Saturday, November 30, 2019

The Self-Regulating Market and the Fictitious Commodities free essay sample

As a rule, the economic system was absorbed in the social system, and whatever principle of behavior predominated in the economy, the presence of the market pattern was found to be compatible with it. The principle of barter or exchange, which underlies this pattern, revealed no tendency to expand at the expense of the rest. Where markets were most highly developed, as under the mercantile system, they throve under the control of a centralized administration which fostered autarchy both in the households of the peasantry and in respect to national life. Regulation and markets, in effect, grew up together, The self-regulating market was unknown ; indeed the emergence of the idea of self-regulation was a complete reversal of the trend of development. It is in the light of these facts that the extraordinary assumptions underlying a market economy can alone be fully comprehended. A market economy is an economic system controlled, regulated, and directed by markets alone; order in the production and distribution of goods is entrusted to this self-regulating mechanism. We will write a custom essay sample on The Self-Regulating Market and the Fictitious Commodities or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page An economy of this kind derives from the expectation that human beings behave in such a way as to achieve maximum money gains. It assumes markets in which the supply of goods (including services) available at a definite price will equal the demand at that price. It assumes the presence of money, which functions as purchasing power in the hands of its owners. Production will then be controlled by prices, for the profits of those who direct production will depend upon them; the distribution of the goods also will depend upon prices, for prices form incomes, and it is with the help of these incomes that the goods produced are distributed amongst the members of society. Under these assumptions order in the production and distribution of goods is ensured by prices alone. Self-regulation implies that all production is for sale on the market and that all incomes derive from such sales. Accordingly, there are markets for all elements of industry, not only for goods (always including services) but also for labor, land, and money, their prices being called respectively commodity prices, wages, rent, and interest. The very terms indicate that prices form incomes: interest is the price for the use of money and forms he income of those who are in the position to provide it; rent is the price for the use of land and forms the income of those who supply it; wages are the price for the use of labor power, and form the income of those who sell it; commodity prices, finally, contribute to the incomes of those who sell their entrepreneurial services, the income called profit being actually the difference between two sets of prices, the price of the goods produced and their costs, i. e. , the price of the goods necessary to produce them. If these conditions are fulfilled, all incomes will derive from sales on the market, and incomes will be just sufficient to buy all the goods produced. A further group of assumptions follows in respect to the state and Its policy. Nothing must be allowed to inhibit the formation of markets, nor must incomes be permitted to be formed otherwise than through sales. Neither must there be any interference with the adjustment of prices to changed market conditions—whether the prices are those of goods, labor, land, or money. Hence there must not only be markets for all elements of industry,1 but no measure or policy must be countenanced that would influence the action of these markets. Neither price, nor supply, nor demand must be fixed or regulated; only such policies and measures are in order which help to ensure the self-regulation of the market by creating conditions which make the market the only organizing power in the economic sphere. To realize fully what this means, let us return for a moment to the mercantile system and the national markets which it did so much to develop. Under feudalism and the gild system land and labor formed part of the social organization itself (money had yet hardly developed into a major element of industry). Land, the pivotal element in the feudal order, was the basis of the military, judicial, administrative, and political system; its status and function were determined by legal and customary rules. Whether its possession was transferable or not, and if so, to whom and under what restrictions; what the rights of property 1 Henderson, H. D. , Supply and Demand, 1922. The practice of the market is twofold: the apportionment of factors between different uses, and the organizing of the forces influencing aggregate supplies of factors. entailed; to what uses some types of land might be put—all these questions were removed from the organization of buying and selling, and subjected to an entirely different set of institutional regulations. The same was true of the organization of labor. Under the gild system, as under every other economic system in previous history, the motives and circumstances of productive activities were embedded in the general organization of society. The relations of master, journeyman, and apprentice; the terms of the craft; the number of apprentices; the wages of the workers were all regulated by the custom and rule of the gild and the town. What the mercantile system did was merely to unify these conditions either through statute as in England, or through the nationalization of the gilds as in France. As to land, its feudal status was abolished only in so far as it was linked with provincial privileges; for the rest, land remained extra commercium, in England as in France. Up to the time of the Great Revolution of 1789, landed estate remained the source of social privilege in France, and even after that time in England Common Law on land was essentially medieval. Mercantilism, with all its tendency towards commercialization, never attacked the safeguards which protected these two basic elements of production—labor and land—from becoming the objects of commerce. In England the nationalization of labor legislation through the Statute of Artificers (1563) and the Poor Law (1601), removed labor from the danger zone, and the anti-enclosure policy of the Tudors and early Stuarts was one consistent protest against the principle of the gainful use of landed property. That mercantilism, however emphatically it insisted on commercialization as a national policy, thought of markets in a way exactly contrary to market economy, is best shown by its vast extension of state intervention in industry. On this point there was no difference between mercantilists and feudalists, between crowned planners and vested interests, between centralizing bureaucrats and conservative particu-larists. They disagreed only on the methods of regulation: gilds, towns, and provinces appealed to the force of custom and tradition, while the new state authority favored statute and ordinance. But they were all equally averse to the idea of commercializing labor and land—the precondition of market economy. Craft gilds and feudal privileges were abolished in France only in 1790; in England the Statute of Artificers was repealed only in 1813-14, the Elizabethan Poor Law in 1834. Not before the last decade of the eighteenth century was, in either country, the establishment of a free labor market even discussed; and the idea of the self-regulation of economic life was utterly beyond the horizon of the age. The mercantilist was concerned with the development of the resources of the country, including full employment, through trade and commerce; the traditional organization of land and labor he took for granted. He was in this respect as far removed from modern concepts as he was in the realm of politics, where his belief in the absolute powers of an enlightened despot was tempered by no intimations of democracy. And just as the transition to a democratic system and representative politics involved a complete reversal of the trend of the age, the change from regulated to self-regulating markets at the end of the eighteenth century represented a complete transformation in the structure of society. A self-regulating market demands nothing less than the institutional separation of society into an economic and political sphere. Such a dichotomy is, in effect, merely the restatement, from the point of view of society as a whole, of the existence of a self-regulating market. It might be argued that the separateness of the two spheres obtains in every type of society at all times. Such an inference, however, would be based on a fallacy. True, no society can exist without a system of some kind which ensures order in the production and distribution of goods. But that does not imply the existence of separate economic institutions; normally, the economic order is merely a function of the social, in which it is contained. Neither under tribal, nor feudal, nor mercantile conditions was there, as we have shown, a separate economic system in society. Nineteenth century society, in which economic activity was isolated and imputed to a distinctive economic motive, was, indeed, a singular departure. Such an institutional pattern could not function unless society was somehow subordinated to its requirements. A market economy can exist only in a market society. We reached this conclusion on general grounds in our analysis of the market pattern. We can now specify the reasons for this assertion. A market economy must comprise all elements of industry, including labor, land, and money. (In a market economy the last also is an essential element of industrial life and its inclusion in the market mechanism has, as we will see, far-reaching institutional consequences. ) But labor and lapd are no other than the human beings themselves of which every society consists and the natural surroundings in which it exists. To include them in the market mechanism means to subordinate the substance of society itself to the laws of the market. We are now in the position to develop in a more concrete form the institutional nature of a market economy, and the perils to society 72 RISE AND FALL OF MARKET ECONOMY [Ch. 6 which it involves. We will, first, describe the methods by which the market mechanism is enabled to control and direct the actual elements of industrial life; second, we will try to gauge the nature of the effects of such a mechanism on the society which is subjected to its action. It is with the help of the commodity concept that the mechanism of the market is geared to the various elements of industrial life. Commodities are here empirically defined as objects produced for sale on the market; markets, again, are empirically defined as actual contacts between buyers and sellers. Accordingly, every element of industry is regarded as having been produced for sale, as then and then only will it be subject to the supply-and-demand mechanism interacting with price. In practice this means that there must be markets for every dement of industry; that in these markets each of these elements is organized into a supply and a demand group; and that each element has a price which interacts with demand and supply. These markets— and they are numberless—are interconnected and form One Big Market. 2 The crucial point is this: labor, land, and money are essential dements of industry; they also must be organized in markets; in fact, these markets form an absolutely vital part of the economic system. But labor, land, and money are obviously not commodities; the postulate that anything that is bought and sold must have been produced For sale is emphatically untrue in regard to them. In other words, according to the empirical definition of a commodity they are not commodities. Labor is only another name for a human activity which goes with life itself, which in its turn is not produced for sale but for entirely different reasons, nor can that activity be detached from the rest of life, be stored or mobilized; land is only another name for nature, which is not produced by man; actual money, finally, is merely a token of purchasing power which, as a rule, is not produced at all, but comes into being through the mechanism of banking or state finance. None of them is produced for sale. The commodity description of labor, land, and money is entirely fictitious. Nevertheless, it is with the help of this fiction that the actual markets for labor, land, and money are organized; 8 they are being actually bought and sold on the market; their demand and supply * Hawtrey, G. R. , op. cit. Its function is seen by Hawtrey in making the relative market values of all commodities mutually consistent. 8 Marxs assertion of the fetish character of the value of commodities refers to the exchange value of genuine commodities and has nothing in common with the fictitious commodities mentioned in the text. re real magnitudes; and any measures or policies that would inhibit the formation of such markets would ipso facto endanger the self-regulation of the system. The commodity fiction, therefore, supplies a vital organizing principle in regard to the whole of society affecting almost all its institutions in the most varied way, namely, the principle according to which no an angement or behavior should be allowed to exist that might prevent the actual function ing of the market mechanism on the lines of the commodity fiction. Now, in regard to labor, land, and money such a postulate cannot be upheld. To allow the market mechanism to be sole director of the fate of human beings and their natural environment, indeed, even of the amount and use of purchasing power, would result in the demolition of society. For the alleged commodity labor power cannot be shoved about, used indiscriminately, or even left unused, without affecting also the human individual who happens to be the bearer of this peculiar commodity. In disposing of a mans labor power the system would, incidentally, dispose of the physical, psychological, and moral entity man attached to that tag. Robbed of the protective covering of cultural institutions, human beings would perish from the effects of social exposure; they would die as the victims of acute social dislocation through vice, perversion, crime, and starvation. Nature would be reduced to its elements, neighborhoods and landscapes defiled, rivers polluted, military safety jeopardized, the power to produce food and raw materials destroyed. Finally, the market administration of purchasing power would periodically liquidate business enterprise, for shortages and surfeits of money would prove as disastrous to business as floods and droughts in primitive society. Undoubtedly, labor, land, and money markets are essential to a market economy. But no society could stand the effects of such a system of crude fictions even for the shortest stretch of time unless its human and natural substance as well as its business organization was protected against the ravages of this satanic mill. The extreme artificiality of market economy is rooted in the fact that the process of production itself is here organized in the form of buying and selling. 4 No other way of organizing production for the market is possible in a commercial society. During the late Middle Ages industrial production for export was organized by wealthy burgesses, and carried on under their direct supervision in the home town. Later, in the mercantile society, production was organized by mer- 4 Cunningham, W. , Economic Change, Cambridge Modern History, Vol. I. hants and was not restricted any more to the towns; this was the age of putting out when domestic industry was provided with raw materials by the merchant capitalist, who controlled the process of production as a purely commercial enterprise. It was then that industrial production was definitely and on a large scale put under the organizing leadership of the merchant. He knew the market, the volume as well as the quality of the demand; and he coul d vouch also for the supplies which, incidentally, consisted merely of wool, woad, and, sometimes, the looms or the knitting frames used by the cottage industry. If supplies failed it was the cottager who was worst hit, for his employment was gone for the time; but no expensive plant was involved and the merchant incurred no serious risk in shouldering the responsibility for production. For centuries this system grew in power and scope until in a country like England the wool industry, the national staple, covered large sectors of the country where production was organized by the clothier. He who bought and sold, incidentally, provided for production—no separate motive was required. The creation of goods involved neither the reciprocating attitudes of mutual aid; nor the concern of the householder for those whose needs are left to his care; nor the craftsmans pride in the exercise of his trade; nor the satisfaction of public praise—nothing but the plain motive of gain so familiar to the man whose profession is buying and selling. Up to the end of the eighteenth century, industrial production in Western Europe was a mere accessory to commerce. As long as the machine was an inexpensive and unspecific tool there was no change in this position. The mere fact that the ottager could produce larger amounts than before within the same time might induce him to use machines to increase earnings, but this fact in itself did not necessarily affect the organization of production. Whether the cheap machinery was owned by the worker or by the merchant made some difference in the social position of the parties and almost certainly made a difference in the earnings of the worker, who was better off as long as he owned his tools; but it did not force the merchant to become an industrial capitalist, or to restrict himself to lending his money to such persons as were. The vent of goods rarely gave out; the greater difficulty continued to be on the side of supply of raw materials, which was sometimes unavoidably interrupted. But, even in such cases, the loss to the merchant who owned the machines was not substantial. It was not the coming of the machine as such but the invention of elaborate and therefore specific machinery and plant whiqh completely changed the relationship of the merchant to production. Although the new productive organization was introduced by the merchant—a fact which determined the whole course of the transformation—the use of elaborate machinery and plant involved the development of the factory system and therewith a decisive shift in the relative importance of commerce and industry in favor of the latter. Industrial production ceased to be an accessory of commerce organized by the merchant as a buying and selling proposition; it now involved long-term investment with corresponding risks. Unless the continuance of production was reasonably assured, such a risk was not bearable. But the more complicated industrial production became, the more numerous were the elements of industry the supply of which had to be safeguarded. Three of these, of course, were of outstanding importance: labor, land, and money. In a commercial society their supply could be organized in one way only: by being made available for purchase. Hence, they would have to be organized for sale on the market—in other words, as commodities. The extension of the market mechanism to the elements of industry—labor, land, and money— was the inevitable consequence of the introduction of the factory system in a commercial society. The elements of industry had to be on sale. This was synonymous with the demand for a market system. We know that profits are ensured under such a system only if self-regulation is safeguarded through interdependent competitive markets. As the development of the factory system had been organized as part of a process of buying and selling, therefore labor, land, and money had to be transformed into commodities in order to keep production going. They could, of course, not be really transformed into commodities, as actually they were not produced for sale on the market. But the fiction of their being so produced became the organizing principle of society. Of the three, one stands out: labor is the technical term used for human beings, in so far as they are not employers but employed; it follows that henceforth the organization of labor would change concurrently with the organization of the market system. But as the organization of labor is only another word for the forms of life of the common people, this means that the development of the market system would be accompanied by a change in the organization of society itself. All along the line, human society had become an accessory of the. economic system. We recall our parallel between the ravages of the enclosures in English history and the social catastrophe which followed the Industrial Revolution. Improvements, we said, are, as a rule, bought at the price of social dislocation. If the rate of dislocation is too great, the community must succumb in the process. The Tudors and early Stuarts saved England from the fate of Spain by regulating the course of change so that it became bearable and its effects could be canalized into less destructive avenues. But nothing saved the common people of England from the impact of the Industrial Revolution. A blind faith in spontaneous progress had taken hold of peoples minds, and with the fanaticism of sectarians the most enlightened pressed forward for boundless and unregulated change in society. The effects on the lives of the people were awful beyond description. Indeed, human society would have been annihilated but for protective countermoves which blunted the action of this self-destructive mechanism. Social history in the nineteenth century was thus the result of a double movement: the extension of the market organization in respect to genuine commodities was accompanied by its restriction in respect to fictitious ones. While on the one hand markets spread all over the face of the globe and the amount of goods involved grew to unbelievable proportions, on the other hand a network of measures and policies was integrated into powerful institutions designed to heck the action of the market relative to labor, land, and money. While the organization of world commodity markets, world capital markets, and world currency markets under the aegis of the gold standard gave an unparalleled momentum to the mechanism of markets, a deep-seated movement sprang into being to resist the pernicious effects of a market-controlled economy. Society protected itself against the perils inherent in a self-regulating market system—this was the one comprehensive feature in the history of the age.

Monday, November 25, 2019

10 Exploratory Essay Topics on the Nature of Synthesis

10 Exploratory Essay Topics on the Nature of Synthesis What is the Nature of Synthesis? How shall a student prepare to write an exploratory essay on this topic? If you’ve been given this assignment and are in need of some guidance, this introductory exposition will point you in the right direction. When discussing the term synthesis, it is necessary for the student to clarify which field of study the student is being asked to analyze. In the broadest sense, there are two types of synthesis: chemical synthesis, pertaining to physical and/or biochemical fields, and philosophical synthesis, pertaining to the field of philosophy. This guide addresses the nature of synthesis from the chemical standpoint, and these ten facts will assist the student by providing accurate information from which to form their essay. What is the definition of the term synthesis? Merriam-Webster’s dictionary offers three broad answers. First and most commonly, synthesis is defined as â€Å"the composition or combination of parts or elements so as to form a whole.† Secondly it can be defined as â€Å"the production of a substance by the union of chemical elements, groups, or simpler compounds or by the degradation of a complex compound.† Lastly, the term can refer to â€Å"the combining of often diverse conceptions into a coherent whole. In simpler terms, synthesis is the process of combining simple elements, typically organic, to form something completely new. What is synthesis used for? Chemical synthesis is part of the scientific process used in laboratories day in and day out all over the world. Chemists, scientists, physicians, and inventors in various industries rely on using chemical synthesis to study existing compounds and to create new products that are not found in nature. The process of synthesis also allows the production of certain desired products in large quantities in a controlled environment. What happens during synthesis? When two or more substances are combined, a chemical reaction occurs. The result is a â€Å"synthesis reaction,† also referred to as a â€Å"direct combination reaction,† and the resulting product is called a compound. Scientists often study and synthesize chemical compounds and elements from nature, gaining a better understanding of those compounds as a result. The opposite of a synthesis reaction is a â€Å"decomposition reaction,† in which a complex substance is broken down into its smaller parts. How does synthesis affect me directly? Synthesis takes place around the clock inside the human body. As we take in bread, meat, and vegetables, the body breaks them down and through synthesis turns the ingested elements into vitamins and nutrients needed to sustain life. Outside the body, synthesis can be viewed in the natural world all around us. If you see a rusted piece of metal sitting outside, it has come to be that way as the result of oxidation, a synthesis reaction that takes place when water comes into contact with metal to create the new compound of rust. What is a real-world example of synthesis? Let’s take a look at what many consider to be the most plentiful compound on the planet. When two hydrogen gas molecules are combined with a single molecule of oxygen gas, the resulting compound is two molecules of H20, commonly called water. Scientists in a lab can create the water compound by combining two simple elements. How is synthesis important in the world around me? Many common medications used today have come about as the result of a scientist using chemical synthesis. Chemists and physicians routinely extract simple elements from plant materials, and when certain elements are combined with others, powerful new drugs can be developed to fight such diseases as malaria or even cancer. Advancements in technology and the discovery of new forms of energy are also made possible by the science of synthesis. How is my daily life affected by synthesis? The smartphone in your pocket is the direct result of a myriad of inventors using synthesis in a lab to develop lithium ion batteries. The new blood pressure medication your grandmother takes is the result of doctors performing synthesis to discover safer, more effective drugs. Where did modern-day synthesis originate? Alchemists from ancient Greek and the Middle ages unknowingly took part in the study of chemical synthesis each time they created a new batch of wine or attempted to benefit from the opiates found in poppy seeds. True synthesis as a scientific field of study did not emerge until the 19th century. History gives the credit to a German chemist by the name of Friedrich Wà ¶hler, a pioneer in his field. His discovery in 1928 was, in fact, accidental, and came about as he was attempting to make one compound and was surprised by the unexpected creation of another. It wasn’t until the 1990’s that the study of chemical biology was formally recognized by the world’s scientific community. Are there hazards that can be connected to synthesis? There is a long list of elements and compounds that should never be mixed together in order to avoid unpleasant results. Chemists have discovered that synthesis of two unfriendly compounds can result in explosions, detonations, radical combustion, or the release of toxic or deadly gas. A real life example is the noxious cloud of fumes that result by mixing bleach with ammonia. Great care must be taken to avoid these dangerous and deadly combinations. What can we look forward to in the future of chemical synthesis? The invention of modern scientific tools has certainly helped the advancement of synthesis. As scientists continue to discover, isolate, and name new organic elements on the Periodic Table, new compounds are also being created by the chemical synthesis of those new elements. Some chemists indicate that the field of chemistry will be radically changed in the next century by the rise of â€Å"robo-chemists,† computers coded with artificial intelligence that can quickly synthesis any organic compound quickly and without error. A futuristic synthesis machine could, in effect, eliminate much of the human element. Ethicists debate the wisdom of utilizing such a machine, but many scientists agree that the advances obtained through it would transform the entire scientific industry by making exciting discoveries that may have taken a human scientist light years to achieve. This introductory guide can serve as a reference point for the student pursuing the topic in-depth. There is a vast array of additional information and research available regarding the nature of synthesis available online, at the bookstore, at your local library and most importantly in our 2 standalone accompanying guides on how to write on the nature of synthesis for an exploratory essay as well as our 20 topics on the subject hand in hand with a sample custom essay. References: Nicolaou, K.C., E.J. Sorensen, and N. Winsinnger. â€Å"The Art and Science of Organic and Natural Products Synthesis.† Journal of Chemical Education, 75, No. 10, October 1998. 10/29/2016 Retrieved from http://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1021/ed075p1225 Davies, Huw M.L. â€Å"Expanding the art of synthesis.† Nature Chemistry Vol 1 October 2009 Retrieved from chemistry.illinois.edu/faculty/Davieshighlight.pdf â€Å"Chemical Synthesis.† Encyclopedia Brittanica. 10/29/2016 Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/science/chemical-synthesis Usselman, Melvyn C., Steven S. Zumdahl, Richard O.C. Norman, and Carl R. Noller, â€Å"Chemical Compound.† Encyclopedia Brittanica 10/29/2016 Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/science/chemical-compound/Binary-molecular-covalent-compounds#ref615757 Poss, Andrew. â€Å"Chemical Synthesis.† 10/29/2016 Retrieved from http://science.jrank.org/pages/6676/Synthesis-Chemical.html Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D, â€Å"Synthesis Reactions and Examples.† About 10/29/2016 Retrieved from http://chemistry.about.com/od/chemicalreactions/a/Synthesis-Reactions.htm Boley, Allison. â€Å"Examples of Chemical Synthesis† 10/29/2016 Retrieved from http://classroom.synonym.com/examples-chemical-synthesis-15633.html Granger, Jill. â€Å"H20 The Mystery, Art, and Science of Water.† 10/29/2016 Retrieved from http://witcombe.sbc.edu/water/chemistryelectrolysis.html Gillaspy, Rebecca. â€Å"Biochemical Reactions: Synthesis and Decomposition.† Transcript, Chapter 3, Lesson 1. 10/29/2016 Retrieved from http://study.com/academy/lesson/biochemical-reactions-synthesis-and-decomposition.html Fernelius, W. Conard. â€Å"An Ammonia World.† Journal of Chemical Education 1931 8(1) p 55. 10/29/2016 Retrieved from http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/ed008p55?journalCode=jceda8 Peplow, Mark. â€Å"Organic synthesis: The robo-chemist.† Nature Volume 512, Issue 7512, August 7, 2014. 10/29/2016 Retrieved from nature.com/news/organic-synthesis-the-robo-chemist-1.15661

Friday, November 22, 2019

A study of the characters Odysseus and Poseidon as depicted in Homers Odyssey

A study of the characters Odysseus and Poseidon as depicted in Homer's Odyssey After the events of the Trojan War, Odysseus and his men headed back home to Ithaca. En route, they unknowingly stopped at the island of the Cyclopes to gather supplies for their long journey home. Unfortunately, the inhabitants of the island were not very friendly – particularly one Cyclops named Polyphemus. In an attempt to hide from the other giants, Odysseus and his men hid in Polyphemus’s cave. Polyphemus then trapped the men inside with a massive boulder blocking the only way in and out. One by one, Polyphemus ate Odysseus’s crew. Odysseus, keeping a level head, came up with a plan to escape. Odysseus had some undiluted wine on his person, and cleverly offered it to Polyphemus without telling him how strong the wine was. Polyphemus eagerly took the wine, became drunk, and promptly fell asleep. Odysseus and his remaining men heated a wooden stake in a fire, and proceeded to blind Polyphemus’s one eye. After howling in pain, the men hid under the giant’s sheep, where they could not be felt and eaten. The next morning, when Polyphemus let his sheep out to graze, Odysseus and his men snuck out underneath the sheep’s wooly bellies, and escaped to their ship. Polyphemus realized that the men had escaped after Odysseus was already at sea. Polyphemus threw a (poorly-aimed) boulder at the ship, and called out to his father Poseidon for vengeance. Poseidon, in his rage, destroyed Odysseus’s ship, as well as his entire crew, over a ten-year journey back to Ithaca. Odysseus only survived becaus e he had Athena’s favor and protection. Odysseus’s Argument: Odysseus was acting out of self-defense. As captain and king, he had a duty to protect himself and his men at all costs. He used his wits to escape a life-threatening situation. He also did not know that Polyphemus was son of Poseidon. Regardless of who Polyphemus was, Odysseus did not kill him, despite the threat against Odysseus and his crew; it would have been just as easy to kill him while drunk or asleep. Poseidon, being a god, acts out of extreme emotion, and decides that the injury of his son warrants mass-murder. Odysseus thought rationally and spared the man-eating Polyphemus; Poseidon acted irrationally, and eradicated Odysseus’s crew. Poseidon could have been more merciful and wiped out Odysseus and his crew quickly. Instead Poseidon extended Odysseus’s punishment and caused him to suffer as he watched his entire crew die over the course of ten years. Furthermore, this extended journey caused turmoil in Odysseus’s Kingdom of Ithaca. When Odysseus left for Troy, his son, Telemachus, was too young to take the throne. This left Penelope running the entire country. While Odysseus was gone, suitors came to court Penelope, raiding his palace while they were there. Since there was no proof that Odysseus survived the Trojan War, the suitors constantly pressured Penelope to remarry. She did not want to, instead stalling the suitors until Odysseus returned because she believed that he was still alive. Poseidon’s Argument: Before Poseidon did anything to Odysseus, he had to get his idea approved by Zeus, king of the gods. Furthermore, Odysseus was in Poseidon’s domain, the ocean, for most of his journey, which puts Odysseus in a precarious position already. Poseidon’s intended target was Odysseus; the rest of the crew was collateral damage, but also emotionally hurt Odysseus. Odysseus knew he was in the domain of a deity that could wreck him on every level; he had plenty of opportunities to brace himself in case things went wrong. Poseidon, as a deity, demands more respect than a typical human. In Poseidon’s mind, this special treatment extends to his son. Injuring his son Polyphemus was considered a personal insult. Unknown to Odysseus, he had divine protection from Athena – a rival deity to Poseidon. Therefore, Poseidon already did not like Odysseus; stabbing Polyphemus in the eye just added to Poseidon’s hatred. Poseidon did not harm Odysseus, but made him suffer, just like his son, by killing his men slowly. Let the punishment fit the crime. Moreover, there are times when Odysseus was not only selfish, but genuinely irreverent. While Penelope was upholding her marriage vows, Odysseus had an affair with Circe, a sorceress who had turned his men into pigs while he had his fling. He also deliberately went past the island of the Sirens, just because he wanted to hear their song for himself. Finally, he allowed his men to eat sacred cattle of the god Helios for a week. This one act condemned his entire fleet, ship and men, to destruction. Zeus struck the ship with lightning, forcing Odysseus to swim to an island and live with a Calypso, a sea nymph, for seven years. The rest of his men drowned. This shows that Odysseus did not always respect the gods, and acted selfishly whenever it suited him.

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Process Analysis on how to cook a specific item ( author's Choice) Essay

Process Analysis on how to cook a specific item ( author's Choice) - Essay Example Pasta can be used with almost every meal but the taste would be seemingly different in accordance to the type of sauce, cream and associating dishes added to it (Woodruff, 2001). The Al Dente term is defined as ‘to the tooth’ which translates to that pasta strand with the outer lying soft texture but still firm on the inside. In other words, the pasts is not overcooked and is much firmer that most commonly cooked pasta. Al dente pasta is more of a cooking technique rather than an actual type of pasta. Cooking pasta the al dente way means it attains a particular texture. Al dente pasta has its health benefits as it helps lower the glycemic index which translates to our bodies having less blood sugar thus avoiding blood sugar spikes. Overcooked pasta on the contrary, has high Glycemic Index rating which cause a spike in the sugar level in the blood (Woodruff, 2001). Pasta is a starch-based filling just like bread, rice and potatoes which makes for a healthy diet. People ar e encouraged to eat at least 6 servings of starch daily. People can be creative and make the pasta more interesting by making different kinds of pasta. One has the option of using vegetables, chicken and shrimp. Other options include simmering pasta with sauces, spices and herbs like in the Mediterranean dishes. Americans prefer the plain old macaroni and cheese or mixing pasta with casserole dishes (Woodruff, 2001). Ingredients Some of the requirements include several sprigs of fresh rosemary, bread pieces, mustard, quality beef or pork which should be minced for the meat balls. In addition, oregano, salt, pepper, basil, garlic, chili and cheese for spicing up the meat ball sauce. Not forgetting the egg which is used for making the spaghetti meat balls and vinegar, onions, tomatoes and of course s The Pasta One thing that someone must have in mind before starting the cooking of the ‘Al dente’ pasta is that it must be soft enough but also have some sort of rigidity and maintain shape. This means that it must not be sticky but instead be starchy at just the right amount so that the meat ball sauce may stick on it. Method The first step is to put water in a large cooking container and let it boil. The amount of water should be about four to five times the amount of pasta which is being cooked. The amount of pasta also depends on the number of people to be served. So for 250gms of spaghetti, it is advisable for one to use about a liter full of water to prepare it. Salt is added to the water at this point not so much and not too little; just the right amount. Then the pasta is added into the pot or cooking container once the water has boiled. This is done by slowly dropping in the pasta into the boiling water. Once the pasta and water are now boiling in together, the heat at this point should be monitored and kept as a medium. One can simmer down until the pasta is well-cooked or put the heat high enough to stir up the pasta so that the strands remain separated. During the first few minutes, one can stir the pasta with a fork and the stirring can be reduced or completely stopped once the water is becoming used up. By keeping the pasta at the right temperature, and ensuring that the water does not all dry up, then the pasta is less likely to stick onto the sides of the pot. Depending on the instructions on the spaghetti packet, one should not cook for a time longer than what indicated there. About a

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

D-Day, Invasion of Normandy, France (World War II) Research Paper

D-Day, Invasion of Normandy, France (World War II) - Research Paper Example As a consequence lead to France and Britain launching war against Germany two days later. Other countries then joined the war taking different sides depending on the side they supported (Hastings 1945). The war continued resulting in the battle of Normandy which is considered as the last greatest set-piece war that has ever occurred in the Western world. This paper will explore the events of the D-Day invasion of Normandy, France during World War II. Fein (5) notes that at the dawn of June 6, 1944, one of the greatest and historic battles started. Under leadership of United States of America, its allied forces entered France. The first Paratroopers were composed of approximately 175, 000 US allied soldiers sent to France that day. The first battle was fought for 24 hours during that day. This daring 24-hour battle is what is termed as D-Day. However, the war that followed after the D-Day is considered one of the most important wars of World War II which began in 1939 and ended in 194 5. This battle is what is known as The Battle of Normandy according to Fein (5). Fein (5) asserts that in 1944, the Axis controlled most parts of Europe. The Axis powers were under the leadership of Germany with the other axis powers consisting of Japan, Italy and Romania. The D-Day invasion of Normandy was the launching point of the Allies for Europe’s invasion. Under the strategy, the Allied forces first planned to liberate France from the control of the Axis. This was then to be followed by waging another war aimed at freeing the rest of Europe. The Allied countries consisted of the United States of America as the leader, the Soviet Union, Great Britain, and several other countries. Hitler’s Troops The World War was caused by the fact that Adolf Hitler, then German chancellor, wanted the world to be under his control. This however never came to be as Hitler killed himself in April, 1945, days before Germany conceded to defeat (History Learning Site par 1). Fein (6) reveals that at that time, the German Army was perceived to be one of the strongest in the world. By 1944, German army had taken over most of Europe but later started to show some signs of weakness. It is reported that earlier in the battle, German arsenals had severely suffered huge losses in Africa and the Soviet Union. Therefore, by the time of D-Day battle, millions of German armies were dead or taken as prisoners. Fein asserts that the German arsenals were thinly spread making it weaker. Despite the situation, many German troops still fought in the Soviet Union and on other numerous fonts. Nevertheless, the army still could not respond well both defensively and in form of attacks. This gave the Allies the courage to hit harder as they knew that Hitler was now headed for another defeat. Stalin Demands Action Fein (7) reveals that as the war began, the Soviet Union recorded significant success in fighting Germany. However, due to huge bombardments and losses it incurred, it neede d support from the Allied forces to help it continue with the war. It is reported that at first, Germany invaded the Soviet Union in 1941. This led to the deaths of many soldiers and civilians from Soviet Union. In 1942, Joseph Stalin, the leader of the Soviet Union called upon the Allied forces to invade Europe. This was due to his belief that a huge attack in Europe would force Hitler to

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Neoliberal in Latin America by Samir Sader Essay Example for Free

Neoliberal in Latin America by Samir Sader Essay This paper examines the role of the neo-liberalism approach to development in Latin America. The paper aims to establish whether the approach has facilitated the attainment of the developmental goals of the Latin American region. Through literature review, the study finds out that the neo-liberalism approach has attained a certain degree of progress in the Latin American region. However, the overwhelming evidence emerges in support of alternative development approaches. This realization is made after it is established that neo-liberalism has contributed towards retarded economic growth, political instability and other social ills in the continent. The paper finally concludes that seeking alternative approaches to growth is necessary if the Latin American region is to achieve further progress. Introduction Neo-liberalism is a market led model to social and economic policies premised on the neoclassical theories of economics, which aim to utilize maximally the private sector in choosing the economic, political and social priorities of a state. The aim of the model is to shift risks from the public corporate to individuals. This indicates that the primary role of the approach is to increase efficiency premised on the belief that governments were not in a position to attain such a goal (Cohen, 2007). The neo-liberalism approach was introduced in the Latin American continent to achieve the benefits associated with it on theory. After decades of applying the approach, the Latin American region still finds itself lagging behind in terms of economic and social growth and development. This leads to a host of queries regarding to what would have gone wrong. Research questions This paper examines the following research questions: Has the neo-liberalism approach facilitated economic growth in the Latin American region? Has neo-liberalism led to political instability in the Latin American region? Has neo-liberalism failed to achieve its goals in the Latin America continent? If neo-liberalism has failed, are there alternatives to replace it? Literature review Neo-liberalism was first applied in Latin America at the turn of the new century. Latin America chose to offer a ground in which the forces of neo-liberalism contentions squared off. Such lead to a construction of both resistance and seeking of alternatives. The neoliberal dispensation adopted in the 1990’s in Latin America led to serious setbacks. For instance, the huge inequalities, which characterize Latin America, point to this position. Though neo-liberalism was not the cause of the inequality problem, it served to exacerbate the gap (Sader, 2008). The neoliberal model was imposed in Latin America. Towards privatization condition was give n requiring that successive governments in the continent should defeat and disarm the earlier left wing movements and any organized labor groups. During this time, the developmentally agenda was premised on the import substitution model. This model was particularly used in Argentina, Mexico, and Brazil; however, the model was also in use in countries like Columbia, Chile, Peru, Costa Rica and Uruguay (Sader, 2008). The model was heavily doctored in a way, which encouraged wide political projects based on the ideology of strengthening the working class and trade unions with backing from local parties and national blocs submerged in the context of nationalistic identities and ideologies. Instead of leading to the sought after development, the neoliberal agenda turned tragic as countries in the Latin American region became engaged in military coups time and time again beginning at the 1960’s (Sader, 2008). The combination between military coups and the neoliberal growth models led to adrift in the balance of power in reference to the social classes in the region. In countries like Chile, Uruguay and Argentina, it was near impossible attempting to privatize national industries. Simply put, the state governments had to suppress the nationals into accepting the sell-outs. Initially, states offered a certain degree of protection as they regulated local markets and thus guaranteed the social well-being of the population. However, privatization became necessary to clear the path for the neoliberal agenda. Argentina suffices as the best example in this line of thinking as illustrated by the complete transfer of public resources to the private sector followed by the abolition of the hard fought for social rights. In a nutshell, the neoliberal model was dismantling the norms in Latin America. At the turn of the 1990’s, neo-liberalism had taken its toll in the Latin American continent. Its effects were fraught throughout the political spectrum. Originally, the program was implemented in Chile, later, Peru, Mexico, Bolivia followed suit (Sader, 2008). One stark reality that emerges is rested on the failure of the neo-liberalism model to consolidate the required social forces for sustenance. This meant there was constant instability paving way for a host of crises right from its onset. This finds support in the Mexico crisis of1994, the Brazil crisis of 1999 and the Argentina crisis of 2002. These nations were ravaged by astounding levels of inflation, which were however controlled at a significantly high cost. The effects of hyperinflation are quite adverse as for instance, economic growth of a region or a state comes under paralysis. Instead of achieving the expected growth and development in the Latin American countries, adverse effects like, stagnating economies, growing wealth gaps, spiraling public deficits, expropriation of individual rights (in reference to employment and labor unionization) took precedence. Further to this, the general population’s rights were curtailed. However, the growth of the public debts negatively exposed the Latin American economies. The poor economic performance led to the ouster of Alberto Fujimori in Peru, Menem in Argentina, Henrique Fernando Cardoso in Brazil, Gonzalo Sanchez in Bolivia, among others (Sader, 2008). The neoliberal model of growth encouraged the internationalization of economies. This pushed the corporate elites into striking an alliance with international capital. Towards achieving the neoliberal agenda, the pro neo-liberalists supported military dictatorships in the southern Cone. The support was extended even to guerillas as far as they were in support of the export-oriented model (Sader, 2008). The adherence to the neoliberal policies meant that gains made in reference to trade unionism had to be reversed. This also affected the leftwing forces as they were equally disabled by the neoliberal agenda. This was further worsened following the collapse of the former Soviet Union. Labor unions like the Brazilian Workers Party (PT) the Nicaraguan Frente Sandinista and the Uruguayan Frente Amplio evolved into parties in order to camouflage from being phased out by the respective governments. They occupied a central wing to achieve their goals. However, left wing groupings such as the VPR and ALN in Brazil, the PRT-ERP in Argentina and the MIR in Chile were dissolved (Sader, 2008). The political ideologies in Latin America became remodeled on the lines of the neoliberal policies. The emerging new world order further reinforced the neoliberal hegemony. Popular forces were abandoned as the former nationalists and social democrats got sucked into the neo-liberal agenda. However, this group has continued to pressure the leaders into discarding the policies in favor of more socialistic ones. This group argues that neo-liberalism has disabled the state from performing its functions as ideally expected. The group’s militancy against neo-liberalism is premised on the wholesale privatization of state resources and expropriation of individual rights with particular reference to formal employment, education and health. The overthrow of the neoliberal government of Sanchez de Lozada was down to the agitations brought forth by disgruntled elements based on advances by the government to privatize water (Sader, 2008). The neoliberal agenda remained committed to creating polarity between the public and the market sector. Ne-liberalism is committed to the extension of market relations. Initially, the state was connected with the social aspect of humanity. However, at the advent of neo-liberalism, the state was required to divorce with this aspect, leading to a critical clash in the process (Sader, 2008). Chile was among the first nations to support neo-liberalism in the Latin American continent. Augusto Pinochet offered support to the approach during his 17-year reign. However, successive governments after the overthrow of the dictator did not introduce significant changes into the system. Against suggestions that neo-liberalism was anti-growth, much was attained in Chile. For instance, in the year 2009, the United Nations Development Report ranked Chile as a country characterized y high quality of life, highly competitive, political stability, high levels of globalization, low perceptions on corruption, economic freedom and low poverty levels. However, it should be noted that Chile remained a country with rampant wealth disparities with a distorted nature of distribution of resources (Cohen, 2007). Between the period of 1930 and 1970, a good number of Latin American countries used the import substitution model to put up own industries which contributed into a reduction of dependency levels. The other effect was on urbanization. The urban centers witnessed a growing population as a result of the increasing number of the working class. Protests by left-wing parties and trade unions grew due to economic crises. The economic crises and the theoretical prospects of the model were the major reason why leaders chose to implement neo-liberal approaches. In the end, neo-liberalism contributed to informal unemployment, urban unemployment, urban poverty and insecurity (Fischer, Ratna and Carlos, 2002). As unemployment and insecurity grew, the rich segment of the society continued to become richer. At this time, the poor sections of the society continued to be poorer. However, in some countries wealth creation increased following the introduction of the neoliberal policies. Despite the increase, instate wealth, the distribution remained inequitable. In turn, inequality contributed to political instability across the continent. Inequality breeds discontent and despair among the poor, this leads to formation of groups, which engage in criminal activities. Some groups end up forming feeder groups to rebel gangs. It is thus no surprise that political overthrows were rampant in Latin America. As Ong (2006) observes oopponents of neo-liberalism argue that liberalisation and globalisation play a big role in subverting a state’s ability of self-determination. As a result, states are reduced to speculators in the bigger globe. The approach leads to negative economic consequences like inequality and contributes towards the deterioration of people’s living standards. Neo-liberalism distorts power by reducing the one held by governments and transferring t into corporations. This in turn facilitates the transfer of benefits from the poor to the wealthy. Neo-liberalism creates struggles both at the social and local fronts as reflected by the inability of citizens to chart their own destiny. Deregulation predisposes states and citizens to cyclical movements of economic forces. This sums it all that neo-liberalism has led to more harm than good. The neoliberal policies brewed a war between different stakeholders at the state level to jostle for positions of controlling the countries. On the one hand, is the elected leadership, o the other hand are the social movements. Social movements include rural movements, trade unions and employees in the education and health sectors of the public. However, governments like the Brazilian one attempted to adopt social oriented measures to gain popular citizenry support. Others include Nicaragua, Argentina and Uruguay though to a lesser extent. These countries’ policies remain friendly in reference to allowing for open economies as opposed to other states in the region (Sader, 2008). In Latin America, there are two groups of countries, one in favor, and the other group against integration at a regional level Costa Rica. Peru, Mexico, Chile have entered integration deals individually while Paraguay, Brazil, Uruguay, Venezuela, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Cuba and Bolivia remain more keen on integration (Sader, 2008). Venezuela, Bolivia, Cuba and Ecuador have taken big steps towards the establishment of an alternative growth model to the neoliberal approach. The four countries have proposed the ‘Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas’ to tackling continent’s issues. This has expanded to incorporate Haiti, Honduras and Nicaragua. In addition, ALBA has attempted to reduce the efficacy of the neoliberal model by insisting on fair trade. This calls for shunning of trade regulations based on the WTO and market rate norms. The trade practices between Cuba and Venezuela in which case a form of barter trade takes place serves as a strong pointer to the proposed way in the region. In the trade between the two, Cuba swaps oil with education services from Venezuela (Sader, 2008). Analysis of findings It thus emerges that neo-liberalism performed dismally in the Latin American continent. This aside, the consequences were lethal in reference to the instability emerging from the model of development. When economies are performing poorly, the masses suffer and loose faith in governments. The neoliberal agenda as established leaned on silencing the public if the model was to turn out a success. This explains why governments had to curtail the freedoms of citizens as exhibited by the suppression of labor and left wing unions. However, this is tantamount to breeding discontent in the populations. Simply put, these measures sowed the seeds of discord in any nation. It was thus not surprising that the instability generated in the Latin American countries was largely due to the focus on the neoliberal policies of development. The neo-liberal approach stands accused for playing a huge role in the emergence and recurrence of dictatorship in the region. States, which supported the approach, were encouraged and offered support to suppress popular opinion on country or state governance. This contributes directly to promotion of dictatorial tendencies. This further aggravates the political instability associated with repressive regimes since; such contributes to sowing seeds of discontent in populations. The repressive regimes further contributed to the loss of gains made in regards to trade unionism as such were discouraged. However, groups have formed in these countries to fight for their rights especially in reference to basic needs. A case in point is captured in Brazil where in 2002, landless peasants ganged up in resistance to privatization of water in Cochabamba. This contributes towards creating social and political unrest in these countries. As a result, neo-liberalism was directly responsible for political instability in the region. It is established in the paper that the neoliberal model of growth has painstakingly failed o advance the developmental agenda of the Latin American continent. This implies that seeking alternative measures is the only promising way out f this fiasco. True to this, some countries like Paraguay, Brazil, Uruguay, Venezuela, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Cuba and Bolivia remain focused on integrating at a regional level. This points that neo-liberalism has failed in the Latin American continent and as a result, the search for alternative models of growth remains in top gear. The forms of integration shown by some of the Latin American country appear to be the best alternative to enable the region achieve the desired growth as opposed to borrowing models of growth from the West. The fact that the region is well endowed with natural resources like oil puts it at a driving seat if integration is allowed to thrive. Countries opposed to the neoliberal agenda have chosen to ally with the protagonists of the United States of America like the People’s Republic of China and Russia. Limitation This paper solely relies on works of other scholars as it is based on literature review. Literature is of invaluable contribution to studies. This is held because literature forms the basis upon which studies are carried out. However, literature may be subject to subjectivity especially if the authors/researchers fail to remain objective. Nevertheless, this paper has reviewed four works to ensure that the reviewed literature does not raise inconsistencies. The paper though, heavily focuses on the works of Sader. Based on this, the paper is a useful contribution to the discourse on the neo-liberalism approach and development in Latin America. Conclusion This paper concludes that neo-liberalism is not the appropriate development model in the Latin American region. This is based on the realization that the developmental approach has occasioned a number of adverse outcomes as enumerated in the literature review. However, in countries like Chile, the developmental record has been impressive. Despite this, the overall rating of the approach is poor as indicated that even in Chile, its adverse effects like widening the gap between the rich and the poor remains clearly manifested. It is thus not surprising that measures like integration are being sought by countries from the Latin American region. If the neoliberal approach was good as earlier expected then the Latin American countries would have achieved the desired development long ago. Instead, after decades of using the approach, negative effects such as political instability, social and economic problems have reared their ugly faces repeatedly. It is thus held that seeking alternatives to the neo-liberal approach is in the best interests of the Latin American countries. Reference List Cohen, J. N. (2007). The Impact of Neoliberalism, Political Institutions and Financial Autonomy on Economic Development, 1980–2003 Dissertation, Department of Sociology, Princeton University. Fischer, S. , Ratna, S. Carlos, A. (2002). Modern Hyper- and High Inflations Journal of Economic Literature: 837–880. Ong, A. (2006). Neoliberalism as Exception: Mutations in Citizenship and Sovereignty. Duke University Press. Sader, E. (2008). The Weakest Link? Neoliberalism in Latin America. New Left Review, 52.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Reiki Therapy Essay -- Research Japanese Papers

Reiki Therapy The History of Reiki According to the Reiki Holistic Healing at Christal Center web page, the word â€Å"Reiki† is defined as the Japanese word for â€Å"universal energy†. Reiki therapy is a â€Å"laying on of hands† by a therapist who has studied Reiki, and therefore has enabled him/herself to provide a channel of healing energy for their clients. Although Dr. Makao Usui, a Christian monk, is credited with rediscovering Reiki therapy in Japan during the 1800’s, believers say this therapy dates all the way back to when Jesus healed others through his touch thousands of years ago (http://www.cwizard.com/christal/reiki.htm). Wade Ryan (a Reiki Master) claims in his web page on facts about Reiki that this is not a religion, but that the spiritual energy received by clients often leads to an expansion of one’s own personal faith (http://www.freeyellow.com/members/Reiki/page1.html). â€Å"The Three Reikis† (http://www.freeyellow.com/members/Reiki/page2.html) explains that about five years ago distinctions for three forms of Reiki were recognized. The three forms are Usui Reiki, Vajra Reiki, and Karuna Reiki. Usui Reiki is the traditional form of Reiki rediscovered by Dr. Usui. Usui Reiki is noted for being a very gentle therapy, and therefore appropriate for adults and children seeking to maintain their good health, for providing energy to those who are lacking it due to illness or treatment, and also for the elderly. During Usui Reiki, the Practitioner’s Hand Positions are centered mainly on the head or torso. Although most Practitioners are satisfied with Usui Reiki Ability, those who are interested in a wider range of Healing Energy (i.e. caregivers of the extremely ill) would be more interested in Vajra R... ... very few studies out on this topic, and those that are out seem to disagree with each other; some are in favor of the benefits of Reiki, and some claim that these benefits only exist because of psychological reasons or don’t exist at all. Although Reiki is an ancient practice, it is just beginning to become popular in modern medicine. We can expect more and more research to be published in the near future as more studies are conducted and completed. Bibliography Green, CA (1998). Reflection of a therapeutic touch experience: case study 2. Complementary Therapies in Nursing & Midwifery, 4(1), 17-21. Samarel, N. (1997). Therapeutic touch, dialogue, and women's experiences in breast cancer surgery. Holistic Nursing Practice, 12(1), 62-70. Thornton, Lucia Marie (1993). Effects of energetic healing on female nursing students. MAI, 31/01, 284.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Complaint Letter Against Employer Essay

I am writing this email to inform you that the decision made to relieve me of my duties as office manager and remain on staff as â€Å"office support† has been done on unlawful grounds. Last week on April 21st I was informally given some vague feedback regarding comments from my co-worker Jane Doe. Her allegations caught me off guard so I requested an opportunity to review some of these concerns with the hope that I could also give a brief explanation from my perspective. I also requested time to review the job description so that we could confirm the nature of my role in the office for clarity’s sake. Dr. ——– asked that I be prepared to discuss what I enjoyed doing in the office as well as the job description, noting that I would continue doing the things I enjoyed doing and other tasks would be handled by current or future staff. This was to be addressed on the next work day which was April 25th. Today I addressed Dr. ——– at the end of the day to let her know I was ready to discuss these matters when she was available at which time she came to the back office. I was then told that our file clerk was going to be let go, that our reserve receptionist was promoted to full-time and that we would need someone to replace Jane who will have her last day in the office on April 29th of this week. After discussing a few of the responsibilities of the above mentioned positions we began reviewing the job description. Dr. ——– then crossed out 80% of the job description and divided it among a previous administrative employee, a contact who has agreed to begin working with Dr. Khan in June and yourself. This was not what was discussed on April 21st and is an unfair result of an unfair assessment for the primary reasons below: 1. The action taken by Dr. ——– does not fit the problem that occurred in that there was no verbal warning, no reprimand, and no opportunity to improve. 2. There was no standard or guideline of what my position as an Office Manager consisted of even on an introductory level – there was no job description. 3. I was not told I was being assessed and not given the specifics of the assessment itself and was therefore not afforded the courtesy of explaining my position adequately or even understanding where and how the errors/conflicts occurred. 4. The assessment was incomplete/unbalanced as one area of office development was assessed while others that are also critical to the function of the office were not addressed. Also, I am sorry to say that this issue now calls into question how things will be resolved based on the fact that you as the HR consultant are also the nephew of Dr.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Problems 50 & 51 (Ch. 22)

50. (LO3)Jack and Jill are owners of UpAHill, an S corporation. They own 25 and 75 percent, respectively. a. What amount of ordinary income and separately stated items are allocated to them for years 1 and 2 based on the information above? 1st Year or Year 1: Ordinary income is 42,500. 00 42,500*25% = 10,625 is allocated to Jack 42,500*75% = 31,875 is allocated to Jill Separately Stated Items: Interest Income 2,000. 00 500. 00 is allocated to Jack 1,500. 00 is allocated to Jill Dividend Income: 1,000. 00 250. 00 allocated to Jack 750. 00 allocated to Jill b. Complete UpAHill’s Form 1120S, Schedule K, for year 1. See attached c. Complete Jill’s 1120S, Schedule K-1, for year 1. See attached Schedule51. (LO3, LO4)Assume Jack and Jill, 25 and 75 percent shareholders in UpAHill corporation, have tax bases in their shares at the beginning of year 1 of $24,000 and $56,000, respectively. Also assume no distributions were made. Given the income statement above, what are their tax bases in their shares at the end of year 1. Considering the 24,000 and 56,000 respectively, Jack tax basis is calculated with his original cost of 24,000 + 10,625 + 500 + 125 = 32,250. 00 Jill 56,000 + 31,875 + 1,500 + 375 = 89,750. 00 1. LO1) Joey is a 25 percent owner of Loopy LLC. He no longer wants to be involved in the business. What options does Joey have to exit the business? The remedy to Joeys issue should be contained within the operating agreement. In some states such as CA, this is a requirement for LLC’s. In some cases where operating agreements are not available, a buy out membership interest dissolve the LLC may be the only options. 2. (LO1) Compare and contrast the aggregate and entity approaches for a sale of a partnership interest. Two approaches govern the rules governing the federal taxation of partnerships and partners– aggregate and entity. The aggregate, also known as conduit approach views a partnership as though each partner owned the assets and liabilities of the partnership. An entity approach treats the partnership and its partners as separate entities. Whereas congress is aware, the two approaches are confused due to nonspecific statutory language offering guidance. Under the aggregate approach, section 701 recommends that the owners are subject to tax, not the partnership. The entity approach is recommended by the IRS that subchapter K follow this approach with respect to partnership interest transactions. What restrictions might prevent a partner from selling his partnership interest to a third party? Restrictions on the activities of general partner places a limit on the amount of private investments management of a venture capital can make from any private investment. General partners are limited in their ability to sell their general partnership interest in the venture fund to a third party. These sales would reduce the general partner’s incentive to monitor and produce an effective exit strategy for the venture fund portfolio companies.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Growth and Innovation by Canadian Business Network

Growth and Innovation by Canadian Business Network An article published in January 2012 by Canadian Business Network, discussed the role innovation, creativity, and invention plays in business growth and development. The article is named â€Å"Growth and Innovation†.Advertising We will write a custom article sample on â€Å"Growth and Innovation† by Canadian Business Network specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More According to the article, the business environment has changed with globalization and growth in communication and transport network; with the growth, Canadian organizations needs to develop strategic management policies that can enhance their competitiveness in the global markets, the article recommends continuous innovation and inventions for growth. According to the article, business development and growth are elements of successful business, in the event an organization fails to grow with time, the management should count the same as a warning sign of chances of fu ture failure. When working in the international markets, Canadian entrepreneurs and business executives need to be sensitive of what other players in the industry are doing, with the knowledge, they should then embark on coming up with business policies that outsmart what is happening in the markets; this is the art of innovation and invention. The article suggests that growth in when dealing in international markets is fuelled by particular organisation innovative ideas and your attention to cutting-edge technology and resources; this is the catch and the dimension that Canadian businesses should take. They should ensure that they have frameworks of innovation and effective business management practises. Organizations need quality management to optimally utilize their resources; management is the art of organizing and coordinating activities in accordance to certain principles or policies to attain forethought objectives. According to the article, to understand the implications of expanding operations and linkage to activities that can help organisations grow, managers have the role of utilizing physical, human, financial, and environmental resources effectively for the good of their firms; it includes formulation of corporate functions, organizing, planning, controlling, monitoring, and directing activities to achieve corporate goals and objectives.Advertising Looking for article on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In contemporary organizational management, there is emphasis to leaders-management approach than managers-management approach, thought the difference is minimal the net effect is improved competitiveness and efficiency. In contemporary business environment, there is need to consider the international community when making decisions; there are some elements of doing business that can work well in a particular country but fail to take effect in another. With the c ultural differences, business leaders have to consider international business environment and its effects on the business. Human resources management has the role of managing the diversity in an organisation; when managing human resources the Canadian companies have to consider human resources diversity issues like multicultural, international human resources legal administration, and employees’ relations. Diversity can work for the good of the firms only if the powers of diversity have been managed effectively. Globalisation has led to improvement of trade among countries, when trade is enhanced; customers are diverse and have varying needs; the management must understand the needs of the diverse customers and make policies that not only address local customer issues but the entire international community. When making products and choosing the marketing strategy to adopt, the strategy should be internationally accepted; different countries need different policies for effecti ve business. Policies that seem to address or sell the products to certain region should not be used in other areas as they might fail to deliver similar results; this is what Canadian businesses need to understand (James Lindsay, 2011). Reference James, R., Lindsay, M. (2011). The Management and Control of Quality, 8th edition, International Edition. South-Western: Cengage Learning.

Monday, November 4, 2019

Six Sigma Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Six Sigma - Essay Example This is done by distinguishing and correcting faults that occur in the organizational processes and products. In other words, six sigma is a management concept formulated by Motorola in 1986 which aims are defining high goals, data collection and carrying out the analysis of results to a fine degree so as to cut down the defects that appear in tangible products and services. Therefore, we can say that six sigma is focused on improving the quality of business processes and end products (Peter S Pande, Robert P. Neuman, Roland E. Cavanagh, 2000). The core aim of six sigma is to give businesses an error free performance. The philosophy of six sigma is that if an organization is able to measure the number of faults in its business processes, then it can systematically eradicate them and achieve close to perfection operations. The Greek alphabet Sigma is used to represent a deviation or variation from a defined standard. Organizations use sigma as a scale to measure their performance. The value of sigma is indirectly proportional to the number of defects. This means that smaller value of sigma will show less deviation from the norm that is less faults. For instance, two sigma covers ninety five percent of the bell curve whereas six sigma reaches to a point where there is absolutely no chance of defect. Simply put, six sigma is basically a standard for quality which aims at producing no more than 3.4 defects per million units or procedures. The goal however, is difficult to attain yet a number of manufacturing companies such as General Electric, Martin Dow, Johnson & Johnson, Nokia and many others have realized heavy savings with the application of six sigma. Service sector such as healthcare and financial institutions have also started benefitting from six sigma (Praveen Gupta, 2004). History: Whenever the origin of six sigma is talked about, the first name that strikes our mind is: Motorola. It is usually believed that the concept of six sigma was introduced by the employees of Motorola. A deep look into the history will show that the development of the concept began when Carl Frederick Gauss introduced major statistical element of bell curve called normal curve. In 1920’s Walter Shewhart analyzed the normal curve thoroughly and came up with his proposal that any business process or product may require rectification when the variation from mean is three sigma. After the second world war, Japan’s economy was poorly slashed down. However, with optimal utilization of natural resources and leadership, Japan became world leader in terms of quality. Noticing this sudden progress, U.S companies realized how important the role of quality in gaining profits and customer satisfaction is. The automobile industry of U.S was suffering to a great extent because Japanese had grabbed major share of its imports. In 1986, the engineers at Motorola implemented the concept of six sigma in their manufacturing processes. Bill Smith and team members d ecided to replace the measurement of defects in thousands by millions in order to make more sense out of the concept. Guidelines for addressing problems with six sigma were established and it was also suggested that projects in which six sigma is applied should always give positive outcomes. Therefore, six sigma is officially associated with Motorola. Observing Motorola’s increased efficiency, Allied Signal began implementing six sigma in its operations.

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Process and site design techniques Research Paper

Process and site design techniques - Research Paper Example This paper discusses the process and site design techniques. The page design techniques have also been explained. Two websites have been critically analyzed for process, site design and page design.The outcome of this analysis is provided in this paper. The positive and negative aspects of the first and second generation websites have been observed and described.This report seeks to evaluate the design and construction of two websites based on conventional principles used in the designing of websites. This report also highlights the principles that have been used for the evaluation.Ware et al. (2003) states "you need a good eye for design". First generation websites largely focus on displaying static content that users could either view or download. The characteristic trait of second generation websites is communication, information sharing, interoperability, user-centered design and collaboration. Ware et al. (2003) says Javascript manipulates the client browser.The schoolnet.com we bsite has been chosen because it is a second generation website which deals with social networking site for the K-12 community which caters to students, parents and teachers. It deals with interactive user experience, collaboration between people, and web 2.0 principles. It is a rich internet application.The cfcindia.com website is a first generation website mainly used to host content that people can view and download. This website has a varied audience and may include people from various communities and cultures. This critique report will analyze the two websites on aspects such as site planning, overall layout and theme. The report will also analyze the design for ease of use of target audience, typography, cross browser compatibility, content relevance, organization and functioning of links on the page and overall usability. Process and site design The important factor while designing a website is the purpose of the website and the audience who will view the website. The font, color combination of the content, structure, navigation and language used must be user friendly. HTML is broadly used to describe the content of web pages in the World Wide Web (Raggett, 1998). The critical analysis of the process and site design techniques of the schoolnet.com website is discussed as follows. This is a well planned site and the theme of the site has been architected well as seen in the layout of the navigation menus and the pages. Numerous images slow down the site. Large images are used on the home page, resulting in long page load times and important site content has been pushed to the lower portion of the screen. The navigation has been well designed with on hover menus. Bread crumbs makes navigation to previously visited pages easier. The choice of vibrant colors makes the site attractive for the younger audience. The critical analysis of the process and site design techniques of the cfcindia.com website is discussed as follows. This site is a little less well planned than Schoolnet.com. This site offers end users Christian digital media for download. The site is not very user friendly for non technical users as options for download are not intuitive with no ability to sort advanced search for content. The home page has well segmented content and content specific user categories. The weaker areas include lack of search on inner pages, no metadata for the digital media and no clear options for download. The on-hover drop down menus enables easy navigation. Lack of bread crumbs makes navigation to previously visited pages cumbersome. The color theme has been kept simple for the varied audience that might visit this site. Page design The user interface must be designed to help the users follow the web pages. Related content must be