose the bid price of a stock on an exchange is $10.00 and the asking price is $10.10. The dark pool will set the price at $10.05 which is in the midpoint of ask and bid price. The investors like the activity of the dark pool and thus, prefer to invest there. The equity markets in United States and worldwide are prospering at an increasing rate. The participants work on a certain model which allows the people, interested to trade display the sell or buy price and ask or bid price. In the exchanges, the displa yed prices by the brokers are seen in the Tier II quotes (â€Å"What the Heck is a Dark Pool and Why are People Trading in Them?†). The opposite of the displayed prices are the dark pools. It refers to the place where the trading liquidity

Wall Street Journal #1 Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Wall Street Journal #1 - Article Example tributed to the lack of a master plan as well as disjointed plans and the different forms of mixed-use developments in Mexico City are new to the area and have brought a lot of demand from the upper-middle class particularly the ones with young families due to their collection of retail, cultural attractions and offices (Whelan). Developers have taken the vacant land in the area and closed industrial sites so that they can be abele to develop sites, and this has increased the population of the city without considering the breadth of the streets to accommodate the increased flow of traffic, the electrical systems as well as the capacity of the water in the area. It is easier to get a permit for development in Mexico City than it is in New York City, and this is the main cause of the exponential growth that has brought problems as far as water and power are concerned. The city has had to put a hold on the permitting process and consequently start an overhaul of the entire process so that it can be able to check and plan for the development that is taking place. This has lead to many developers that had already procured land for the construction having to wait a little longer until the process is reviewed making them delay on huge

Analyze the reasons for the growth in UK low-cost airlines in recent Essay

Analyze the reasons for the growth in UK low-cost airlines in recent years and then discuss the implications for the tourism as a whole - Essay Example It is important to note that in many countries, tourism has been taken as an important sector that has caused growth and development of the economies of these countries (Fan 2006, 92). In this understanding, many of these countries have developed proper infrastructure in order to attract people to visit various sites and scenes for the growth of their tourism industry. The tourism industry has been offering various employment opportunities to people directly and indirectly. In this case, it has helped to achieve various micro and macroeconomic policies in these countries. People have exchange their cultures and learnt various things from those that come from various countries, underpinning the significance of the tourism industry. Aviation services are inseparably interrelated with the tourism; it provides the essential links to the tourism destinations and gives straight and significant impacts in the business arena as well. As the general standard of living increases and the globalization goes by, the demand for overseas trip has been increasing (Davison & Ryley 2010, 437). Consequently, the importance of functionality of aviation services in tourism is being magnified these days. Due to the nature of the aviation industry, the overall profit structure of industry is inherently vulnerable to irregularity. According to the IATA statistics, aviation industry has earned over $ 1 trillion in the last 60 years, but they have produced mere $ 32 billion as profit. In other words, an average profit margin is only 0.3 % (Smith 2009, 14). Moreover, Losses and profits fluctuate in accordance with the cyclical pattern. Under these unfavorable circumstances, the United States deregulation act has brought enormous changes in the airline industry. This has enabled aviation corporates to begin turning to the Low-Cost Carrier (LCC) market to secure profitability and competitiveness.

Long-term Purchasing Power Parity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Long-term Purchasing Power Parity - Essay Example The study compares the currency exchange factors between US Dollars ($) and Euro (â‚ ¬). The first part of the paper is a design of a framework for testing for the absolute PPP and relative PPP following monetary approach. The second part is a brief summary of the interest rate parity conditions and their underlying logics and implications. This displays the application of the exchange rate used in forward contracts differ from the current spot rate. The emphasis is on the reasons for difference between the forward rates and the future spot rate expected by investors.This study investigates the absolute and the relative PPP for international currencies including the US $ and the EURO in order to test the PPP hypothesis. The currencies support the PPP between the US and European Union with great emphasis considering that earlier studies refused to adopt the PPP hypothesis for the US and the EU countries (Mixon, 2005). Studies give evidence of the co-integration between the Euro and the US dollar rate as well as the prices of the two countries. The test for Long term PPP is conducted as an equilibrium connection using the multivariate co-integration method designed by Mixon.  This model allows various long-term links, short-term dynamics, and the adjustment certain regime shifts. If the short-term dynamics differ from the long-term links, the explicit measurement of the short-term dynamics is fundamental for a success in estimating the long-term relations of the time movement to the equilibrium.

Operations Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 2

Operations Management - Essay Example Honda Motor Company, Ltd. was initiated in 1948 with its head-office in Japan. Takanobu Ito currently serves as the president and chief executive officer (CEO) and the company enjoys a total of ?86 billion as its capital. The main products of the company are automobiles as well as motorcycles along with power products. The total amount of existing employees including its 378 international subsidiaries is 187094 (Honda Motor Co., Ltd, 2012). This Japanese multinational corporation is the producer of automobiles as well as motorcycles. The corporation was the first to provide a luxury brand of car namely Acura. The operations manager of the corporation is required to properly plan all the activities in order to make future decisions. The planning process needs to be properly organized to ensure proper delegation of the tasks that are intended to be performed. Discussion Supply chain of Honda The ultimate goal of Honda Motor Company is to boost up the sales by increasing the efficiency of the company in different sectors which are research and development (R&D) as well as manufacturing process. Supply Chain Management (SCM) is the technique of enhancing the performance of companies. The process of SCM is known to facilitate the company in terms of performing all the activities effectively for manufacturing products which would be able to satisfy the demands of the customers. The inventory or resources of the company should be maintained in a successful manner. SCM is the method of coordinating the process of production, location, transportation as well as inventory to manufacture products which are to be offered in the market. Honda needs to formulate plans with regard to five different areas for increasing the effectiveness of its production process. The five areas which are to be improved are as follows (Stevenson, n.d.). Production The company needs to manufacture products in accordance with the need of the market and the products should be competent of satisfy ing the customers which would further help Honda to enhance its market share. The production process needs to be appropriately structured in order to enhance the capacity of the plant as well as control the quality of the products along with maintaining the equipments used in the production process (Stevenson, n.d.). Inventory The inventories or stocks of the company require being properly organized to sustain a proper and smooth flow of materials as well as reduce the cost of holding stocks. Therefore, it is required to formulate methods which will help in maintaining an optimal level of inventory (Stevenson, n.d.). Location The production plant or facility should be located in a place which would be deemed to be effective for carrying out the production process as well as storing inventory. Manufacturing of the products should be performed in an efficient manner and the inventory should be stored in a place which would be easier in terms of accessing the materials at the time of n eed in the production process (Stevenson, n.d.). Transportation The material or resources required for manufacturing products should be procured with the help of enhanced means of transportation. An appropriate form of transportation system should be used for procuring materials which would prove to be sufficient enough for the production process and prevent storing huge amount of stocks to minimize the storage expenses of the

Job analysis & job evaluation Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Job analysis & job evaluation - Term Paper Example The globe nowadays is growing at a rampant rate and has come under development and expansion in every field of life whether it is social,economic,environmental,or political. The advancement in technologies has left an indelible imprint on the world of commerce where competition has become the significant aspect for all the businesses and corporations The trends of the recent years also portray that companies are confronting challenges at an unprecedented rate and in order to stay in the market and generate profits, they need to work in an effective and efficient manner. A corporation comprises of many internal departments or divisions such as finance, human resource, sales, marketing and many more on which the company’s structure rests. The department that is of prime importance for any organization is its human resource division, which focuses on employee management. The human resource management arena includes several procedures, methods, practices, and courses of actions th at come under the basis of rules, regulations, and policies of the department (Aswathappa, 2005). The data or the information related to â€Å"job duties, responsibilities, tasks, environment, and essential and required skills and abilities that are in need to perform the job comes under identification and determination by the HR personnel† (Aswathappa, 2005). ... Whereas, looking at the other end of the spectrum, job evaluation is the process that assesses the value and worth of the position or job in the employment industry, than an organization creates. Job description is the elementary and fundamental aspect for the evaluation of a job. As an outcome of job evaluation, the salary structure comes under assignment to the employee. The job evaluation focuses and aims to provide people with a fair, unbiased, and impartial ground for all the jobs. One of the prime chores of job evaluation is to set up and develop hierarchy and structure in the organization, based on job requirements and specifications. Pay structure’s foundation lays on job structure. Through internal consistency in job structures, HR personnel are able to identify and distinguish the discrepancies in job characteristics as job descriptions are the basis of it (Aswathappa, 2005). Compensation is another element of an HR function. Compensation is the worth of the work car ried out that, an employee gets in return, not only in the form of monetary reward but also in the form of financial returns, substantial services, and other employment relationship benefits. While establishing a compensation strategy HR personnel evaluates the association of compensation to the business strategies, external environment and internal HR circumstances and based on it they formulate the strategic compensation positions. In addition, the HR personnel analyze the gaps by making a comparison between objectives and the actual strategic positions. Once the HR personnel identify the gap, they then design compensation programs in order to overcome those gaps, and pursue it. The HR subdivision of the company develops the compensation programs that must maximum comply with

Operations Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 2

Operations Management - Essay Example Honda Motor Company, Ltd. was initiated in 1948 with its head-office in Japan. Takanobu Ito currently serves as the president and chief executive officer (CEO) and the company enjoys a total of ?86 billion as its capital. The main products of the company are automobiles as well as motorcycles along with power products. The total amount of existing employees including its 378 international subsidiaries is 187094 (Honda Motor Co., Ltd, 2012). This Japanese multinational corporation is the producer of automobiles as well as motorcycles. The corporation was the first to provide a luxury brand of car namely Acura. The operations manager of the corporation is required to properly plan all the activities in order to make future decisions. The planning process needs to be properly organized to ensure proper delegation of the tasks that are intended to be performed. Discussion Supply chain of Honda The ultimate goal of Honda Motor Company is to boost up the sales by increasing the efficiency of the company in different sectors which are research and development (R&D) as well as manufacturing process. Supply Chain Management (SCM) is the technique of enhancing the performance of companies. The process of SCM is known to facilitate the company in terms of performing all the activities effectively for manufacturing products which would be able to satisfy the demands of the customers. The inventory or resources of the company should be maintained in a successful manner. SCM is the method of coordinating the process of production, location, transportation as well as inventory to manufacture products which are to be offered in the market. Honda needs to formulate plans with regard to five different areas for increasing the effectiveness of its production process. The five areas which are to be improved are as follows (Stevenson, n.d.). Production The company needs to manufacture products in accordance with the need of the market and the products should be competent of satisfy ing the customers which would further help Honda to enhance its market share. The production process needs to be appropriately structured in order to enhance the capacity of the plant as well as control the quality of the products along with maintaining the equipments used in the production process (Stevenson, n.d.). Inventory The inventories or stocks of the company require being properly organized to sustain a proper and smooth flow of materials as well as reduce the cost of holding stocks. Therefore, it is required to formulate methods which will help in maintaining an optimal level of inventory (Stevenson, n.d.). Location The production plant or facility should be located in a place which would be deemed to be effective for carrying out the production process as well as storing inventory. Manufacturing of the products should be performed in an efficient manner and the inventory should be stored in a place which would be easier in terms of accessing the materials at the time of n eed in the production process (Stevenson, n.d.). Transportation The material or resources required for manufacturing products should be procured with the help of enhanced means of transportation. An appropriate form of transportation system should be used for procuring materials which would prove to be sufficient enough for the production process and prevent storing huge amount of stocks to minimize the storage expenses of the

Innovations In The Business World Research Paper

Innovations In The Business World - Research Paper Example The higher the scope of coverage especially in scale, the better it is for the firm, because there is a tendency for it to establish a remarkable level of monopoly, at some point. This means that there is a great chance for that firm to dominate in the industry and achieve the highest possible market share. This will mean some remarkable implications. It is about continuing the business and generating higher profit as possible. There are many methods or strategies used today to achieve these possibilities (Porter, 1998).  An example of a company acquiring more companies from time to time is Google. Google is a search brand (Haig, 2011), but this cannot be made possible without its strategic employment of merger and acquisition. This company has been doing merger and acquisition since 2001, and recently at the early part of this year, it has already acquired at least three companies particularly for its business for internet security, home automation and timely application for Android. Eventually, these newly acquired companies are used or integrated with Google+ and other Google’s relevant line of online businesses.  Acquiring these companies eventu ally help Google improve its covered market and its services in ensuring wonderful experience and high value for its target users. This leads the possibility for Google to become a search brand, which allows it to generate a higher competitive advantage over the other companies in its industry. As a result, the other brands in line with Google’s industry are not remarkably known in the market, and if they are known at some point, Google is still holding a competitive advantage over them due to its wider scope of market coverage as one end result of its merger and acquisition strategy.  Merger and acquisition have been a common trend today in the business world.  

Euthanasia or Physician-Assisted Suicides Essay Example for Free

Euthanasia or Physician-Assisted Suicides Essay Proponents of euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide argue that terminally ill people should have the right to end their suffering with a quick, dignified, and compassionate death. Opponents of euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide argue that doctors have a moral responsibility to keep their patients alive as reflected by the Hippocratic Oath. Euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide should be legal because terminally ill people should have the right to end their suffering with a quick, dignified, and compassionate death. On October 1, 1976, California Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. signed the California Natural Death Act into law and California became the first state in the nation to grant terminally ill persons the right to authorize withdrawal of life-sustaining medical treatment when death is believed to be imminent. By 1977, eight states California, New Mexico, Arkansas, Nevada, Idaho, Oregon, North Carolina, and Texas had signed right- to-die bills into law. The World Federation of Right to Die Societies was founded in 1980. Margaret P. Battin, PhD, Distinguished Professor of Philosophy and Adjunct Professor of Internal Medicine at the University of Utah, and Timothy E. Quill, MD, Professor of Medicine, Psychiatry, and Medical Humanities at the University of Rochester, stated the following in their 2004 book Physician-Assisted Dying: The Case for Palliative Care Patient Choice: We firmly believe that physician-assisted death should be onenot the only one, but oneof the last-resort options available to a patient facing a hard death. We agree that these options should include high dose pain medication if needed, cessation of life-sustaining therapy, voluntary cessation of eating and drinking, and terminal sedation. We also believe, however, that physician-assisted dying, whether it is called physician-assisted death or physician aid in dying or physician-assisted suicide, should be among the options available to patients at the end of life. Terminally ill patients feel like life is no longer worth living. Physicians indicated that patient requests for lethal medications stemmed from multiple concerns, with eight in ten patients having at least three concerns. The most frequently mentioned end-of-life concerns during 2005 were: a decreasing ability to participate in activities that made life enjoyable, loss of dignity, and loss of autonomy. The United States 9th Circuit Court of Appeals stated in its 1996 Opinion from Compassion in Dying v. Washington: While some people refer to the liberty interest implicated in right-to-die cases as a liberty interest in committing suicide, we do not describe it that way. We use the broader and more accurate terms, the right to die, determining the time and manner of ones death, and hastening ones death for an important reason. The liberty interest we examine encompasses a whole range of acts that are generally not considered to constitute suicide. Included within the liberty interest we examine, is for example, the act of refusing or terminating unwanted medical treatment Casey and Cruzan provide persuasive evidence that the Constitution encompasses a due process liberty interest in controlling the time and manner of ones death that there is, in short, a constitutionally recognized right to die.' Legalizing euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide would save money for the American healthcare system. The International Task Force on Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide wrote: Savings to governments could become a consideration. Drugs for assisted suicide cost about $35 to $45, making them far less expensive than providing medical care. This could fill the void from cutbacks for treatment and care with the treatment of death. Euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide should be made legal. To do this, all states must follow in California’s footsteps and put right-to-die bills into effect. And anyone with terminally ill loved ones will agree, unless they’re comfortable with loved ones losing their dignity, autonomy, and ability to enjoy life. Works Cited Is There a Legal Right to Die? Euthanasia ProCon.org. Web. 13 Dec. 2011. Should Euthanasia or Physician-assisted Suicide Be Legal? Euthanasia ProCon.org. Web. 12 Dec. 2012. Why Do Patients Request Physician-assisted Death (a.k.a. Physician-assisted Suicide)? Euthanasia ProCon.org. Web. 05 Jan. 2012. Would Legalizing Euthanasia and Physician-assisted Suicide save Money for the American Healthcare System? Euthanasia ProCon.org. Web. 13 Dec. 2011.

Honey And Mumford Learning Style

Honey And Mumford Learning Style It is commonly believed that most people have a preference with regards to interacting with, taking in and processing information to allow them to learn (Smith, 2003). Different people adopt different learning styles where an optimum style allows the individual to learn best. The concept of individualised learning styles has gained a great deal of popularity in recent years ever since the idea was proposed in the 1970s. To date, there has been a massive abundance of tests that can be performed to assess a persons learning style (Sprenger, 2003). The project is divided into two parts: Part A: To identify and analyze my learning style preferences through various questionnaires; the VARK test, Honey and Mumford learning style, Myer Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and Belbins team inventory. Prem and Phil stated that Learning affects performance because all performance can be improved through learning. (Prem Phil, 2008). Thus, this allows me to gain an understanding of who I am as a learner and how this knowledge may affect my performances, both individually or within a team environment. Part B: To discuss my personality type and how my learning style may affect my career choices. However, it is worth noting that although personality is a possible contributor to learning, it is difficult to define (Davies, 2008). Sigmund Freud used the analogy of an iceberg to explain the complexity of human personality by suggesting that most of the personality is hidden out of sight under water (Freud, 2003). Hence, identifying ones personality is not an easy task, and tests should only be used as a starting point rather than as a means to make definite judgements (Bayne, 1997). Nonetheless, my results will give a general idea of a career field that most closely match my personality and strengths. Part 1: Who I am as a learner? 1.1 VARK Test The VARK test is one of the most commonly used models to help identify an individuals preference for receiving and analysing information with regards to learning. It can help people to develop additional learning strategies. There are four modes for people to use, such as visual, aural, read/write and kinaesthetic (VARK, 2009). It is a framework to assess a persons learning style. The results of the VARK test (Appendix A) suggest that my strengths in a learning context rest on my aural skills. I have a strong preference for aural based learning since I like to listen to others during discussion to gain a different perspective which allows me to understand more of the topic being discussed. My group mate agrees with this by saying Although Yin Sung is normally quiet during group activities, she is an active listener of other peoples views and cares about other peoples thoughts, (Vicky, 2010). Another part of the test results that I particularly agree with is that my written/reading skills quite weak and isnt my preferred method of learning. Having only recently moved to study in the UK, English is not my first language which could explain why this type of learning is not one of my main strengths, although my proficiency is improving a lot. Since, the western educational system places a lot of emphasis on reading and writing, I believe that I will gain a lot of improvement in this learning aspect as time goes on with added practice. However, I am a bit surprised by my low score on my kinesthetic skills. I have always thought that I am someone that learns well when given the opportunity to experience something via a hands on approach. For example, I find that I am able to pick up new skills easily (i.e. badminton) when I am able to physically try it out rather than just reading from a book on how to play. 1.2 Honey and Mumford Learning Style The Honey and Mumfords (1992) Learning Style identifies and categorises an individuals learning style. There are four possible styles; an activist, reflector, theorist and pragmatist, with a total of eighty questions in the test (Honey and Mumford, 1992). According to the results of the Honey and Mumford learning style questionnaire (Appendix B) I adopt a high reflector mentality. I agree with the majority of the description of the reflector which I believe fully describes me. A Reflector is a careful person who prefers to take a back seat in group discussions (Honey and Mumford, 1992). I like to listen to other peoples views before I come to conclusions and take my time before making any decisions. Being less assertive and tending to hold back from participation, I believe that I will work well and learn more efficiently if placed around an activist, as one would be able to encourage me to tackle situations via a more head on approach. This would enhance my participation in group activities and discussions. In agreement with my VARK results, the Honey and Mumford test suggests that I am a good listener which is one of the strengths of a reflector. I fully agree with this since I have always been someone that likes to listen to everyone in the group thoughtfully. This gives me an opportunity to gain different perspectives from different angles before I come to conclusions. However, a possible weakness that I see in myself by being a reflector is that I spend a long time when performing set tasks. For example, during my last assignment, it took me in excess of two months to complete it as I was dwelling too much on the preparation stage. I spent too long researching information before I finally began writing my assignment which is due to my cautiousness with regards to deciding how to write it. Although I do show a cautious mentality, I dont fully agree with the description that a person with reflector behaviour never likes to take risks. I occasionally like to step out of my comfort zone to experience things that I have never experienced before to broaden my own knowledge. For example, I chose to leave my home and familiar surroundings in Hong Kong to study in the UK. I also like to take up activities and hobbies that I have never tried before. 1.3 Myers Briggs Type Indicator The Myer Briggs type Indicator (MBTI) is a questionnaire used to identify an individuals personality type based on Carl Jung theories. MBTI categorises individuals into two functions, such as extraversion or introversion which is the preference in which an individual prefers to direct their energy (Madeline Rebecca, 1988). For example, one that likes to direct their energy to deal with outer things, situations or other people is deemed to have a preference for extraversion. Conversely, a person that likes to deal with ideas, information, explanations or the inner world, then their preference is introversion. The results of the MBTI (Appendix C) suggest that I have a dominant introverted function, with a high preference for introverted sensing as demonstrated by my high score in ISFJ. These results show that I like to listen to others and to absorb as much information as possible in a particular situation, to expand my knowledge and to achieve a clear understanding of a topic. These compliment well with my results from the Honey and Mumford test mentioned above. The results also suggest that I am a hard working individual, which I feel describes me well. I like to start early and ensure that I perform tasks to the best of my ability. Regarding my academic life, I tend to study at least five hours a day. I also begin my research for assignments long before the deadline. For example, although this professional project is due for submission in April 2010, I have been preparing and doing the necessary reading since October 2009. The MBTI results also suggest that I have an important preference for extraverted feeling, as demonstrated by my high ESFJ score. I am someone that likes to focus on building harmony in the world around me and build positive relationships. Also, I always value other peoples contributions during work or other activities. My previous employer said Sung Yin is a very personable individual that is popular with the customers and staff which creates a very positive atmosphere around the place, (Mrs Poon, 2008). I will always try to persuade people to agree with my views if their opinions are different to mine. However, I always need to be careful not to offend those around me while trying to do so. Briggs Myers stated that although ESFJs are friendly and sympathetic, they are very persevering and insist that others share the same views as them. (Myers, 1995). 1.4 Belbin Team Inventory The Belbin Team Inventory is a test used to gauge insight into a persons behavioural tendency in a team environment (Furnham, Steele Pendleton, 1993). The test allows us the opportunity to determine not only our individual aptitude strengths, but also gives an awareness of our position within a team and how we are expected to contribute. It scores people based on how strongly they express traits from nine different team roles. (Belbin, 1981). According to my Belbin test results (Appendix D), I have a major preference for a role as a shaper within a team. A shaper contains behavioural traits that correspond to my results from the MBTI. For example, a shaper displays a drive to succeed and to overcome obstacles which complements my desire to fulfil my ambitions and follow my clear goals. Although I display reflector characteristics, I also see myself as a competitive individual that thrives on pressure and challenges, which forms the basis of the shaper role. My high school P.E teacher wrote on my school report Sung Yin has demonstrated her competitive side during badminton class and has the necessary personality and desire to become a good player in the sport in future, (Mr. Yeung, 2001). The results also show that I am a monitor evaluator suggesting that I am an individual that likes to evaluate all options before coming to a conclusion, which allows me to make accurate judgements. This agrees with my Honey and Mumford test results which say that I am one who likes to gain different perspectives in discussion before making decisions (being a reflector). Finally, the test results also consider me to have a preference for a specialist role that displays single mindedness and dedication. These are traits that I agree with since I am a rather stubborn person that doesnt like to change my mind once I have my mind set on something. Mr Robinson, my previous employer said Sung Yin is a very driven person with a clear path with where she wants to be and is unlikely that she will be swayed from it, (Mr. Robinson, 2007). I am always dedicated to my tasks at hand and always give my best to do them as well as I can. This has allowed me to develop my skills and knowledge to a level that means I can give a useful contribution within a team. Despite what I feel is a fairly accurate assessment of my preferential roles within a team, I do not fully agree with a resource investigator being my least preferred role. This is because I believe that I am a communicative person which is a key trait of the resource resource investigator. As demonstrated by previous test results, I am a person that possesses strong aural skills. Despite regularly adopting a cautious approach to group discussion activities (in line with my reflector personality), I like to ask questions and participate in activities once I feel comfortable enough to express my views once I have gauged other peoples viewpoints. Part 2: Implications for career choice 2.1 Lifelong Learning Even from a young age, I have always been aware of the importance of learning new things to broaden my own knowledge base having been constantly reminded by my parents to work hard till old, and to learn till old. With an ever changing society and increasing demand for talent in any professional career, it is mandatory that an individual should not only acquire new skills, but to also constantly upgrade these skills to meet challenges set by the changing work environment. This is the act of life-long learning which is the deliberate progression throughout life of an individual, where our knowledge is constantly being expanded which allows us to effectively survive in society (Peter, Jenny and Shelagh, 1998). The essentiality of life-long learning has been well documented even as early as the 17th century where Comenius wrote that no age is too late to begin learning. And that one should never make the mistake of standing still in terms of skill acquisition (Comenius, 1996). Through m y practical experience and life in general, I have come to the realization that continuous learning is a necessity to maintain a competitive advantage over the many individuals that seek the same career opportunities as me. Hence, I search for any opportunities to improve myself through life-long learning. With my desire to improve, I have recently resigned from my job to study my bachelors degree in Northumbria University. Prior to my resignation and subsequent move to partake in full time studies, I worked three years in the Bank of China as a Customer Service Officer (Appendix E). During that time, I was working full-time, while studying part-time during evenings by attending studying classes. The part-time study has allowed me to develop many key skills to heighten my proficiency in doing my job in minimal time. This is important because of the current unstable and competitive job market. It has now become a requirement for me to identify a clear career path for me to pursue and then to develop my knowledge towards the relevant areas to fulfil the needs of my future employers. I am now studying an International Business Management degree course with the aspiration to achieve a future career in the business sector. Life-long learning will help me provide a solid base for the development of essential transferable skills (as discussed later) that would stick to me throughout life and to aid me in the progression towards my career goals. It is also important for making me a better person. After all it is the bottom rung of the ladder of personal development. (Peter, Jenny and Shelagh, 1998). 2.2 Career Choice Having conducted various learning style tests on myself, I have been able to gain a better understanding of my learning preferences, personality and environments where I am likely to thrive upon. It is expected that knowing an individuals learning style preference may help that person to delineate a possible career path that is best suited for them, or even influence that person towards certain career choices. Indeed, it is common for managers to use questionnaires to identify ideal personality traits in their candidates that would most likely be suitable for their jobs which would aid them in the selection process. However, it is worth noting that human behaviour is highly complex, and such tests may not necessarily give an accurate or thorough assessment of an individuals personality (Freud, 2001). Hence, results of these tests should not be held absolute and should only be used as a guideline to aid a person with regards to making key decisions such as possible career paths to tak e. Despite obvious drawbacks with using these tests, I agree with most of the suggestions made by them regarding my learning preferences and some aspects of my personality. In terms of employment, through my practical experiences, I have developed a strong desire to pursue a career in Marketing. The skills I have acquired to date have largely influenced my interest towards this career path which, together with my personality, has made me consider that I possess the raw foundations to succeed in the marketing sector. In a survey carried out by Honey and Mumford, it was found that the majority of managers preferred employees that are reflectors for Marketing jobs; a trait that they believe would bring the biggest success to their company. Having carried out a Honey and Mumford test on myself, it was concluded that I am a strong reflector, which makes me aptly suitable for Marketing. Reflectors such as myself likes to adopt a cautious approach during group activities. This means that I tend to take an initial back seat in group discussions, preferring to obtain different viewpoints before making key decisions. Being cautious, can also involve thinking ahead in anticipation of possible obstacles. With marketing jobs, it is important not to rush into decisions without first thinking and planning ahead. This is because, with the nature of the type of work, it is inevitable that there will be lean periods so hence, it is especially wise to be prepared for such periods and to have a plan to act accordingly. For example, a part of planning ahead is anticipation of changes in the markets and finding new products to promote. It is important to be aware that the best marketing entrepreneurs are always looking for the next big money marker. They are always planning ahead (Scott Brooks, 2004). Hence, having a cautious approach to things can be a good trait as it means that I am less likely to make wrong decisions due to rushing into things and take necessary precautions. My Belbin results that conclude that I have a strong preference towards a Monitor evaluator who likes to evaluate all options before coming to conclusions adds further support of my suitability for a Marketing career. The ability to remain calm is one of the most sought after personality traits in the Retail profession, (John, 2007). Pressure can come in different ways, for example, when dealing with unhappy customers who are dissatisfied with the products sold to the; It is the job of the marketer to deal with the problem and to restore the customers opinion of the company. Hence, to achieve this, it is essential to remain calm under pressure when dealing with these situations. With marketing jobs, it is also important to be able to respond well and appropriately to strict targets and deadlines that are set and to work towards them, which can also lead to pressure building up. My Belbin test results suggest that I am suited towards a shaper role which is another reason why I feel that a Marketing career is suitable for me. Shapers are adept at performing under pressurising situations and with the added drive to succeed. This is important since there is a lot of competition within the market. Only when you have your client on your side, are you able to effectively get what you want. (John, 2007). I believe this quote highlights what a career in Marketing is essentially all about. Success within the field of Marketing and Retail is highly dependent on your clients or customers which means that good people skills allowing you to connect effectively with both colleagues and customers is essential. On a personality level, it is advantageous to be a likeable person which can involve being a pleasant individual with a cheery disposition. You are more likely to be able to negotiate better if your client likes you, (Scott Brooks, 2004). My MBTI results have described me as having a strong preference towards extroverted feeling which means that I like to build positive relationships with people around me and to create harmony around me. This, in my opinion has contributed largely to me being a personable individual. The benefits of this personality trait are two-fold. Firstly, I w ould be able to sell my products to customers more easily since they are likely to find me a pleasant person. Secondly, I am more likely to be on the right side of my work colleagues and so they may be more likely to offer me their help. Having identified a career field that best suit my personality as based on my personality tests, I seek to achieve a future career as a Marketing manager. A job of this kind would allow me the responsibility to make key decisions that will influence the success of the company. I crave the opportunity to manage a team, and to give a major contribution to the company that I work for. A successful career as a Marketing manager demands certain personality traits in addition to those mentioned above. For example, it is important that a Marketing Manager (Appendix F) is one that, not only is able to make accurate judgement, but also needs to stand by these judgements and not be too easily influenced by other peoples words. In other words, they need to be prepared to ignore naysayers, even if its those that are closest to them. (Scott Brooks, 2004). Hence, being brave and also single minded can be seen as a requirement in this sense. The Belbin test results have identified me as being a specialist where the key characteristic of this role is single mindedness. With me being a naturally stubborn person who doesnt usually change my mind having made my decisions, I believe I am suitable for this particular career choice. 2.3 Transferable skills In addition to the right personality and job specific skills, a wise employer will also look to see what transferable skills a perspective employee can offer. The term transferable skills simply refers to a set of generic skills in which an individual needs in order to be effective members of a flexible, adaptable and competitive work force and for life-long learning. At the heart of it all, most employers are looking for people with common skills and characteristics. (Phil OReilly, 2009). Unlike job specific skills, transferable skills can be used in many ways, gained through past experiences. They are skills that can be used in a variety of jobs and situations. In order to be successful in Marketing, there is a repertoire of skills that are required for me to effectively do my job which include time management, people skills, leadership, teamwork and good organisational skills, amongst others. Marketing jobs rely on the ability to sell products through interaction with a variety of different customers. Hence, good communication skills are essential. As identified by my VARK test results, I have strong aural skills that would be especially useful in Marketing since the job demands that I have a good understanding of customers needs. Being a good listener, and also someone that likes to see things from different perspectives, this would allow me to communicate effectively with my clients. My ability to communicate well has been greatly developed through my past employment as a Customer Service Representative at the Bank of China and private tutor, teaching Maths and various languages to children. Therefore, good communication now represents one of my key strengths. I am tri-lingual giving me versatility in my communication skills allowing me to talk with a wider customer range. Good presentation skills is also an important aspect of communication skill that is required in my future career since it is likely that It would be needed when promoting new products for instance. Fortunately, my presentational skills have been greatly enhanced over time through past experience in giving presentations during my past employment and current studies. Having a good understanding of the products that I am promoting and any new products on the market is also very important in Marketing. Hence, it is necessary to have good research skills and also to have an open mind with regards to learning new material. Being a reflector means that I happy to absorb information from many different angles and use it to make my decisions, while being a specialist as identified by my Belbin test results suggests that I have a natural eagerness to learn and expand my knowledge in topics at hand. As I am likely to be working within a team in my workforce with similar targets, there is no doubt that good teamwork skills are a requirement. I believe that I possess good teamwork capabilities having already been in employment where good teamwork is a must, such as working with my colleagues in the promotion and deriving of comprehensive financial plans during my previous job. I also actively partake in various teamwork sports that have allowed me to effectively build on my teamwork skills. It is my target to achieve a career as a Marketing manager in future, which will demand additional skills in order to be successful such as leadership and ability to motivate myself and others within my team. Being a Marketing manager will mean that I will receive greater responsibility, managing a team or making key decisions that will affect company success. Although I believe that I possess an ideal personality to undertake such a role in a company, I feel that I will need to improve myself further before I am ready. With regards to transferable skills, I believe my biggest weakness lies in my leadership qualities, being a less assertive individual that likes to hold back from participation in group activities. I understand that if I am to be a good leader, I will need to improve this aspect by playing a more prominent role in group activities and essentially stamping my authority. I do not fully agree with the notion that leadership is a quality that cant be taught, and some peop le are just born leaders. I feel that leadership is a skill that can be improved through life-long learning and experience; hence I will thrive to improve myself in this respect. As with all skills, they need to be learnt and no-one is born with them. (Phil OReilly, 2009). Conclusion Life-long learning is an essential process for me to learn new skills and also to improve existing ones. It is also highly important for my personal development towards being a better person, and one that is able to adapt to an ever changing world. The constant acquirement of new transferable skills is also vital for career progression and to give myself a competitive advantage over those thriving for the same opportunities as myself. By using a variety of different tests, I have gained an appreciation of my own personality, learning preferences and strengths. This information, together with my interests makes me ideally suited for a future career in the Marketing field.

Free Essays - Victorious Achilleus of the Iliad :: Iliad essays

Victorious Achilleus of the Iliad  Ã‚   From reading book twenty two in the Iliad it is clear, from the beginning, that Achilleus will prevail in the battle against Hektor.   The reader is given many hints from the text that Achilleus will succeed.   Homer, the writer of the text, feels he will win, and so gives the reader hints of his victory though his narration, and through the words of Hektor's parents, and the gods.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   First, Hektor's father encourages his son to allow other men to fight with him in battle against Achilleus.   He says, "Hektor, beloved child to not wait the attack of this man alone, away from the others.   You might encounter your destiny eaten down by Peleion, since he is far stronger than you" (Homer 436).   Hektor's father assumes that if Hektor fights alone he will certainly lose.   Hektor's father knows what a great warrior Achilleus is, and so seeks to convince his son to cast away his pride, admit he is weaker, and solicit support from his fellow Trojans.   He has already lost a few sons at the hands of Achilleus and expects that Hektor cannot possibly win.   Since his father recognizes his weakness, this is the first hint about the outcome of the battle.   But Hektor, brave man that he is, will not be so easily convinced that Achilleus is stronger.   Even Hektor's mom is skeptical he can triumph over Achilles and begs him, "Do not go out as champion against him, o hard one; for if he kills you I can no longer morn you..." (Homer 437).   She too has little faith that he will overcome Achilleus and is concerned he will die at the hands of this great warrior.   She is so worried she does not even want him to fight.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Next, Homer gives the reader a few more indirect suggestions about the outcome of the battle.   When Hektor first sees Achilleus approaching, he does not act like a extremely brave warrior.   Homer explains, "And the shivers took hold of Hektor when he saw him, and he could no longer stand his ground there, but left the gates behind, and fled, frightened..." (Homer 438).   Obviously, it seems unlikely Hektor can slay Achilleus since he is so afraid he cannot even stand his ground.   If he has no confidence in his fighting ability surely most readers will also think he is unable to win and that is why he chooses his only option-fleeing.

Positive Learning Environments

Towards the end of this week’s blogging- say Monday or Tuesday, consider the following question together: Why do you think that sound classroom management is important? As a result of your reading, viewing and discussion so far, what elements do you believe a teacher should consider when planning for a positive, happy and effective classroom? Your 500 word journal reflection should be about something that you have learned this week through your reading, discussion and interaction on this blog.I believe that creating a positive environment is not just creating a colourful and inviting atmosphere it is creating an emotionally stable, nurturing and constructed atmosphere with respect for students and teachers alike. I feel Classroom Relationships are a essential part to creating a constructive learning environment and a Teacher should build up a retepore with his/her students as soon as meeting them should endeavour to get to know the students eg: getting students to fill out a q uestionnaire about themselves, likes, dislikes, interests even maybe a personal development sheet. Team Building, response systems and Interactive Learning should be planned into creating an effective classroom environment. Encouraging students to interact and to value each other’s idea's. The outlined steps on the following site are also more elements I believe a Teacher should consider when planning for a positive and effective classroom. To create a Positive Physical and Emotional Environment with Effective Displays for a positive atmosphere and visual supports. (Posters, finished work, inspiring artwork and saying's. ) Teachers need to create and maintain the classroom discipline system; the students should be involved in making suitable consequences for classroom disruptions and maintaining the consequences when they break the rules established. Behaviour Management and classroom control is used to establish and maintain boundaries and establish rules to how students should act in the classroom. While using Cooperative Learning and Quiet Acoustics, reduced noise in the classroom helps keeps students on track. The article lists the following as some examples to establishing a positive classroom environment: â€Å"Lead your students by example. Changes begin with the teacher's positive caring attitude and thoughtful construction of the physical environment. Begin each class greeting students with a smile and a personal welcome. Help each child feel important and set a positive tone to the class. Organize your classroom neatly and methodically to control confusion and stress. Related article: Cda Competency Goal # 1 You and the students need to know where to find books and materials at all times. Plan lessons that allow students to actively participate in the learning process, and arrange the desks to meet the needs of the students and lessons. Teach children to set measurable academic and behaviour goals. Acknowledge the completion of the goals with stickers, treats, public announcements and certificates. Search for students ‘strengths and build on them. Put activities in your lesson plans that allow every child to feel a measure of success. Providing positive and effective feedback frequently, praise is an excellent motivator, this will enable a respect between Teacher and student which enhances the students' feelings of belonging and safety this is an essential part of the emotional environment in a classroom. Teachers should also make sure students feel as if they can express themselves and know the outlets the teacher wants them to use such as making appointments with the teacher or a box in the classroom for concerns they don’t know how to express verbally.

Critique of the Ramayana Modern Prose Translation Essay

In a just world, Mr. R. K. Narayan’s estate would be responsible for reimbursing seventeen-fifty, plus applicable taxes, to all those who purchased the Penguin Classics 2006 publication of his book, The Ramayana: A Shortened Modern Prose Version of the Indian Epic. Stated clearly on the back of the cover is the promise that R. K. Narayan â€Å"recounts [The Ramayana] with the narrative flair of a master novelist’’. The back cover lied. Narayan’s re-telling condenses the epic poem so much to the point of nearly listing a series of events. No matter the inspiration, Narayan’s The Ramayana is still a story, and should therefore be able to stand on it’s own as a captivating tale—with further literary research or expansion being used to enhance it’s appeal, not explain it. Arguably, the ‘narrative flair’ of this re-telling is little more expressive than unsolicited summaries found on the Internet, and without further literary aide or instruction, does not stand as a solid piece of literature. What is worse, is that instead of allowing a greater breadth of readers to relate and experience tale of the Ramayana, new readers are alienated by it’s convoluted atmosphere. While the task is grand, Narayan’s translation is not listed as an aide to a larger, more in-depth version; it is still a novel and as such needs to be able to stand strong in its own right when evaluated alone. People who have no prior knowledge of the original Sanskrit story, and who have not been raised with the Hindu epic as a part of their life, should be able to pick up this book, read it, and—regardless of how far the tale may go in global history—be able to enjoy one hundred and fifty one pages of literature, without having any prior knowledge, or requiring further research. Having more knowledge, and doing more research on the original epic tale should increase what readers are able to receive from the book, but it should not be necessary in order to understand it. As it stands, without knowing the original tale, new readers are left with very little literary flow and a patchy depiction of what is supposed to be a lush world. At one point, while Bharatha and Rama argue as to who should be the rightful king, their entire episode is related with: â€Å" The argument went on at a highly academic and philosophical level, the entire assembly watching with respect. (Narayan 60) That assertion does not express a deep academic and philosophical argument, but rather states that one was occurring; the reader doesn’t get to experience what transpired between the brothers, or garner any emotion from it. It goes on to almost quite literally depict the event with a he-said/he-said monotony: So be it; if I have the authority—then I confer it on you as the ruler,† said Bharatha at one stage. â€Å"On my command as the ruler, if you desire to think so, you shall be the King. † It went on thus. Rama went on repeating that there could be no word higher than that of a father; no conduct other than obedience to it. Throughout he referred to Kaikeyi in the gentlest terms and always as â€Å"mother†. (Narayan 61) The listed manner in which the plot is unfolded by Narayan’s re-telling is barely more narrative as a piece of literature than an excerpt from that of the free online encyclopedia Wikipedia: Bharatha refuses to profit from his mother’s wicked scheming and visits Rama in the forest. He requests Rama to return and rule. But Rama, determined to carry out his father’s orders to the letter, refuses to return before the period of exile. However, Bharatha carries Rama’s sandals, and keeps them on the throne, while he rules as Rama’s regent. (Wikipedia Contributors) There is very little more efficiency or flair in Narayan’s telling, and in fact, Wikipedia depicts the stages of the long tale with better clarity; if the prose is not going to be linguistically lush and evocative, it may as well be clear (Wikipedia is not only clear, but free of charge as well). It is of course not a simple task to undertake translating an epic poem from a rhythmic language, into prose with a language devoid of the same musicality. However, to the novice reader of The Ramayana, they would not know the difficulty of the task, and thus—however harsh it may seem— should not be a factor in the reviewing of the story as it stands alone. Narayan was by no means an incapable writer, and as winner of numerous awards and accolades—not the least of which being multiple nominations for the Nobel Prize in Literature (Rajnish Wattas), he does not need defending that he has great ability as a writer, yet the bottom line remain that when it is stripped of further discussion, research, and introductions, The Ramayana: A Shortened Modern Prose Version of the Indian Epic just does not stand on it’s own as captivating modern prose. With nearly each new episode of the tale, Narayan prefaces the action with even more listed information, take for example the introduction to the chapter of Vali: The characters in the drama that follows are Vali, Sugreeva, Hanuman, and Rama. The action takes place in the mountainous forest regions of Kiskinda, a kingdom ruled and inhabited by monkeys. In the Ramayana, the articipants are not only human beings, but many others from God’s creation, intelligent, cultured and with their own achievements of spirit as well as physique: Jambavan was a bear, Jatayu was an eagle, Lakshmana—Rama’s brother—was himself a human incarnation of the Great Serpent Adisesha in whose coils Vishnu rested. (Narayan 90) Again, the story is told by listing statements of what is going on. As with the landscape, and even the characters themselves, nothing is depicted in the story-writing of the prose, but stated, as if the entire epic was a news article being reported by Narayan, as opposed to a vivid history with grand escapades and extreme characters. By translating an epic tale from poetic verse into shortened modern prose, the objective is ultimately to enable a broader audience to relate to and appreciate a classic tale. Poetry is a secluded literary world that does not have the mass appeal that modern prose does; yet Narayan’s re-telling is too constrained and overwhelmed by the amount of story condensed into it. By trying to constrain the length of the story to allow for more readers to get through it, Narayan’s ‘master narrative flair’ seems lost, and the epic tale is a heavy list of events that merely occur on the page.

Cyber Security: Threats, Response and Improvement

Cyberspace, or the Internet as an interchangeable reference, is the electronic medium of computer networks and systems in which online communication and enterprise takes place. Originally, the Internet served to interconnect laboratories engaged in government research. However, since 1994, the decentralized Internet has expanded to serve millions of users and a multitude of purposes in all parts of the world. With this shift from government tool to general tool, the Internet has become a collective result of ideas, beliefs and initiatives. Many aspects of our day-to-day lives can be traced along the Internet through some form of electronic function. In addition to its wide reaching powers with regards to the spread of information, the Internet has also become the most democratic and universal form of mass media ever known, since no one entity has a monopoly over the information available, thus making control close to impossible. Clearly, Internet usage in today’s world is no longer viewed as a nonessential luxury. Usage and content has exponentially risen to a level of unprecedented proportion that requires its own area of precautions and supervision. The distal range of context that Cyberspace commands is the basis for a host of security issues and challenges that anyone that utilizes the Internet is made aware of daily. There is a growing awareness in today’s globalized world of the imminent dangers that may befell anyone that isn’t careful of their Internet usage. Cybercrimes such as theft, fraud and identify theft, to name a few, pose as ominous threats to the security of any individual or enterprise that engages the Internet at any given time. Read this  Chapter 2 – Why Security is Needed Not only are these threats that individuals are subjected to, but also threats that the US government has been forced to acknowledge as it becomes increasingly dependent on the internet as a way of life. Based on the combination of the new widespread use of the internet, as well as governments and world’s dependence on the internet for daily life, cyber security has become the new face to American foreign policy, national security, military and defense strategies and economic stability. As President Obama explained, the growing number of attacks on our cyber networks has become â€Å"one of the most serious economic and national security threats our nation faces. † This increased threat explains the increase in the cyber security field, task force work, watchdog groups and government agencies over the past decade. â€Å"Cyber security,† as the field has been coined, is varied and ranges from the local, state and federal levels, all with the purpose of regulating and policing the ill effects of Cyberspace usage. Responding to Threats. The increase of security threats has forced the United States government to meet these new challenges and implement strategies towards the safeguarding and integrity of its critical infrastructures, as well as against an extensive gamut of state and non-state actors that do not adhere to physical borders. The United States government is responsible for the supervisory control and data acquisitions (SCADA) of the entire nation. SCADA has seen a growing dependence of critical infrastructures and industrial automation on interconnected physical and cyber based control systems. There has been a growing and previously unforeseen cyber security threat to these systems, which include industrial control systems, computer systems that monitor and control industrial, infrastructure, or facility-based processes. These critical infrastructures include areas such as water treatment and distribution plants, wastewater collection and treatment plants, oil and gas pipelines, electrical power transmission and distribution generators, wind farms, civil defense siren systems and large communication systems. Although most critical infrastructures are in the private sector, governments at various levels perform many key functions with regard to these infrastructures. Among those key functions are national defense, homeland security, emergency response, taxation, remittances to citizens, central bank activities, criminal justice, and public health. These functions and others now depend upon information networks and systems. Thus, it is the duty of the government by law to secure their information systems in order to provide essential services that is critical to the continuity of government. Government’s role in cyber security is warranted in cases where high transaction costs or legal barriers lead to significant coordination problems; cases in which governments operate in the absence of private sector forces; resolution of incentive problems that lead to under provisioning of critical shared resources; and raising awareness. †7 Policy Review Current cyber security policy has been adjusted to reflect the clear and present danger associated with cyber warfare. The Obama Administration has identified several areas in which cyber security will be greatly impacted. Its near term strategy, which in effect is the Administration’s immediate focus, is the most vigorous strategy, and includes the listing and identification of the designation of a cyber security directorate, establishes cyber security as a management priority, proposes a cyber security action plan that develops a framework for research and development strategies that focus on game-changing technologies that have the potential to enhance the security, reliability, resilience, and trustworthiness of digital infrastructure. The strategy also strives to provide the research community access to event data to facilitate developing tools, testing theories, and identifying workable solutions. 7 Cyber security and its safeguarding of critical infrastructure as we know it today came to pass The Homeland Security Act of 2002 (P. L. 107-296), which transferred and integrated several federal entities that play a role in cyber-security of control systems into the Department of Homeland Security. These entities include the Critical Infrastructure Assurance Office, the National Infrastructure Protection Center, the National Infrastructure Simulation and Analysis Center, and parts of the Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Assurance. Additionally, the Homeland Security Act of 2002 created a new class of information, critical infrastructure information, which can be withheld from the public by the federal government. In spite of the clandestine measures in place to ensure the integrity of privileged information, the cornerstone of America’s cyberspace security strategy is and will remain a public-private partnership. The government, working with key stakeholders, should design an effective mechanism to achieve a true common operating picture that integrates information from the government and the private sector and serves as the basis for informed and prioritized vulnerability mitigation efforts and incident response decisions. From a federal government perspective, the proper and most efficient approach to ensuring the safety and integrity of its cyber security is through rigorous and cost-effective risk assessments. Industry Initiatives Since the field of cyber-security is a relatively new one, it will continue to experience its share of technical difficulties along the way. Initiatives that address the vulnerability of industrial control systems may be reduced and enhanced in a ‘less is more’ approach through a range of federal actions. Development standards by either a voluntary or mandatory process for cyber-security of control systems; identifying and addressing critical infrastructure interdependencies; developing encryption methods for control systems; identifying and establishing technologies to address existing vulnerabilities; funding long-term research into secure SCADA systems; providing for free exchange of risk information between the federal government, private industry, and other critical infrastructure sectors; and assessing federal activities in this area are all possibilities for negotiation. Due to the severity of importance surrounding SCADA systems, federal actions may also create a more uniform process that would include â€Å"the functionality necessary to protect industrial control systems, while providing for more secure operation. † Preparedness and Resources America’s increasing dependence on information technology has given way towards a greater protection of digital networks and infrastructures, however confidence in its current form is as delicate as ever despite renewed calls for better understanding, awareness and preparedness of critical infrastructures. â€Å"Confidence in preparedness is variable. Nearly a third of IT executives surveyed said their own sector was either â€Å"not at all prepared† or â€Å"not very prepared† to deal with attacks or infiltration by high-level adversaries. Among those who had actually experience such attacks, the lack of confidence rises to 41 percent. † It is a generally held view by the cyber security community that the resources in place to secure networks are in adequate measure to respond to at-large threats. Overall, cost was most frequently cited as â€Å"the biggest obstacle to ensuring the security of critical networks,† followed by â€Å"lack of awareness of the extent of the risk. Such a daunting task of safeguarding these important resources can only be handled at the federal level, particularly in the military’s domain, yet even the federal government isn’t impervious to data breaches, nor is the military. The man currently responsible for overseeing US cyber security strategy is Deputy Defen se Secretary of Defense William J. Lynn of US Cyber Command (USCYBERCOM). Secretary Lynn cites the biggest threat to American cyberspace stems from the â€Å"exploitation, disruption and destruction of our networks. In 2008, the US was the victim of a cyber attack that penetrated top-secret classified files. The breach occurred when a foreign intelligence agent used a malicious flash drive to steal information from laptops in Iraq and Afghanistan. Lynn cites this unprecedented event as â€Å"the most significant breach of U. S. military computers ever. †13 More recently in May of 2010, the US Secret Internet Protocol Router Network (SIPRNet) was breached by PFC Bradley Manning, which led to the highly publicized Wiki Leaks controversy. USCYBERCOM will play the leading role in helping to integrate cyber operations into operational and contingency planning as outlined by the 2010 Cyberspace Policy Review and the Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR). According to the Cyberspace Policy Review, â€Å"[t] he nation’s approach to cyber security over the past 15 years has failed to keep pace with the threat. † The QDR acknowledges that: There is no exaggerating our dependence on DoD’s information networks for command and control of our forces, the intelligence and logistics on which they depend, and the weapons technologies we develop and field. In the 21st century, modern armed forces simply cannot conduct high-tempo, effective operations without resilient, reliable information and communication networks and assured access to cyberspace. It is therefore not surprising that DoD’s information networks have become targets for adversaries who seek to blunt U. S. military operations. Indeed, these networks are infiltrated daily by a myriad of sources, ranging from small groups of individuals to some of the largest countries in the world. The reality facing governments and private enterprise today with relation to yber attacks is to maintain a steadfast and cautious plan whose efficacy enables them to respond to the incessant attacks by hostile governments and non-state actors alike. Undoubtedly, these measures are costly, but a solid investment in the safeguarding of critical infrastructure and data. The alternative lies in damage control once an attack has been initiated, which when compared to an attack, is exponentially less than the warranted protection in aggregate. The average estimated cost of 24 hours of down time from a major cyber attack was U. S. $6. 3 million in 2010. 6 According to a study prepared by the Poneman Institute, a research center dedicated to privacy, data protection and information security policy, the smaller the gap between compliance and non-compliance costs, the lower the occurrence of compromised records for an organization. 17 According to Undersecretary of Defense Lynn, â€Å"cyber attacks on our military networks have not cost any lives, not yet. But in a six month period, the Defense Department spent more than $100 million defending its networks †¦ and we spend billions annually in a proactive effort to defend our network s. †18 Future Action Plans The interdependence of cyberspace means system networks are heavily dependent on varying infrastructures in order to function at optimum capacity. The US Department of Defense has acknowledged that in order to meet the demands of today’s cyber security threats, they must collaborate with private enterprise in order to coordinate responses to cyber attacks. The Cyber Policy Review states that, â€Å"implementation of this framework will require developing reporting thresholds, adaptable response and recovery plans, and the necessary coordination, information sharing, and incident reporting mechanisms needed for those plans to succeed. Moreover, the QDR supports the Cyber Policy Review by stating that, â€Å"this mutual assistance includes information sharing, support for law enforcement, defense support to civil authorities, and homeland defense. In particular, DoD will strengthen its cooperation with DHS, which leads the national effort to protect federal information systems. †19 Collaborative Effort and Hierarchy While cyber security is currently evolving and become a growing trend in the digital age with relation to national, military and economic security, overnment-sponsored cyber security cooperation varies widely among owners and operators of critical infrastructure in their respective arenas. 20 The advent of globalization has spawned a new age of interdependence and the integration of markets, nation-states and technologies. 21 While there is no question as to the federal government’s responsibility in pooling its resources together for its own security, the question remains insofar as to ho w the US’ allies and partners will collaborate in areas of mutual interest with relation to cyber security. As with any other venture that requires circumspection, the tendency for information sharing not only at the federal level, but international level as well may very well be a one-way street; from bottom, up. While U. S. cyber security policy aims at having a partnership with private enterprise, resistance from the private sector arises from an impending gamut of legislation and regulation. Three areas in particular are a concern for IT professionals: * Lack of faith in the understanding officials have about the way a sector works. Clumsy regulation may â€Å"level-down† security in very diverse sectors. * The risk that mandatory disclosure of security incidents—for example the compromise of personal data—can drive policy and resources in counter-productive directions. 22 These concerns are well founded and derive from the legislative branch’s inability to often time analyze, understand and process information in a timely fashion. Improving Cyber Space It w ill remain an arduous task for anyone and everyone who utilizes cyberspace as a medium for information and data sharing to maintain a relative form of security comfort. Cyberspace in its current form is unregulated by most countries around the world. China is an exception; due to their system of government, the Chinese see it as a strategic interest to hide certain areas of public internet usage. While there are steps in place to promote a healthy relationship in cyberspace from the government on down to private individuals, cyberspace and its capabilities are its infancy in terms of technology, systems and infrastructure. The ceiling is limitless with relation to advancements in all three of these phases. In the short-term, information placed in cyberspace must be carefully weighed for its content value and varying degree of sensitivity. There is a growing demand and shift towards internet usage that has secured access. For example, most websites that handle financial transactions and safeguard personal information have moved towards the â€Å"https://† coding for secure connectivity. Firewalls are an important component as well in handling any would-be hacker or virus from penetrating encrypted data. Such measures are an important step towards maintaining a harmonized cyberspace. The need and demand for privacy is another area of interest in maintaining a safe environment within cyberspace. There’s a profound difference between the location of a terrorist cell on a network server in the Pentagon and an individual’s latest update on a social media site. While both are important for differing reasons, privacy and security are of the utmost importance to maintaining the Internet and its users as safe as possible. Many cyber vulnerabilities exist because of a lack of cyber security awareness on the part of computer users, systems administrators, and technology developers, Such awareness-based vulnerabilities present serious risks to critical infrastructures. 23 Safety and improvements to cyberspace is everyone’s responsibility. With no single governing body in charge of securing and improving cyberspace, it becomes increasingly more important for all users to heed the caveat lectors of their own due diligence and to point out potential trouble areas and vulnerabilities.