Dental Veneers Free Essay Example, 1750 words

Unlike composite veneers, porcelain veneers are not made on site and need to be created in a dental laboratory. This means that porcelain veneers generally require at least two visits. Cost is also a factor with porcelain veneers being much more expensive than their composite counterpart. Creating porcelain veneers requires more time, expertise and resources in order to prepare and then bond them to the surface. Because of these factors, they cost more. If broken, porcelain veneers – unlike composite veneers – cannot be repaired. If they break, they must be replaced. Along with cost, this is a major reason why people may choose composite veneers over the porcelain variety (Miller 63-66). III. Indications for Usage Dental veneers can be both esthetically pleasing and serve a functional purpose. In addition to their overall cosmetic effect, veneers can also protect the surface of a damaged tooth. In some instance, veneers may be used to replace the need for a dental crown, thus eliminating the need for a more invasive tooth procedure. We will write a custom essay sample on Dental Veneers or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/page

Summary Of The Scarlet Letter - 1941 Words

Varun Ramaswamy Ms. Kimbrough English III AP – 7th 4 November 2014 The Scarlet Letter Ch. 13 - 24 Dialectical Journals Quotations Response Chapter 13 â€Å"Such helpfulness†¦so much power to do and power to sympathize†¦ [interprets] the scarlet A by its original signification.† (Hawthorne 323) This quote is evidently significant since it shows the fact that as the chapter suggests the general people’s new viewpoint which they are starting to see of Hester; of her diligence which proves to be much more than ‘enough’ to be recognized. Now, the scarlet letter which she wears is still why people shun her, however, they are now doing this from a habit that has been cultivated throughout the years rather than for her sin. â€Å"It is remarkable that persons who speculate†¦ the external regulations of society.† (331) This shows that the people who are the most hushed and restrained outwardly, many of the time make up for this as they tend to judge others in their minds. This tendency which is there still today is also seen in this book, even though its quiet surprising since in the beginning of the book the Puritans were displayed to judge out loud instead. Chapter 14 â€Å"‘A mortal man, with once a human heart, has become a fiend for his special torment.’† (345) Although this is indeed said through Chillingworth, it could be implied as a quote either describing Chillingworth or Dimmesdale (as it is in the text). Directly from the book it could be implied that Dimmesdale’s persona shifted afterShow MoreRelatedSummary Of The Scarlet Letter 1633 Words   |  7 PagesMahanoor Khan AP English, Block 5 Mrs. Schuet 26 September 2014 1. Title and Author: The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorn 2. Summary: A women named Hester, one of the protagonists in the novel, has committed adultery, and has a child. The townspeople believe that her punishment should be to wear the letter A on her clothing so she and the town can remember her sin. Her daughter name is Pearl. Hester will not reveal with whom she had the affair with. The reverend named Dimmesdale is the fatherRead MoreSummary Of The Scarlet Letter 1337 Words   |  6 PagesHokstad ENG 3UC 17 May 2016 Nature of Good and Evil in The Scarlet Letter There is a nature of good and evil in every person. Whether a person tries to push away the evil and be as good as they can be or let the evil consume their well- being. The nature of good and evil can be seen on a day to day basis in the way people act towards others, the crimes they have committed or the lies they do or do not tell. In the book, The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, there is a recurring theme of theRead MoreSummary Of The Scarlet Letter 1436 Words   |  6 PagesThe Scarlet Letter Journal 1 I empathize most with Reverend Dimmesdale. He had to live with the secret of his sin for many years. He also was a reverend and had to preach about sins every Sunday and so was reminded constantly of what he did. In fact he felt so guilty about receiving no punishment while Hester was cursed with the letter that he â€Å"inflicted a hideous torture on himself† by carving the letter A into his own chest (Hawthorne 176). He has also had to endure much from Roger ChillingsworthRead MoreSummary Of The Scarlet Letter 935 Words   |  4 PagesThe Scarlet Letter is about a woman, Hester Prynne, who has had an affair with a man who she would not name. During the affair Hester became pregnant, so the affair became known to the town. She had the child but would still not reveal who the father was she was then forced to wear a red A representing adulterer on her chest for the rest of her life. The movie Easy A is about Olive Pendergast is an average high school student who is not one of the super-popular girls, but not a loser eitherRead MoreSummary Of The Scarlet Letter 1329 Words   |  6 PagesMelanie Showers Mrs. Voshell Honors English 10 8 January 2016 Morality in The Scarlet Letter In The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne describes many defining instances of different characters’ morality. Some of the characters’ opinions are very different, but the people of the town have a general morality that leads Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale to deal with their sins differently in public, than in private. First, Hester’s morality, is not very defined at the beginning. She seems as though sheRead MoreSummary Of The Scarlet Letter 1266 Words   |  6 Pages The Power of Guilt At some point in life, everyone makes an unintelligent decision. Oftentimes, these decisions leave people feeling guilty and with nobody to blame but themselves. In the Puritan society presented in The Scarlet Letter, sin is not taken lightly. Sinners are publicly presented on the town scaffold and have to endure embarrassing gossip. Dimmesdale, a church minister, commits adultery with Hester Prynne, and she has a child. Dimmesdale does not confess his sin for several yearsRead MoreSummary Of The Scarlet Letter 1136 Words   |  5 PagesNicholas Halford Greene American Lit 7th 18 Mar 2015 Final Draft The Puritan society, seen in The Scarlet Letter, traps many women in the confines of patriarchal gender role with its rituals and beliefs. These common beliefs caused many of the women in the community to feel oppressed and silenced. Amongst these silenced women, only a few chose to stand against these unfair and unjust beliefs. This minute group includes Hester Prynne, the adulteress whose scandalous life is at the center of theRead MoreA Summary of The Scarlet Letter771 Words   |  3 PagesChillingworth sent her to Boston to wait for his arrival, but she ended up by having a child with Authur Dimmesdale, who was a minister of the town. So she was sent to the prison as she had committed adultery. One day, she was emerged from the prison with the letter â€Å"A† on her breast, which is a sign of punishment for her adultery commitment. She and her three-month old daughter, Pearl were led to the scaffold of pillory. At there, she was asked to tell who Pearl’s father is , but she refused to tell. AlthoughRead MoreSummary Of The Scarlet Letter- 1641 Words   |  7 PagesStephanie Nicolino Mrs. Sarich English 11H 10 October 2014 The Scarlet Letter- Chapters 9-12 (Passage Analyzer) Chapters 9 and 10 investigate the relationship in the middle of Chillingworth and Dimmesdale. On one level, Chillingworth speaks to science and Dimmesdale speaks to deep sense of being. Like Chillingworth s disfigured shoulders, Dimmesdale s disease is an outward sign of an internal condition, and not medication or religion suffices to cure it. What hampers his recuperation is hisRead MoreSummary Of The Scarlet Letter 1485 Words   |  6 Pages The Scarlet Letter Reading Journal Chapters 2-3 Hester Prynne is first introduced by an angry crowd of people calling for her death. It seems as Hester has done something terribly wrong, something unforgivable. It gave me mixed thoughts, because I had no idea what she had done that made these people so furious, she could be innocent for all I, or any of the characters, know. Hester’s babe was compared/contrasted to the Scarlet Letter on herself, showing that her babe, not the Letter, was the

The Scarlet Letter Appearance Versus Reality Essay Example For Students

The Scarlet Letter Appearance Versus Reality Essay The Scarlet Letter Appearance versus Reality Appearance vs. RealityNathaniel Hawthornes, The Scarlet Letter, a dark tale of sin and redemption, centres around the small Puritan community of Boston during the seventeenth century. Things and places in The Scarlet Letter are not always what they seem to be. There are major differences in the appearance of something to the actual meaning and significance it carries. In the middle of the town market is a weather-darkened scaffold. . . (Hawthorne 234) where sinners are made to face the condemning public.The people standing on the scaffold experience strange phenomena while on it.Some become braver, some meeker.And whether the people are looking at them or not, they become their true self.In essence, everything that is real and true occurs on the scaffold, and everything that is illusion or hypocrisy occurs everywhere else. The forest is also a setting where characters find the truth about themselves.Most settlers to the forest are people who are outsiders from society.They are untainted by the views of the townspeople and can see beyond the lies and hypocrisy of the townspeople. The experiences of the people on the scaffold and in the forest lend themselves to a higher issue, appearance vs. reality.In The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne shows how people create their own reality with what they see. The Scaffold is not only a high view point the in market place but a site where one can see beyond the restraints of town and even time.For one person, . . . the scaffold of the pillory was the point of view that revealed to Hester Prynne the entire track which she had been treading since her happy infancy (65).The experience of the scaffold has a profound effect on Hester. Living on the border between the town and the forest, she learns new freedom while seeing the conformist repression of the town.Hester sees what the townspeople ignore.She soon believes that because of her punishment on the scaffold and her perpetual reminder of it, the scarlet letter, she sees the sins of the entire towns and the hypocrisy of keeping them secret.Thus, her time on the scaffold has made her see the truth of the town and its lies. Reverend Dimmesdale has a similar experience on the scaffold.Troubled by his sins and his failure to confess them, the reverend ascends the pillory in the dead of night to confess his sins to the world.Even though no one sees him, Dimmesdale feels . . . all the dread of public exposure that had so long been the anguish of his life . . . nevertheless- he found himself (148).The scaffold is where Dimmesdale first accepts his sin of adultery.His co-sinner, Hester, and their daughter, Pearl, walk by, and the three of them stand on the scaffold together.This is the only safe place, save the outside forest, where the truth is told and accepted.All other times, the illusion is kept up and the secret hid.Pearl remarks to her mother, In the dark nighttime, he calls us to him. . . on the scaffold yonder . . . But here, in the sunny day, among all the people, he knows us not, nor must we know him! (215).Thus, Reverend Dimmesdale is still committed to ignoring the values of truth and going alon g with public perception. The forest is also a location where the truth is not forbidden, but accepted.After Hesters judgement on the scaffold, she and Pearl escape there.The trees of the forest, unlike the people in town, listen to Hester and Pearl and welcome them, sins and all.On the edge of the forest, Hester and Pearl see the town and know that they do not belong there.Their knowledge of the truth is dangerous to the townspeople.Therefore, they choose to live in their own world, free from the perception of the town.Hester is weary of the town, warning Pearl,We must not always talk in the market place of what happens to us in the forest (225). .u739870cb6cd0e62d1170afb95f1444b6 , .u739870cb6cd0e62d1170afb95f1444b6 .postImageUrl , .u739870cb6cd0e62d1170afb95f1444b6 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u739870cb6cd0e62d1170afb95f1444b6 , .u739870cb6cd0e62d1170afb95f1444b6:hover , .u739870cb6cd0e62d1170afb95f1444b6:visited , .u739870cb6cd0e62d1170afb95f1444b6:active { border:0!important; } .u739870cb6cd0e62d1170afb95f1444b6 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u739870cb6cd0e62d1170afb95f1444b6 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u739870cb6cd0e62d1170afb95f1444b6:active , .u739870cb6cd0e62d1170afb95f1444b6:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u739870cb6cd0e62d1170afb95f1444b6 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u739870cb6cd0e62d1170afb95f1444b6 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u739870cb6cd0e62d1170afb95f1444b6 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u739870cb6cd0e62d1170afb95f1444b6 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u739870cb6cd0e62d1170afb95f1444b6:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u739870cb6cd0e62d1170afb95f1444b6 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u739870cb6cd0e62d1170afb95f1444b6 .u739870cb6cd0e62d1170afb95f1444b6-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u739870cb6cd0e62d1170afb95f1444b6:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Diversity Acceptance And The Transgender Population EssayThroughout the novel, the scaffold and forest show up in the book and represent many different things.Their primary function, however, is to provide a driving wedge between those who recognise reality, like Hester and Pearl, and those who only see what they want to see.These people, blindly guided by public perception hide themselves in lies and never confront the truth when it is presented.Even while the dying reverend confesses his sin on the scaffold, the townspeople deny . . . his dying words acknowledged, nor even remotely implied . . .the slightest connection, on his part, with the guilt for which Hester Prynn e had committed (241).Hawthornespoint is clear: there are those who embrace the truth, and those who avoid it at all costs.

Chili Padi free essay sample

I use my nose ring to cut in the lunch line. It shouldnt work, and yet no one confronts me. They would have every right to, but a thin loop of metal in my nose screams â€Å"back off!† and I can sidle smugly in front of them, that much closer to my baked potato. Not exactly towering at 51, and weighing in at about 101 pounds, I would not say that I look threatening. However, there are reasons behind my familys nicknames for me: â€Å"chili padi,† a tiny, but dangerous chili and â€Å"mirchi,† Hindi for a spicy little pepper. I am a child of war. Great and terrible and hate and love and red and violent and passionate. I am the byproduct of a passionate war, of two groups more similar than different but locked in battle and too proud to step down. Misguided by their faith and driven by years of resentment, the battle between the Islamic people rages on. We will write a custom essay sample on Chili Padi or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Muslims fighting Hindus, Muslims fighting Muslims—India is ravaged. Born into the heart of the madness in Sunflower Hospital, Bombay, India in 1993, I too am great and terrible and hate and love and red and violent and passionate. 1993 was the year Islamic fundamentalists bombed the World Trade Center, the Bombay riots killed around 300 people, an earthquake ripped through India killing almost 10,000 and severe flooding claimed countless other lives. It was brutal, although Shiite and Sunni Muslims have clashed violently for years. Islam split down the middle and diverged into the battling sects. Culturally, Sunnis marry Sunnis, Shiites marry Shiites. However, in 1989, my mom—Sunni—and my dad—Shiite—blasted away their differences and married. They mucked up their pure Sunni and pure Shiite families and made mutts. Still, soldiers have to know when to back out of a battle—three years later we left India in search of a new, safer homeland. I left behind the language, Islam, the Bombay heat, and a braying donkey I called Nedi. I left Islam buried in my Nanis soft hug, soft as the words of prayer in Arabic, a language more melodic and calm than any English sound. Bismillah ar-rahman ar-rahim; In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. Feeling natural, it slips off my tongue in a pattern, to a rhythm like the beating of a classic Bombay downpour. I left my memories of it there to pool into a dirty dust-red gutter, to get swirled and swished around with the monsoon rain. We left India. Fierce bravery amidst raging riots and murders and arson was one thing; the strength required to leave home and the entire extended family for a better life was another type of bravery. Their bravery is my strength, my sword and shield in battle. These wars I keep inside are my blood, and it is my peoples blood in these wars. So bring on the stares in the airport, at school in the lunch line, and from everyone elses parents; I will growl right back. Adversity is the looming building that I know to blast out of my way. My parents have shown me to make those thick walls crumble at my feet. I am a god-less, nose-ring wearing, child of war with the temperament like a red-hot fiery chili. Nothing can keep me down.

Eastman Kodak Essay Example

Eastman Kodak Essay Through this slogan formulated by its founder George Eastman, Eastman Kodak Company revolutionized and set off as the pioneer in modern imaging. From its initial introduction of the dry glass plate process technology and machine, Kodak has further introduced novel technologies in imaging, which throughout the years, redefined societys life styles. Through its basic principles of low-cost mass production, extensive advertising, focus on customers and international distribution, Kodak has become one of the worlds most recognized brands with its products becoming the markets beacon for the photographic industry for more than a century now. With the emergence of competition and antitrust concerns, Kodak has evolved, through diversification strategies, into an enormous company catering to pharmaceutical, health care, electrical, computer and chemical products among others. The company, as a consequence, moved away from its core competencies, was unable to compete with its rivals competently and has suffered from heavy losses. As his first move to answer this predicament, newly appointed chief executive officer George MC Fisher has cut down costs and debts through divestiture of non-imaging related business segments. At present, Kodak is engaged primarily in developing, manufacturing and marketing traditional silver-halide photoimaging products, services and solutions for consumers, professionals, healthcare providers, the entertainment industry and other commercial customers. In its continuing thrust to foster long-term growth, development and success, Eastman Kodak Company is now faced with the dilemma to sustain in the mature and slow-growing silver-halide business. In addition, the company is contending with a legion of competitors to achieve and sustain a dominant position in the emerging digital imaging business, which at the moment poses encouraging and promising opportunities. We will write a custom essay sample on Eastman Kodak specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Eastman Kodak specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Eastman Kodak specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Technological Environment. The influx of technological advancements into the photographic marketplace has presented the industry with a unique set of challenges and possibilities. Technological discoveries and enhancements may foster, or even hasten, the growth of the traditional silver-halide market. The Advanced Photo System (APS), for example, a product of technological advancement currently being developed by nig industry players may bring silver-halide-based products into a higher level. In addition, with the onset of digital technology, the industry is faced with chance to expand its business through venturing more into digital imaging which is currently putting forth enticing opportunities. On the downside, considering the electronic nature of the products offered in line with digital imaging (eg. Scanners, printers, etc.), entry of potential competitors, particularly from the electronics group who may have equally competent resources and capabilities, is at a height. As a result, the structure of the industry may be altered. Socio-Cultural Environment. With societys increasing awareness over environmental preservation, possible hindrance in the growth of the players in the industry is present, The film marketed by these companies, as an example, are currently packaged in plastic non-biodegradable tube cases. As a response to environmental concerns and grievances, repackaging using nature-friendly materials may be ensued. This also holds true with single-use cameras (SUCs) which is primarily composed of plastic non-biodegradable materials. Here, companies may either reduce its margin or impose higher prices over its products in repackaging its products to be environmental-friendly brought by a possible increase in its production cost. The markets culture may also impede the entry of global industry players. As an example, with Japans resistance to Western influence and its societys higher preference over locally made products, foreign industry players would most likely have difficulty in penetrating in this geographical segment. In addition, with the fact ascertained that photographic products are usually used in instances of special occasions (eg. weddings, birthdays, holidays, fiestas, etc.), regularity of celebration of these occasions would deeply affect the demand of the products. Economic Environment. The global scale of the photographic market presents some threats to its core business. Sales in its geographical segments would generally differ according to a countrys economic state. Sluggish economy or economies under recession would decrease sales as a result of delayed spending on leisure goods?. In addition to the state of the economy, tariff and foreign trade laws may render leisure good spending in lull brought by higher prices as a result of the duties imposed on the goods. Tourism economy, as a whole, has a direct effect on the industry. As the number of tourists increase, usage of photographic materials would most likely increase demand. Legal or Political Environment. Legal influences may hamper the growth of some players in the industry. Antitrust laws, for example, may limit expansion of industry players through its provisions. On the brighter side, however, this may protect the position of a company in the market. This holds true in the case of Kodak and Polaroid in the late 1980s when Kodak engaged into marketing instant cameras. Foreign laws, in addition, in its move to protect local firms, may thwart the entry of global producers in its market. Furthermore, patent and proprietary rights laws would deter firms to expand, venture, and produce patented products. Threat of New Entrants. With great barriers, the threat of new entrants in the industry is at a low level. This is brought about by the sizeable investment required in procuring manufacturing equipments for a potential entrant. Furthermore, marketing costs are also high for these entrants for it to be able to topple down existing players or even penetrate the market. This is in view of the current industry players, which if characterized, are established and successfully positioned in the market obtaining brand loyalty. Also, with the length of these companies operations in mind, they have been riding down the experience curve; as a result, economies of scale and cost advantage have already been achieved. In addition, prospecting players must introduce into the market differentiated products that are more enhanced than that offered by existing players, which would require it to spend a substantial amount in research and development projects. However, with the emerging digital imaging in view, the risk posed by potential industry entrants may be shifted from a low level to a moderate one. This is in view, as stated in the earlier part, of the electronic nature of some products offered by the digital imaging technology which has the possibility of attracting electronic companies who may possess capabilities and competencies that could equal or even exceed that of the current industry players. Rivalry Among Established Competitors. Firms under the photographic industry operate in an oligopolistic environment were few of the member firms share dominance such as Eastman Kodak, Agfa and Fuji Films. Competition among these firms is at a fierce level given the fact of its slow-growth particularly in the traditional silver-halide photography. Here, with demand conditions at a moderate level of progress, firms closely compete to capture and increase market share through price wars. Exit barriers within the industry is at a high level as well contributing to the intense rivalry among industry players. Bargaining Power of Buyers. The influence set forth by the buyers in the industry is at a moderate degree. Though products offered by the firms in the industry have attained brand loyalty, cost advantage and economies of scale and has a lesser threat of substitute products (further discussions to be made in the later part), still, firms are forced by buyers to bargain for lower prices by the quantity of their purchase?. In addition, with price wars evident among industry players, buyers take advantage on playing off with these firms to obtain cheaper costs or even present a threat of providing for a lesser shelf space. Bargaining Power of Suppliers. The pressure exerted by the suppliers over the firms in the industry is at a low degree. Silver, for example, a major raw material in the industry is widely available. It is evidenced with the fact that in the past years, no direct relationship can be established that price of the commodity has been affected by fluctuations in the availability and price of raw materials. In fact, the photographic industry consumes about one-fourth of the global demand for silver. Furthermore, with the high level of availability of packaging materials, in this case plastic tubes and canisters, and boxes, bargaining power of suppliers is at a lesser scale. Threat of Substitute Products. With high switching cost to substitute products, in this case video cameras, a low extent of threat is shown. Aside from the cost factor, accessibility of outputs and simplicity of operation ensure the industry of low level of preference toward substitutes. Here, pictures can easily be obtained and seen without the use of any other devices, unlike videotapes which requires videocassette players for it to be viewed. In addition, cameras are more preferred than video recorders or cameras with the fact that video recorders are more complex in operation as compared with cameras. As a part of a hyperactive competitive environment, Eastman Kodak must be able to efficiently and effectively strategize in order for it to be able to sustain its position in all areas of the market, existing and emerging alike. However, the success of the companys adopted strategy would depend upon the reaction of its competitors; thus, it is imperative that in its strategies, competitors competitive profile must be given proper consideration. Kodak is faced with a legion of competitors; among which, Polaroid, Agfa, Fuji and Konica pose as the major rivals of the company. Polaroid. Between the latter mentioned competitor, Polaroid shows the lesser degree of competition with the fact that Kodak is unable to directly compete in the instant photo imaging business as a result of a previously ruled antitrust lawsuit. As a result, competition between the two companies would be on attracting and capturing the markets preference between instant photography and traditional silver-halide imaging. Agfa. Agfa, known as the Kodak of Europe for its typically the same business strategy, enjoys dominance over the European market. As the second largest chemical manufacturing company, the company offers its products (particularly in its developing equipment and imaging business) at a lower price compared to that of its competitors through the concept of vertical integration a strategy previously enjoyed by Kodak until the time it has divested of its chemical manufacturing business, Eastman Chemicals, in 1993?. Its current move to increase market share in the US market through its advertisement campaign of free film rolls clearly shows the seriousness of the company to compete with Kodak. In addition, with its less-priced products at hand, the company demonstrates a greater degree of competition for Kodak. Fuji Photo Film Company. Among its competitors, Fuji presents to be the closest rival of Kodak. With its product offerings at the same nature with that of Kodak, the degree of their rivalry may also be evidenced by the continued battle of lawsuits. The fierce competition between these firms stem from Fujis offering of low-priced films which stirred and reduced Kodaks market share by 10%. Also, Fujis strong foothold in the Japanese market which hampered Kodaks position and made the latter felt in an unfair situation contributed to the perceived battle. Recently, in its move to topple over Kodak, Fuji moved for an establishment of a US division focusing solely on digital imaging. Through this move, the company will be able to market products which it has already offered in its Japanese market. Furthermore, it has proposals of hooking-up with computer companies for its products to be integrated in computer systems. These, among others, present a more pronounced competition for Kodak. Other Competitors. Aside from the earlier discussed companies, Konica is another competitor of Kodak in the imaging business. It has been said that together with Agfa and Fuji, Konica was able to decrease Kodaks market share in the traditional imaging and photofinishing business. Though at a lesser degree, private label films also compete with Kodak. Other competitors of Kodak are camera manufacturers such as Canon, Minolta, and Olympus. With the dawn of digital imaging, electronic and computer companies agitates competition to be stiffer.

Can you revise some grammers and make good transitions between paragraphs

Can you revise some grammers and make good transitions between paragraphs? And also, find what causes gang and gun violence in school(with some quotations with bibliography:web address) and added in some where in my essay. In an era of the rising concern over public school violence, the controversy over the importance of mandatory uniform policy has been brought up as a debatable issue. Because of the controversial nature of this matter, those educators who advocate the uniform policy and those who condemn it are speaking out. One of the reasons that this issue was brought up is the degradation of school environment. Once considered sanctuaries of innocence and learning, American schools today are often perceived as dangerous places. The public recently has been busy by images of children shooting classmates and teachers, leading to fears that violence is becoming a horrifying "trend" in schools across the nation. Today, the main problems that cause school violence are gangs, firearms, and weapons. To reduce school crimes and enhance academic environment, some parents and school administrators, who believe that the uniforms will reduce gang activities, suggested enforcing the mandatory uniform p! olicy. However, their beliefs are misguided because the uniforms have no effects in contributing to a safer school environment; in addition, the uniforms bring further complex problems such as violation of the civil rights and economical problems. Instead of implementing mandatory uniform policy that causes additional problems besides school crimes, schools and the communities need to provide wiser procedures such as providing alternatives to gangs, restricting mass gun sales, and creating a visible law enforcement presence in the schools. These methods, unlike mandatory uniform policy, will not only prevent but also help in bringing an end to school violence. The leading cause of school violence in public schools today is ga...

What is nursing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

What is nursing - Essay Example lling a vital role within a given industry or business, the definition of nursing that has been laid out above strictly differs from the definition or â€Å"scope† that many jobs may have (Azuri et al., 2014). As a means of understanding this and delineating what the specific responsibilities and expectations are for nurses, the following analysis will seek to engage the reader with a more profound and nuanced interpretation of what the nurse actually does and how they are expected to fulfill their unique role within the medical community. Through such a discussion, it is the further hope of this student that the reader will be able to come to a more informed understanding of the role of the nurse and how this vital position serves to strengthen the outreach and scope that the medical community has. A discussion of what defines a nurse would not be complete without briefly discussing some of the roles and responsibilities that nurses have. Although the following will not be an exhaustive list, as such a list might require a dissertation length response, the core responsibilities that will be defined are generally shared amongst most nurses. Firstly, the nurse is required to directly interact with the patient and gather information that the medical professional, whether a doctor, PA, or other professional, can utilize as a means of addressing issues relating to the health of the patient and their future prognosis. In such a way, the nurse is oftentimes required to engage in a physical exam or a discussion with the patient; as a means of categorizing and seeking to provide actionable information to the doctor or PA (Christiansen et al., 2013). In a more direct sense, nurses are oftentimes required to provide health counseling and education. Although this is sometimes overlooked, in lieu of the fact that this is an expectation of a doctor, the fact of the matter is that a nurse’s extensive medical training prepares him/her to counsel patients with regard to

Identify the ethical issues within the field of Information Technology Essay

Identify the ethical issues within the field of Information Technology - Essay Example A number of ethical concerns are associated with implementing the proposed integration project. Firstly, Accounting software, Graphic design software, operating systems, and virus guards can be purchased from unauthorized venders at a lower price. This is an act of violating laws regarding copy right, patents and trade secret. In addition using low price software which closely resembles the originals is also unethical. Such software can be associated with plagiarism, reverse engineering, open source code and cybersquatting(Ethics in Information Technology - Auburn University). Secondly, employees are responsible for using firm’s computers, internet facility, software and other appliances solely for the purpose of fulfilling the duties assigned to them. This is important to increase firm’s productivity (431). Workers are also expected to avoid unauthorized using of firm’s computers and confidential data. Accounting firm’s administration cannot rely only on trust for security issues like this while in the process of integrating with a different firm. On the one hand employees of two firms adapt to changing organizational structure after a certain time period. Organizational disputes can happen during this time period (Schein, 2004 ). On the other hand newly established firm has a larger number of employees. Firms use low cost and convenient IT solutions to monitor and supervise a large number of employees. New computers that are provided under this project will be linked via a computer network system. This shared network system can be used to obtain high speed internet facility to all the computers in firm. There are unauthorized means of using shared internet connections. Ethical procedure is purchasing an appropriate package from an Internet Service Provider. Networking is also important for increasing resource use efficiency of the firm such as printers (314). In addition, accessing to websites such as Facebook, YouTube eBay and

Business Forms Evaluation and Recommendation Essay - 1

Business Forms Evaluation and Recommendation - Essay Example If Betty decides to take in someone else, then the form would be some kind of partnership, or a corporation, or a limited liability company or LLC, all of them valid legal business forms, and all of them placing some level of liability on the individual persons forming the business when it comes to being answerable to their customers and suppliers. Given that Betty does not seem to have that much experience with running a coffee business, then it seems to make sense, given the options available, to form the business as a franchise. Moreover, for reasons that are to be explored further in the other questions, the best form is one where Betty runs the business as a single proprietorship (Spadea, Lanard & Lignana, n.d.; Sanders and Lambert, 2007). There are several options for â€Å"partners† or people to take in by Betty into the business. John, her husband, is one, ready to supply some capital for the business. Alice, the sister of Betty, is another. Erma, Betty's neighbor, is yet another, though she is not Christian. The religious inclination is one consideration in choosing someone if one is to make an assumption with regard to how religious inclination translates to business, moral and related values. Other issues, such as the level of commitment and energy that the different people options are ready to pour into the business, also matter. As well, domestic issues that can limit involvement and can constitute a conflict of interest are also pertinent considerations. None of the three options or â€Å"partners† are completely free of issues. John has the money, but will not commit any time or attention to the business. It helps though that he is the significant person in Betty's life, being the husband. That vital relationship can make up for any lack of commitment in terms of giving time to operate the business. Alice, meanwhile, while potentially committed and  willing to give time and effort to operate the business with Betty, is constrained by a conflict of interest, the other party being family.

Teaching language functions

Teaching language functions Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are many different languages in our world that are different. And each language has its rule. Language function is a part of the language. Also, each language has its function, which is used to communicate. Moreover, language function makes us to communicate correctly. If we dont know about language function, the sentences that we talk to other people will not complete. Although they can understand, but it can change the meaning. As we are teachers, we should be careful in teaching the function of language because if we teach a wrong function, it means that the students will receive a wrong language system, too. Therefore, the teachers should be careful about the usage of verbs or tenses, phrases, structures and vocabulary because these are the main factors that we can make our students to write or speak English correctly. Nowadays, there are many ways to teach the students to learn language functions. Some students th ink that language functions are boring. Then, they dont want to learn. However, we should use the better teaching technique for our students.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Parker (2009) suggests that function is what the language used in language learning such as requesting, apologizing, ordering etc.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In my view, I think that the function of the language is something to control the meaning or expression of the communication. The language functions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When we talk about language functions, we are talking about the reason we use a language. Basically, the function of language is used for communication; we use the language to give and receive messages between ourselves. We can break this down into language functions. When we communicate with language, we can:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Compare and Contrast   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Make a complaint   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Express love or anger   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Persuade someone   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Give advice   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ask for something   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ask for something politely   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hide the truth (lie)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Warm   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Give information   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Explain a process   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Apportion blame   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Avoid saying anything and so on.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Each language function can be associated with certain grammatical forms. For example, we often use modal verbs in a polite situation,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Might I borrow your pen?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Compare this to when the language function is one of demanding:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Give me your pen!   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Although each language function deals with one main communicative need, it can cover different situations.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  For example, Asking for information directions can be used not only in the context of tourists finding their way round town, but also with new employees who need to find their bearings in a large firm. The same goes for Instructing others. Here the relevant language will be about giving orders, making strong suggestions etc. these can be used at work and also outside work at a hotel, when hiring a car, ordering a meal, etc. There are 3 types of the language function such as:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  First of all, informative languages function: essentially, the communication of information. They are: The informative function affirms or denies propositions, as in science or the statement of a fact. This function is used to describe the word or reason about it. These sentences have a truth value. The sentences are either true or false. Secondly, expressive languages function: reports feelings or attitudes of the writer or speaker, or of the subject.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  For examples: Poetry and literature are among the best examples, but much of, perhaps most of, ordinary language discourse is the expression of emotions, feelings or attitudes. Two main aspects of this function are generally noted: evoking, certain feelings and expressing feelings. The last one, directive languages function: language used for the purpose of causing overt action. The directive function is most commonly found in commands and requests. Directive language is not normally considered true or false. Example of this function: Close the windows. The sentence Youre smoking in a nonsmoking area, although declarative, can be used to mean Do not smoke in this area. How to teach language functions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The teacher should understand with the function of language clearly. In teaching, the teacher must give the students an example in each function. Moreover, the teacher may give them a situation that they can express the language function. For example: a student is at the restaurant, she wants to order something for her lunch. What will she say to a waiter? This is an example that the teacher may give to their students to think what the girl will say in order to order something. Therefore; ordering food is a function language.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Parker (2009) explains that introducing students to the function of language, the teacher can give them to perform tasks or talk about the past, present, or future. Although, the beginner level can learn how to greet people. The important thing to remember when teaching function language, the teacher should: Remember that the function does not appear in isolation. A request, or incitation, needs a reply. So, to give the students for a task, the teacher should teach in appropriate pairs. Intonation is very important in speaking English when the function of language is presented. The tone in speaking and emphasis is just as important as the particular choice of words. For example, Could I have your attention, please? It is used when we speak in class, even though it is spoken as a request, is a demand. Could I have the spaghetti? Which is spoken in a restaurant, would be a polite request. Remember the aspect of appropriacy. It is very important that the students must be careful of different situations which either for called formal English or allowed for a less formal option. In a restaurant, Can I have the spaghetti? It is less polite than Could I have the spaghetti, please?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Moreover, he says that one function can have many different language functions. Here are the examples of different functions: If you say anything, I will tell your parents. (Function-Threat/Warning) Ill do the hovering, if you do the washing up. (Function-Negotiation) Ill go to the shops for you. (Function-Offer)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  And one function can be expressed using several different language structures. For example: If I were you, Id .. (2nd conditional) Why dont you (Present tense question negative) You should / ought . (Modal/auxiliary verb)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In addition, to teach a language function, the teacher may give the students some tasks or talk with them about the situations. The teacher should allow the students to study in the role play. In each situation, the students ought to tell the functions of language. To do like this will help the teacher knows the students ability in using language function. Examples of language function.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There is an example of teaching language function for students that I have planned to teach about these topics. In each topic, I write the functions of language that they will learn. Topics Functions There are example situations to use language function at various places. Introductions and commands.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Vocabulary   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Im I am   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Its It is   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Lets Let us   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Dont Do not The examples tasks.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Whats the real meaning?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The dialogue below shows the different exchange between the student and teacher.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ann: I can hear the phone.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Paul: Im watching TV. Student: Why does Paul say Im watching TV? Teacher: Because hes is doing it now- at the moment of speaking. Student: But John is there he can see that Ann is having her lunch. Teacher: Exactly. Its happening now. Student: But why? The feedback The teacher does not focus on the functional meaning of Pauls utterance. In this context, Paul is making an excuse Im not going to answer the phone because Im having my lunch. It is only focused on the grammatical meaning of the structure Paul uses, does not to make this clear. Key Skill Understanding the underlying social meaning of certain utterances is at the heart of functional language. We often use language because we want to perform some kind of communicative act like making a request or offering advice. The expressions that we use to achieve this are known as functional exponents. Research According to Saichon Deeprasit, research on Analysis of Language Functions of Authentic Materials Based on Communicative Language Teaching. The purpose of this research was to analyze the language functions of authentic materials which had not been developed for educational purpose. Authentic materials were firstly analyzed into themes, topics and sub topics. Then their language functions were analyzed and developed six lesson plans for high school students. She used 70 authentic materials which were analyzed within 12 themes and the language functions were analyzed following 6 language function groups and 6 lesson plans were developed according to the highest frequency of occurrences found in each language function group. The language functions of imparting and seeking factual information; reporting including describing and narrating were the highest frequency of occurrences (84.29) From the research, it was found that in teaching language function, the students need to report, describe and narrate. It is a secondary research because the researcher has study from the language functions of authentic materials. (Saichon: Analysis of Language Functions of Authentic Materials Based on Communicative Language Teaching) Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  From this research I think that it is very important for the teacher in teaching language function because it is based on communication. Most of the students do not understand with the function of language. Sometime, the students dont know when they are used in the situation and how they should talks with a receiver.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In my research, there are about the meaning of language functions, how to teach language functions and the examples of language functions. I am teaching grade 11 and the English textbook consists of 8 language functions, Introducing people, Giving an opinion, Giving directions, Making arrangements, Making a phone call, In a cafà ©, Buying a train ticket, and Giving advice. My students can communicate in English from these various situations both inside and outside classroom. They know not only what functions they can use with those situations, but also the language culture. For example, they can tell the tourist the way to Nong Prajak Park, or they can introduce their new friends to a foreign teacher. They also understand the appropriateness in using the language in formal or informal way. To illustrate, they said, May I come in, please? to get a permission from the teacher to enter the class whereas they said, Can I use your pen? to their friends. Besides, they can use the certain vocabulary according to the situations. They use the word, pay attention which means to be interested in. On the contrary, pay a lot of mon ey which means to spend money. Through my learning experience with Ajarn Steve Graham, language functions have benefited me in various ways. First of all, I can communicate in various situations by using the knowledge from the classroom to apply using them in reality. Moreover, on reading skill, I can cope with skimming, scanning, or even speed reading. In addition, on writing skill, I can express my ideas, agree or disagree from the articles both in the textbook and the one on his website, Harmony at all cost? Secondly, the comic section interests me in choosing the characters and making the dialogue which I think I wont have a chance to create this language function by myself. Most importantly, I have a good opportunity to express my opinion and discuss the interesting topics such as the educational system in Thailand and I can produce the target language from reading and writing skills through speaking skill. Language function is one of the major factors that ESL students need to learn. The potential communication has been created from the classroom first and the most success will consequently happen in the real world. References Alison Parker (2009). Why teach functions?. Retrieved December 26,2009, from http://www.teflengland.co.uk/blog.asp?blogid=26 Retrieved December 25, 2009 from http://schoolofTESL.com http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_the_functions_of_the_Engish_language H.G.Widdowson(1978). Teaching language as communication. Oxpford University press. Saichon Deeprasit. Analysis of Language Functions of Authentic Materials Based on Communicative Language Teaching. Chiang Mai University.

Privatization In Russia Essay -- essays research papers

For some, the privatization of Russian industry has been one of the great success stories of Russia’s painful economic transition: quick, firm and radical action was taken to shift the great bulk of Russian industry out of state hands, thereby laying the basis for a radical restructuring of enterprises and improvements in their performance. Others see privatization as a best a failure, at worst a catastrophe. Not surprisingly those opposed to the market and economic reform as a whole share this view. But many commentators who see themselves as supporters of reform find plenty in Russian privatization to criticize: the process led to the transfer of ownership to inappropriate people and as a consequence no beneficial restructuring of enterprises or the economy can be expected. While this paper will attempt to cover the three key facets of privatization: that enterprises be transferred to private ownership; that the new owners be able de jure and de facto to exercise ownership rights; and, finally and ultimately most importantly, that the new owners exercise their ownership rights in such a way as to bring about improvements in enterprise performance. The key issues to be surveyed, therefore, are: who as a result of privatization obtained ownership of Russian industrial assets, and are they appropriate owners; can new owners, particularly if they are appropriate owners, exercise their ownership rights; and has privatization led to improvements in enterprise performance? The paper will deal with privatization only within the industrial sector; thereby ignoring the highly controversial privatization’s of the last twelve months or so in the energy and utility sectors. Who are the new owners? Global data showing about 70% of GNP being produced in the private sector reflects the high levels of privatization of industrial enterprises, with the great bulk of enterprises having been privatized by mid-1994. However privatization does not necessarily mean the complete removal of the state from an equity involvement in enterprises. State ownership. The state retains shareholdings in a significant number of privatized enterprises on the basis of government decrees declaring the ‘strategic significance for national security’ of the enterprise. Shareholdings range from 20 to 51 per cent or a Golden Share (a single share giving veto rights over certain strategic iss... ...nagers does not stand up. The indications are that they knew what they were doing and judged that outside owners would eventually assert themselves. Gradually they are doing so, and gradually they are improving their ability to exercise and enforce their ownership rights. Sometimes they are doing so in ways that are no less reprehensible than the methods of the manager-owners. There are also reasons to be concerned about the long-term consequences of the sort of bank-dominated and highly integrated ownership that many of the outsiders have brought. The best that can be said at this stage is that all modern economies have at their peak a corporate sector dominated by large integrated institutions. Clearly the private sector, and thereby privatization, has to bear some responsibility for an economy in which it has a 70% share but which is unable to provide in anything like adequate proportions growth or welfare. But in this there are other factors also at work. Indeed there are some small indications, at both macro- and micro-levels, of a positive correlation between private ownership and good performance. With time that correlation could well become stronger and more evident.

Political Determinants Affecting the HK Insurance Market Essay

Introduction This part of the paper will analyse the external environment of HK insurance market through the use of PESTEL and Five Forces Analysis. PESTEL Analysis It can be noted that the HK Insurance market has always been dependent on international business climate as well as its product cycles. Consequently, the HK Insurance market has been deliberated as one of the growing industries throughout the years. The following figure shows the analysis of the political, economical, socio-cultural and technological, legal and environmental attributes and determinants affecting HK Insurance market. Figure 1 PESTLE Analysis Political| Economical| Socio-Cultural| * Taxation Policy of Hong Kong * Foreign trade Regulations * Political status and condition of Hong Kong and the global market| * Product life cycles * Business Cycles * Rate of unempoyment * Disposable income| * Lifestyle of the target market * Income distribution * Cultural diversity| Technological| Legal| Environmental| * Rapid transition in technology * Speed of technological transfer| * Laws and regulations about that covers apparel industries * Following regulations in the foreign trade| * Awareness of environmental protection * Existence of Green Products| One of the political determinants that affect HK Insurance market is the diverse taxations which surrounds Hong Kong market which lead to re-imports. In this regard, the vehicles are being bought overseas, re-imported to the locale market which influence the price of the product. In the period of economical issues, clients do not substitute their financial and insurance products and services offerings. On one hand, there are some insurance firms which are common in the market environment which expresses a new way of providing their services to their clients. In line with technological determinants, HK Insurance market nowadays is being quiker in line with the business standards as well as considers information system for data records management. In addition, so as to cope with the environmental determinants, further consolidation of the HK Insurance market is expected and consideration of insurance products must be given emphasis. Aside from PESTLE analysis, the HK Insurance market will also be analysed through the consideration of Porter’s five Forces model. 1. Suppliers. In the case of the insuranceindustry, speficifically in the current objectives and plans of HK Insurance market, decision-makers of the corporation must have a clear comprehenson of the business dynamics in which employees are directly involved in. Such consider the employees’ concentration or and core corporate interests, diversity of the products as well as the designs being offered as well as the alternative resources that are accessible for the HK Insurance market in terms of business partnerships. Hence, it is most proper to build win–win relationships with employees or have an agreement on the use of multiple employees in array to protect the interests of both ends. 2. Power of BuyersThe power of clients/buyer s describes the implicate clients/buyer s/buyer ss have on an industry. When buyer power is robust, the relationship to the producing industry becomes closer tomarket conditions wherein the buyer has the most influence in shaping the price. In this regard, the insurance company should be able to provide the need of their clients specifically in lique with information system. 3. New Entrants and Barriers of Entry. The plausibility of new corporations entering the industry influences the pace of the industrial competition. Therefore, the key is to analyse the entry technique as well as exit approach of the new player to the HK Insurance market. Although any corporation must be able to enter and exit the sector, each industry presents diverse degrees of complexity influenced by economics. In terms of insurance market. 4. Substitutes. â€Å"Substitute products† as those that is accessible in other industries that meet an identical or similar demand for the end user. As more substitutes become obtainable as well as price affordable, the demand becomes more elastic since clients/buyer s/buyer ss have more optonss. The threat of substitutes often implicates price-based competition since substitute products may restrict the capability of corporations within an industry to raise prices and improve margins. 5. Industry Competitors. A considerable number of corporations have developed into an essential part of the period of global competition, increasing enhancement, enhanced corporate paradigms, and corporate restructure. The continuous transition from the conventional corporate framework with its hierarchical corporations to a worldwide, knowledge-founded financial system as well as intelligent corporations demands business management to realign and relocate its techniques (Oliver, 1997). Along with the intense marketing nowadays, corporations are faced with the challenge to sustain their own competitive edge so as to survive and be successful. Techniques and marketing tactics are carefully planned and executed to gain the ultimate goal of all: corporation growth (Porter, 1990). Among the HK Insurance market player the management of each company should be able to sustain their competencies. Reference Oliver, C 1997, â€Å"Sustainable competitive advantage: Combining institutional and resource-Based views. †Ã‚  Strategic Management Journal18(9): 697-713. Porter, ME, 1980,  Competitive Strategy: Techniques for Analyzing Industries and Competitors, Free Press, New York.

4 Devices That Will Turn Reading English Writing Books into Pleasure

4 Devices That Will Turn Reading English Writing Books into Pleasure 4 Devices That Will Turn Reading English Writing Books into Pleasure Every avid reader has had to deal with cramps in their hands from holding English writing books for too long, squinting in the dark to finish just one more chapter, trying to fit a hefty book into a small bag, and struggled to get comfortable while reading. For some people, the digital age of books is a wonder, but others prefer to hold the paper in their hands. Just as writers who like using pen and paper instead of writing via computer software. This article describes devices that can help with different reading mediums; so whatever your preference is, you are sure to learn about something that you’ll like. Tablets From Kindles to Nooks, e-readers to apps, digital versions of books seem to be taking over the mainstream. While some rejoice at this, others aren’t too comfortable with the idea of a book that needs to be charged. Other people are concerned with the price of these tablets, but these sceptics may not know what they are missing out. Many tablets include backlights, making reading in the dark easier. Also they are lighter and thinner than the average book, making them an easy carriage. Dead batteries are rarely an issue, as most tablets hold a decent charge and recharge quickly when needed. As for the price, the average Kindle sells for around $100-200. While this can seem pricey, Amazon offers free book downloads, making the purchase worth the cost. Lights Reading lights have come a long way in recent years. With these new products, a person can read in bed without waking up their partner. Child can read under the covers without their parents knowing that they’re still up. Some gadgets that can help with this are book lights that can be attached to the book like a mini-lap, reading glasses with built in lights, and page illuminators that light up the page you are on. Stands Comfort has always been a big issue when it comes to reading, but luckily, there are products that can make holding a book- or having something else hold it for you- much easier. One comfortable product is the pillow stand, a book holder that looks and feels like a pillow. Book chairs and tablet stands (applicable to both books and tablets) stabilize your book just the way you need it. This is sure to make reading more comfortable for anyone. Bookmarks So far, this article has consisted of practical book accessories, but there are plenty of fun things you can get to enhance your reading. Digital bookmarks are great for kids who have trouble reading as much as they should. All the parent needs to do is set the timer and leave their kids alone to read. Another cool bookmark can also work as a highlighter, making it easier for people to keep track of what line they are on. Many book apps and tablets also have features that allow the reader to use virtual bookmarks and highlighters to keep track of where they are and what they think is interesting in the book. There are new gadgets coming out every day that can turn   reading into an easier, comfier, and, generally, more enjoyable activity. The most important part of reading is having a good time while doing it. There’s hardly a point in picking up a book or a tablet if you aren’t going to enjoy it. In the end, it hardly matters which means the person uses to read, as long as they keep on reading. The devices listed above can be great tools to assist with reading, helping seasoned readers keep it up, and encouraging new readers to get started. At English paper writing service you can get instant writing assistance from experienced academic writers.

The Detrimental Character Iago in essays

The Detrimental Character Iago in essays In the drama Othello, there is no character in all of Shakespeare's plays so full of deceitful power and poison as Iago. He is envious of Michael Cassio and suspects that Othello has wronged his honor; but his malignancy is all out of proportion even to his alleged motives, through which he shows his ambivalence of nature. Allowing this green-eyed monster, envy, and jealousy, to get the best of him, will ultimately lead to his downfall. During most of the Play, the audience finds itself constantly trying to find a motive for Iagos actions but finds none that can justify him deceiving Othello. Despite Iagos recognizing that, indeed, the Moor is of a free and open nature (1.3.381), he still does despise him. Iago has to be examined closer to discover his motives: of course, he is jealous of Cassios appointment as Othellos lieutenant, and this jealousy is an ultimate irony in itself as he later mocks Othello for his own jealousy, having given in to the green-eyed monster. There are a lso Iagos blatant racial slurs and his obvious hatred towards Othello, as well as his paranoia regarding the supposed infidelity of his wife, And it is thought abroad that twixt my sheets hes [Othellos] done my office (1.3.369). However, the latter excuse may seem less reasonable, considering that Iago also utters later that he believes that Cassio has also slept with his wife. "O, Beware, my lord, of jealousy! It is the green-eyed monster (3.3.195-96)..."If a monster with green eyes were coming at an individual, what would one do? The answer of course, depends on the circumstances of that particular person. Would one permit the green-eyed monster to conquer his or her own mind, and control his or her every move? In this case the green-eyed monster would indeed be jealousy. Iago, for example, was prejudice towards the African American, Ot...

Diffusion of new financial system in MHM Organization Assignment

Diffusion of new financial system in MHM Organization - Assignment Example But with the concept of globalization, the entire landscape of the accounting system in business changed. Every organization computerised their accounting system that reduced the work time considerably. Today almost every Multi National Company relies on modern accounting software and telecommunicating of accounting information to different units for running the business successfully and reaching clients all over the world. The company MHM is one of the chief suppliers of electrical equipments and it is currently operating in Qatar. The company was established in the year 1972 and it has also diversified in to other sectors including manufacturing, facilities management, contracting, and contracting. The company has the capability of handling large volume projects with limited assistance from third party. The strategic aim of the company is to empower the present electrical industry of Qatar with quality, technical expertise, and competitive price. The company has favorable attitude towards globalization and it also believes that with the introduction of new technology in various sectors, the opportunity to improve existing processes also increases. This is because with new investment in various sectors, foreign technological expertise and advice is also accessible (Harvie and Lee, 2002, p.172). The up gradation from old ways of paper based record keeping into automated software based entry manage systems is both challenging as well as rewarding. It is challenging in the sense that the company might face hostility from their employees who are not comfortable with technological advancements (Seacord, Plakosh, and Lewis, 2003, pp.1-2). Even till date there are some sections in the society that believes that machines can take over their jobs. Such negative sentiments have the potential to become a hurdle in the way of achieving company’s objectives in the long run. Hence it is important for the company to take care of such problems and provide proper traini ng to employees first so that the company does not face any opposition from the employees of the company (Hite and William, 2006, pp.22-25). The replacement of old fusion paper ways of financial recording into modernized computer software based recording is rewarding in the sense that automated record keeping reduces the time required for paper works significantly. Traditional ways of record keeping, especially in double entry system, required consistency which often led to clerical errors of accounting. In the automated systems, the computerized software has the ability to store or transfer the documents as per stored formats. The documents are saved and updated automatically whenever any changes are made or any transaction take place. At the same time the chances of losing important business critical document reduces as all the important data will be stored in centralized database. This would in turn also minimize the security requirements and the man hours of works taken by the a ccountants (Nobles, Scott, and McQuaig, 2012, pp.237-238). Strategic Role of New Technology The company’s business operations include Electrical showrooms, Facility Management, Electrical Switchgear Manufacturer, and along with this the company is also involved in MEP Contracting

Journal entry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Journal entry - Essay Example They will also be motivated to deliver the work on time and ensure that they make the best use of time. To this end, new entries could be added to the existing journal as follows: The budget of the project is a reflection of the resources that are going to be put into the project. This shall not be in terms of monetary spending alone. Rather, several areas of the project that demand human resource, capital resource, time resource and energy resource have all been factored into the budget. Again, the budget does not only make a representation of the needed resources that are going to be invested into the project but expected income is also featured. On the whole, the procurement of equipment is expected to be the component of the project that will have a lot of drain on the budget. This is because only brand new machine parts are going to be purchased. Moreover, spending to be made by the staff is also expected to put a lot of financial on the budget. In all, sale of the engines to be produced will be the major source of capital for the project. The development of the project budget goes with the following entries in the journal: Calculating estimated income that the project will eventually yield when it is completed. The income shall be dictated by factors including time of completion, quality of project and number of pieces of equipment made. As already hinted, the quality of the project will go a long way to determine the income that the project is going to yield. This is because in today’s competitive world where value for money has become the order of the day, consumers and customers of good and products expect nothing less than absolute quality. This is a demand that puts the team under pressure to ensure maximum adherence to quality restrictions. To this end, there shall be a special review to the quality management plan that has already been structured to take care of management of quality issues in the project. The new modification shall

Case Study -Ethics and Professional Practice Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

-Ethics and Professional Practice - Case Study Example The basic ethical principles are respect, empowerment, protection, responsibility and commitment. Every professional practice is shaped by its own ethics and codes of conduct that are expected of those who practice it. The police have a duty to protect themselves and other people considered vulnerable in society such as children and have the responsibility to carry the burden brought about by their conduct (Kleinig, 1997). In the case of Kelly Woods, there are various ethical issues that do arise, which challenge the practice of the policeman. Physical assault is ethically wrong of a father does that to intentionally inflict pain to a child. However, the problem comes when parenting roles conflict with family wrangles. The suspension of the young boy from school following his possession of porn and a pocket knife is an ethically right practice that is in line with rules and regulation of schooling. The child was to be punished but not assaulted. Ethics for parenting were thus broken by the father. The filing for a case five years after the assault case is questionable given that it is done with the assistance of the mother yet the two are separated. There could be possibilities of the young person evading future punishment due to his juvenile deliquesce and on the other hand, the mother might be silently pushing for child custody without putting her intentions clear. In the above case, there are possibilities that the police, in their faithful duty to serve the public, are being used unethically to settling personal scores. This is a case that calls for further investigation and avoid looking at things from one point of view. Cases such as these are normally complicated because the parents normally go to extreme options when seeking to take custody of kids. One ethical issue that normally stands out in such circumstances as has been seen in this case of Kelly Woods is the fact that children normally take advantage of

Customer Value Essay Example for Free

Customer Value Essay Customer Value can be explained in simple terms by knowing the difference between what the customer gets from the product/service and what he or she has to exchange in order to get it (may be money). It is very important for any company in the market to understand this difference; if failed to do so, this can be one of the biggest reasons for the product/service failure in the market. According to many researchers, in this ever growing world of technology and social media the organization’s inability of establishing unique and convincing value to their products/services is the main reason for its failure. Keeping its importance in mind, many companies tries to understand what is their customer valuing. However, this can also be one of the most difficult things to understand. There are many factors causing it to be difficult for the marketers overcome this issue. However, for this task we will focus 3 main aspects. Firstly, every customer values different product/service differently. It might be situational or might be only for a definite period of time. Secondly, the market itself! Technology and economic nature change the pace of the global market. With the competition aggressive as never seen before, it is important for the marketers to change their strategies with the ever changing market. Thirdly, some internal factors which make it difficult for organization to bring in customer value. Gist of Customer Value No one has made it clearer of this word â€Å"Customer Value† concisely than Lamb et al. (2008, 2009) who wrote, â€Å"Customer Value is the relationship between benefits and the sacrifice necessary to obtain those benefits. Which means – if a product is of very good quality and is only obtained by paying a very high price will not be considered as of value by the customers, just like a low quality product which can be purchased for cheap price; but a value of a product is only seen by a customer when the quality of the product meets their expectation at an affordable price. Let’s take an example of coffee; some people love to drink coffee at Starbucks which may cost $10 and some people like to drink coffee from a local coffee shop which may only cost $4. Now, people who drinks coffee at Starbucks expects them to use premium offee beans (Arabica) which tastes better and so are willing to pay $10 which worth (value) for Starbucks customers. On the same note, people who drink coffee at local coffee shop might just need to satisfy their caffeine addiction and they feel that it is worth for the price they pay. According to Butz and Goodstein (1996), a customer value is the emotional bond between the customer and the company (service/product provider) developed by means of the used service/product. The emotional bond is only developed when the service/product meets the customer’s expectation. Different researchers have defined â€Å"customer value† in different ways but it all revolves around words like â€Å"benefits†, â€Å"satisfaction†, â€Å"expectation† and â€Å"worth†. If a company who wants to understand â€Å"customer value† for their product/service they need to understand more about these words with respect to their customers. But it is not as easy as it seems. Perhaps, even in dictionaries it’s difficult to find synonyms for these words because these words depend on situations. Challenges for marketers For companies to operationalize â€Å"customer value† in marketing their product can only be done by learning their â€Å"customers† and â€Å"market†. These terms can be very challenging to learn or to understand because of its diverse nature. * Customer’s change is inevitable Customer’s needs or wants can be situational. Different customers can seek same products/service for variety of needs. Vodaphone has a pre-paid mobile plan that allows customers to make international calls at a cheaper rate and also allows making free calls to local Vodaphone customers. As an international student I choose this plan to make international calls at a cheaper rate but my friend who is a local chooses the same plan because most of his friends are Vodaphone users. Further to this, a customer’s needs may change with change in their circumstances. Just like, if I secure a part-time job which gets me constant income, I will consider changing my mobile plan to post-paid service which has more offers. Customer’s needs are dynamic and can change over time. We humans have different needs at different age. Products brought by a person from a shopping mall will be different when he was single and when he gets married and more so when he’s a father. (Don Peppers Martha Rogers, 2010) It is difficult to predict or to foresee these changes in the same customer with the change in situation. At every point of time, customers are trying to actually achieve their needs for that point of time (Hultink and Atuahene-Gima, 2000). There is no single system to understand or to foresee customer’s need and to categorize them. Marketers should learn their customer’s needs beforehand to make their product valuable to their customers. To achieve this, organizations needs look at their products/services through customer’s point of view (Don Peppers Martha Rogers, 2010). As the changes in customer’s situation can be quiet fast, organizations needs to be quick in changing their strategies and innovations to meet their ever changing customers. Technological drawbacks Climbing the technological ladder too quick might pull down the organizations efforts in boosting customer’s value for a service/product. An excellent customer service is very important to maintain or to boost the value of the product/service with regards to customers. Traditional human to human interactions have been replaced by human to machine interactions by the help of technology. These changes force customers to embrace self-service technologies which can create discomfort among some low-tech savvy customers (Parasuraman, 2000). There may be customers with limited knowledge in technology or may not be willing accept the technological introduction (Walker, Lees, Hecker and Francis, 2002). Almost everyone has experienced this scenario when they call a customer service center of telecommunication provider. The call keeps bouncing to different automated machines and still our problems are not solved until we speak to a customer service executive. Similarly, online banking system with tight security measures some people still prefer to visit banks personally for some services. This is because either the customers are not willing trust these technological services or lack of knowledge to use these services. Secondly, Internet world made it easier for customers to compare the quality, product/service details, and cost of same/similar product from different companies (Bakos, 1997 Lynch Ariely, 2000). Customers can comfortable get information about the various products using internet at home without physically going to the market (J. Nielsen, 2000). This increases the competition exponentially and any company is vulnerable to this situation if they do not keep up with the hanging market trends. Companies have to constantly indulge in innovation that meets their customer’s expectation and introduce strategies to keep the customers excited about their current and upcoming product. Even a speculation of an upcoming product of the competitors can adversely affect the company’s current product in the market. Like the speculation of Samsung III (latest mobile phone) with more and better specifications tremendously reduced the sales of iphone 4s current product, even to a point that the recently released iphone 5 didn’t reach its expected sales mark. Barriers within Organizations Every organization has its own culture and employees working will be very comfortable with those culture. This culture may not be aligned with the ever changing customer’s expectations and needs. Using their own employees, organization tries to understand their customer’s needs by merely guessing it. By doing so, organizations come up with customer’s needs through employee’s perspective (or sales point of view) and not customer’s perspective. Now this â€Å"guessed† customer’s needs might be exactly opposite to what the organizations actual customer’s needs. This creates a difference between the customer value and service/product offered, which in turn results in unsatisfied customers (Woodruff, 1997). Example, Kodak Company was reluctant to change with the change in the market and customer’s needs. Customers were finding it easier to use a digital camera over a film based camera. However, Kodak Company expected its customers to use film based cameras which are not user friendly. This gradually resulted in Kodak losing its customer base to its competitors those who embraced to this change in era. Now even if the organization decides to move towards the customer’s needs by proper findings and learning their customers. It depends on managers to implement these finding in marketing their product and also in future products. Managers might be too busy with their normal duties to implement the learning on customer value. Thus the adapting to change becomes a problem when it is not in line with the introduction of new information on market change and their customers. This can also happen when the organization is reluctant to continuously train their employees on the market and customer variations. Conclusion:  There are many other factors such as market variations, globalization, wide variations in customer’s psychology, brand image etc. that makes it challenging for a marketer to show value to customers in their products/services. Theodore Leavitt of the Harvard Business School explained this idea by saying that â€Å"The customer is not interested in a quarter-inch drill. Rather the customer is interested in a quarter-inch hole†. By understanding the results preferred by the customer, an organization can invest its marketing and innovation in the right direction for the customers to achieve their desired results.

The Manhattan Project :: History

The Manhattan Project On the morning of August 6, 1945, a B-29 bomber named Enola Gay flew over the industrial city of Hiroshima, Japan and dropped the first atomic bomb ever. The city went up in flames caused by the immense power equal to about 20,000 tons of TNT. The project was a success. They were an unprecedented assemblage of civilian, and military scientific brain power—brilliant, intense, and young, the people that helped develop the bomb. Unknowingly they came to an isolated mountain setting, known as Los Alamos, New Mexico, to design and build the bomb that would end World War 2, but begin serious controversies concerning its sheer power and destruction. I became interested in this topic because of my interest in science and history. It seemed an appropriate topic because I am presently studying World War 2 in my Social Studies Class. The Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings were always taught to me with some opinion, and I always wanted to know the bomb itself and the unbiased effects! that it had. This I-search was a great opportunity for me to actually fulfill my interest. The Manhattan Project was the code name for the US effort during World War II to produce the atomic bomb. It was appropriately named for the Manhattan Engineer District of the US Army Corps of Engineers, because much of the early research was done in New York City (Badash 238). Sparked by refugee physicists in the United States, the program was slowly organized after nuclear fission was discovered by German scientists in 1938, and many US scientists expressed the fear that Hitler would attempt to build a fission bomb. Frustrated with the idea that Germany might produce an atomic bomb first, Leo Szilard and other scientists asked Albert Einstein, a famous scientist during that time, to use his influence and write a letter to president FDR, pleading for support to further research the power of nuclear fission (Badash 237). His letters were a success, and President Roosevelt established the Manhattan Project. Physicists from 1939 onward conducted much research to find answers to such questions as how many neutrons were emitted in each fission, which elements would not capture the neutrons but would moderate or reduce their velocity , and whether only the lighter and scarcer isotope of uranium (U-235) fissioned or the common isotope (U-238) could be used. They learned that each fission releases a few neutrons.

Critique: the Scottsboro Boys – an American Tragedy

The Scottsboro Boys: An American Tragedy The author or producer of this documentary film was smart in setting the scene for the viewer. He showed scenes of the area and described the sounds of the train, gravel, and attempted to give the viewer a snapshot of the attitude of the inhabitants of Northern Alabama. This takes you from the comfy surroundings of your home, the accessibility to transportation to the hardships of the 1930’s and the dismal state of life for blacks, especially poor blacks. The theme of Scottsboro: An American Tragedy was that blacks were so hated that one well-placed lie destroyed the lives of nine young men.Only one of these boys lived long enough to have a family and to fight for a pardon. The judicial system of that time was so terribly flawed (not that it isn’t now) with racism and bigotry that when facts were presented they were not heard because they wanted the boys to be guilty. Clearing the Scottsboro Boys were not in the plan! The key pla yers were the Scottsboro Boys but historians, relatives of Judge Horton, citizens of the area, photos, video clips, and newspaper articles all came together to tell the historical story which spanned from the 1931 to 1976.This may have been the best way to tell the story since none of the Scottsboro Boys were still alive when this was filmed. Several men of Scottsboro were interviewed and it was interesting that they wished the incident had happened 30 miles away (Huntsville) so the stigma that is associated with their little town would belong to another town. Jokingly, they said then they would have been called the Huntsville Boys and that would have been fine with us.So from those statements, I believe that many of the town’s citizens are embarrassed of the notoriety this incident has placed upon their little town. One aspect, I found missing and would have liked to known more of the effect that the trials and imprisonment had on their families, especially their siblings an d mothers. I, however, was most intrigued with Judge Horton and the stand he finally took regarding the boys and the political fallout for him. The Scottsboro Boys case, how it began, handled, and ended is really scary to me.Now that I know more of the details, it reminds me of the recent execution of Troy Davis of Georgia. In several ways, the two cases are similar. The tragedy in the Davis case is that he did serve around 17 years and he did die for a crime that he may not have committed while the Scottsboro boys served time and were eventually freed and/or broke parole. Due to support given them by northerners, they were allowed to remain free as long as they stayed in the North. Ruby Bates recanted her accusations of rape and later helped the mothers fight for the sons’ release.Seven of the nine that testified against Troy Davis recanted but he exhausted all his appeals and was executed anyways against the number of organizations that protested against it. We can also go back a few months, to where a black woman was charged more time for jaywalking than the man that was driving drunk that hit her, her daughter, and killed her son. He was black but it since it was black on black crime, the young mother was treated as an example. In general, the judicial system is not a friend to the black American. This is 2011, isn’t it?Has anything really changed? Are we going backwards? This is supposed to be a different day. We have a black president which, in my opinion, has only given certain groups in our country to more openly exhibit their racism and bigotry. Since they cannot get to him, any black that runs afoul of the law become enemy number one just as the Scottsboro Boys were the enemy of the time back in 1931. This film was not entertaining to me at all but it was educational and eye-opening in that no matter how much we like to think that times have changed so much is still the same.I can see in many ways how far we have come but once you liste n to the news and see just what is going on around you, you can almost see the 1930’s again. That is why I used the word â€Å"scary† earlier in my critique to describe the Scottsboro Boys story. Concern about the future for the black community, myself, and more importantly, our children, has increased and we must become better informed about the world in which we live, the judicial system we must work within, and the consequences of it all.

Benefits of Reading Essay

Most of us have been exposed to reading since we were young but not many of us have the habit of reading for leisure. Most students read only because they have to study for their examinations but reading is not only limited to study materials. It is fun to read storybooks, novels, magazines, comics, newspapers and other reading material that is of interest to us. Reading is a good hobby. It is a form of pastime which brings many benefits. Reading trains our minds to be more imaginative. It also helps us to process new information faster and develop our ability to understand how other people think and feel. People who love to read are more open to new ideas. Thus, we can train our minds to think faster and more efficiently if we read more. We also can improve our awareness of the current events worldwide by reading newspaper. Besides improving our general knowledge, knowing what is going on around us, will also help us socialize with others by discussing the current issues with them. Nowadays, we need not solely rely to newspapers for news. We can also read real-time news online via the internet. Many news networks update the information on their websites every hour just to keep the readers updated with the latest events. Reading is important to help us to improve our language proficiency. By exposing ourselves to the proper use of language, we can improve our grammar and vocabulary. By reading, we would also enhance our understanding of world usage in different contexts. Therefore, we can eventually improve to our writing and speaking skills. The benefits of reading are numerous. It is also a cheap activity as we can go to the library to borrow books for free. We could also exchange books with our friends. This will help us save a lot of money. Some people prefer to buy their books so that they can keep them in their collection. As book are a source of knowledge, spending money to acquire them is not a waste, it is a form of investment.

Criminal Justice and Your Constitutional Rights

Criminal Justice and Your Constitutional Rights Sometimes, life can take a bad turn. You’ve been arrested, arraigned, and are now set to stand trial. Fortunately, whether you are guilty or not, the U.S. criminal justice system offers you several constitutional protections. Of course, the overriding protection assured to all criminal defendants in America is that their guilt must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. But thanks to the Due Process Clause of the Constitution, criminal defendants have other important rights, including the rights to: Remain silentConfront witnesses against themBe tried by a juryProtected from paying excessive bailGet a public trialGet a speedy trialBe represented by an attorneyNot be tried twice for the same crime (double jeopardy)Not to be subjected to cruel or unusual punishment Most of these rights come from the Fifth, Sixth, and Eighth Amendments to the Constitution, while others have come from the decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court in examples of the five â€Å"other† ways the Constitution can be amended. Right to Remain Silent Typically associated with well-recognized Miranda rights that must be read to persons detained by the police prior to questioning, the right to remain silent, also known as the privilege against â€Å"self-incrimination,† comes from a clause in the Fifth Amendment which says that a defendant cannot â€Å"be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself.† In other words, a criminal defendant cannot be forced to speak at any time during the detention, arrest and trial process. If a defendant chooses to remain silent during the trial, he or she cannot be forced to testify by the prosecution, the defense, or the judge. However, defendants in civil lawsuits can be forced to testify. Right to Confront Witnesses Criminal defendants have the right to question or â€Å"cross-examine† witnesses who testify against them in court. This right comes from the Sixth Amendment, which gives every criminal defendant the right to â€Å"be confronted by the witnesses against him.†Ã‚  The so-called â€Å"Confrontation Clause† has also been interpreted by the courts as prohibiting prosecutors from presenting as evidence oral or written â€Å"hearsay† statements from witnesses who do not appear in court. Judges do have the option of allowing non-testimonial hearsay statements, such as calls to 911 from people reporting a crime in progress. However, statements given to police during the investigation of a crime are considered to be testimonial and are not allowed as evidence unless the person making the statement appears in court to testify as a witness. As part of the pre-trial process called the â€Å"discovery phase,† both lawyers are required to inform each other and the judge of the identity and expected testimony of the witnesses they intend to call during the trial. In cases involving the abuse or sexual molestation of minor children, the victims are often afraid to testify in court with the defendant present. To deal with this, several states have adopted laws allowing children to testify via closed-circuit television. In such instances, the defendant can see the child on the television monitor, but the child cannot see the defendant. Defense attorneys can cross-examine the child via the closed circuit television system, thus protecting the defendant’s right to confront witnesses. Right to Trial by Jury Except in cases involving minor crimes with maximum sentences of no more than six months in jail, the Sixth Amendment assures criminal defendants the right to have their guilt or innocence decided by a jury in a trial to be held in the same â€Å"State and district† in which the crime was committed. While juries typically consist of 12 people, six-person juries are allowed. In trials heard by six-person juries, the defendant can only be convicted by a unanimous vote of guilty by the jurors. Typically a unanimous vote of guilt is required to convict a defendant. In most states, a non-unanimous verdict results in a â€Å"hung jury,† allowing the defendant to go free unless the prosecutor’s office decides to retry the case. However, the Supreme Court has upheld state laws in Oregon and Louisiana allowing juries to convict or acquit defendants on ten-to-two verdicts by 12-person juries in cases where a guilty verdict cannot result in the death penalty.   The pool of potential jurors must be chosen randomly from the local area where the trial is to be held. The final jury panel is selected through a process known as â€Å"voir dire,† in which lawyers and judges question potential jurors to determine if they might be biased or for any other reason unable to deal fairly with the issues involved in the case. For example, personal knowledge of the facts; acquaintanceship with parties, witnesses or attorneys occupation which might lead to bias; prejudice against the death penalty; or previous experiences with the legal system. In addition attorneys for both sides are allowed to eliminate a set number of potential jurors simply because they do not feel the jurors would be sympathetic to their case. However, these juror eliminations, called â€Å"peremptory challenges,† cannot be based on the race, sex, religion, national origin or other personal characteristics of the juror. Right to a Public Trial The Sixth Amendment also provides that criminal trials must be held in public. Public trials allow the defendant’s acquaintances, regular citizens, and the press to be present in the courtroom, thus helping to ensure that the government honors the defendant’s rights. In some cases, judges can close the courtroom to the public. For example, a judge might bar the public from trials dealing with the sexual assault of a child. Judges can also exclude witnesses from the courtroom to prevent them from being influenced by the testimony of other witnesses. In addition, judges can order the public to leave the courtroom temporarily while discussing points of law and trial procedure with the lawyers. Freedom from Excessive Bail The Eighth Amendment states, â€Å"Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.† This means that any bail amount set by the court must be reasonable and appropriate for the severity of the crime involved and to the actual risk that the accused person will flee to avoid standing trial. While the courts are free to deny bail, they cannot set bail amounts so high that they effectively do so.   Right to a Speedy Trial While the Sixth Amendment ensures criminal defendants a right to a â€Å"speedy trial,† it does not define â€Å"speedy.† Instead, judges are left to decide whether a trial has been so unduly delayed that the case against the defendant should be thrown out. Judges must consider the length of the delay and the reasons for it, and whether or not the delay had harmed the defendant’s chances of being acquitted. Judges often allow more time for trials involving serious charges. The Supreme Court has ruled that longer delays can be allowed for a â€Å"serious, complex conspiracy charge† than for â€Å"an ordinary street crime.† For example, in the 1972 case of Barker v. Wingo, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a delay of over five years between arrest and trial in a murder case did not violate the defendant’s rights to a speedy trial. Each judicial jurisdiction has statutory limits for the time between the filing of charges and the start of a trial. While these statutes are strictly worded, history has shown that convictions are rarely overturned due to claims of a delayed trial. Right to Be Represented by an Attorney The Sixth Amendment also ensures that all defendants in criminal trials have the right â€Å"†¦ to have the assistance of counsel for his defense.† If a defendant cannot afford an attorney, a judge must appoint one who will be paid by the government. Judges typically appoint attorneys for indigent defendants in all cases which could result in a prison sentence. Right Not to Be Tried Twice for the Same Crime The Fifth Amendment provides: â€Å"[N]or shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb.† This well-known â€Å"Double Jeopardy Clause† protects defendants from facing trial more than once for the same offense. However, the protection of the Double Jeopardy Clause does not necessarily apply to defendants who might face charges in both federal and state courts for the same offense if some aspects of the act violated federal laws while other aspects of the act violated state laws. In addition, the Double Jeopardy Clause does not protect defendants from facing trial in both criminal and civil courts for the same offense. For example, while O.J. Simpson was found not guilty of the 1994 murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman in criminal court, he was later found to be legally â€Å"responsible† for the killings in civil court after being sued by the Brown and Goldman families. Right to Not be Punished  Cruelly Finally, the Eighth Amendment states that for criminal defendants, â€Å"Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.† The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that the amendments â€Å"Cruel and Unusual Punishment Clause† also applies to the states. While the U.S. Supreme Court has held that the Eighth Amendment forbids some punishments entirely, it also forbids some other punishments that are excessive when compared to the crime  or compared to the defendant’s mental or physical competence. The principles the Supreme Court uses to decide whether or not a particular punishment is â€Å"cruel and unusual† were solidified by Justice William Brennan in his majority opinion in the landmark 1972 case of Furman v. Georgia. In his decision, Justice Brennan wrote, â€Å"There are, then, four principles by which we may determine whether a particular punishment is cruel and unusual.† The essential factor is â€Å"that the punishment must not by its severity be degrading to human dignity.† For example, torture or an unnecessarily long and painful death.â€Å"A severe punishment that is obviously inflicted in wholly arbitrary fashion.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"A severe punishment that is clearly and totally rejected throughout society.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"A severe punishment that is patently unnecessary.† Justice Brennan added, â€Å"The function of these principles, after all, is simply to provide means by which a court can determine whether a challenged punishment comports with human dignity.†