Case Analysis †Giant Consumer Products Essay

1)Using data in Exhibits 1 & 4 develop solution templates in Exhibit 3 for Sanchez. From the table above, it is clear that the impact of a promotion cannot be considered in isolation. On the whole, the promotion has resulted in a loss instead of a profit for the Dinardo range of products. Considered in isolation a promotion on Dinardo 32 may look attractive but overall it’s a loss-making proposition. 2)Do you advise Sanchez to run a national sales promotion? If so, which one of the items the funds be allocated: Dinardo 32, dinardo 16 or natural meals? Sanchez can run a sales promotion for Natural meals. This is the only profitable option as can be seen from Solution template Part-3 in the table above. 3)Prepare Sanchez for additional strategic/ tactical questions that he anticipates from Flatt given at the end of case. a)The promotion of Natural Meals would be a win for FFD, the retailer as well as the consumer. FFD gains due to a positive increase in marketing margin due to the promotion. For the retailer, the benefit will be on account of the increased spending by FFD for promotional activities. The margins on Natural Meals are higher for retailers and an increase in volumes would directly have a positive impact on retailers’ revenues. The consumer benefits due to the reduced prices from the promotion. b)FFD should go with the pay for performance approach for promotion of Natural Meals. The price on the box of the product should not be reduced and instead a discount must be offered at the time of billing. The retailer should then be reimbursed for the discounts offered to customers. This would help retain the premium positioning of FFD’s products and avoid customers from looking at the products to be available at a deal during subsequent purchases.

Memorable Moment Essay

Intro: My experience entering University Kuala Lumpur when I arrived on campus Body: 1. Feeling of emotions 2. The place of building 3. Meet friends Conclusion: Hard moment to say goodbye to family One of the most memorable moments is the first time that I had through on January 09, 2013. It was the first day of my new life, the life that I was going to spend 3 years at University Kuala Lumpur Business School that formerly known as International School of Entrepreneurship (ISE). As people said, college life is a life of freedom but for me college is starting of a new life. For the first time, I felt so many emotions in my heart that makes my heart beat so fast. I was no longer being a girl but a woman who had to stay far away from home and family. I had begun to think myself to be a woman with lots of spirit to end of my study without any problem. When I entered my college for the first day, I looked around with a much more of various feeling. The stately building is what people always talked a campus in the middle of city. I entered the college with my best friend Nurulikma that I meet from old college when I take Diploma. Firstly I was going to Malaysian Institute of Information Technology (MIIT) University City Campus for registration. We need to fill up a few of letter form to get our dorm key. But finally after everything was taken care of we got to go to set up my belongings in my dorm. Never the less, when my family and I finally got up to the room and opened the door, I was very excited, I met my roommates, they are really friendly. We introduced ourselves. Unfortunately my roommates were from different states but for me it was okay even though we had some problem in communication. The room looks nice that I got to spend my first semester. I chose my bed near the plug as I need to use electricity sometimes. After I was settled in, my family and I had a nice lunch and wish them goodbye. That was the saddest moment because I need to live far from my family. (348 words) Read more: Proud Moments in Life

House Wife Essay

India is a land of fairs and festivals. As different communities belonging to different religions live here, therefore many festivals are celebrated regularly every year. Among these festivals, some are religious; some are based on seasons while some are of national importance. All the festivals are celebrated with great enthusiasm in a colourful atmosphere. Diwali, Dussehra, Raksha Bandhan, Id-ul-Fitr, Id-ul-Zuha, Christmas, Mahavir Jayanti, Gurunanak Jayanti, Ganesh Chaturhi etc. are the religious festivals of India. These festivals are celebrated by different communities but they are celebrated as a whole. We can see festive atmosphere everywhere in India. Holi, Baisakhi, Basant Panchami, Bihu, Pongal, Onam etc. are seasonal or harvest festivals. The spirit of Holi is colour-rich and vibrant, flung into the air and smeared with immense joy on friends and dear onces. This festival marks the end of winter season and advent of bright days of summer. Baisakhi, a harvest festival, is celebrated in North India, particularly in Punjab and Haiyana, when the Rabi crop is ready for harvesting. In South India, during the same period, ‘Pongal’ is celebrated. The farmers worship the sun, the earth and the cattle as thanks giving for a bounteous harvest. And then there is Basant Panchami. It marks the arrival of sweet spring the season of pleasant breeze, flowers and fragrance. All fill life with vigour and vitality. Hence people celebrate this festival with great zeal and excitement. Then comes our national festivals- the Independence Day, The Republic day and the Gandhi Jayanti these festivals are celebrated by all communities through out the country. The Independence Day celebrated on 15th August every year reminds us those numerous freedom fighters that made the Britishers leave the country. They gave us our long-cherished freedom. The Republic day, which falls on 26th January, is observed with national feeling. This festival fills us with pride that now we live in a sovereign democratic republic country with a constitution of our own. On this day colourful parade starts from Vijay Chowk which ends at the Red Fort. Similarly Gandhi Jayanti is also celebrated nation wide. It falls on 2nd October, the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, the father of Nation. Whole nation pays heartiest tribute to our revered soul, who lived and died for the country. The festivals make our life colourful and enthusiastic. They bring people together. They come every year to make us forget all ill-will and communal hatred the festivals strengthen the feeling of oneness too people, without any malice, meet with one another and wish for bright future. Thus, festivals are very important and they must be celebrated with pomp and show by all.

Employment Situation of the United States Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Employment Situation of the United States - Essay Example The highest duration of unemployment is 27 weeks and over. The number of people marginally attached to labor force has been increasing and on the other hand, the discouraged workers have decreased (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 7). In December the overall Nonfarm payroll employment increased by 200,000. Transportation and warehousing, manufacturing, healthcare, retail trade, and mining reported job gains. Overall weekly hours has reported a minute increase. Same is true for average hourly earnings and average weekly earnings. Diffusion index has also increased for both total private sector and manufacturing sector (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 8). There is a clear difference between the unemployment rate of the adults and teenagers. Adult women have the lowest unemployment rate, which is 7.9 % in December after an increase from 7.8 % in November. On the second number is the unemployment rate for the adult men, which is 8.0 in December after a decrease of 8.3 % in November. Teenagers hav e a highest unemployment rate, i.e. 23.1 % after a decrease from 23.7 % in November, as shown in table A-1 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 14). Similarly, according to the table A-2 and A-3 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 15-17), there is the difference in the unemployment rate of the whites, blacks, Asians, and Latinos are different. According to this data, the unemployment rate for Asians has increased to 6.8 % in December from 6.5 % in November (not adjusted seasonally) and is lowest among all other ethnic categories. After them comes the white people of the United States, the unemployment rate for this ethnic category has decreased from 7.6 % in November to 7.5 % in December. Second, the highest unemployment rate is of Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, which has decreased to 11.0 % in December from 11.4 % in November.  

Narrative of the life of frederick douglass Research Paper

Narrative of the life of frederick douglass - Research Paper Example He highlighted that he had served his entire life as a slave during such meetings. However, his oratory skills made many people doubt that he had served as a slave for more than 20 years. The fact that people doubted him, was one of the factors that pushed him to tell his story by writing a memoir that detailed his entire experience from childhood until the time when he escaped from slavery. Reading the book creates a vivid picture of how it was like to be born into slavery and begin serving as a slave at a very tender age. Notably, Douglass’ memoir was published during a time when the anti-slavery movement was gaining momentum. Therefore, it served to place emphasis on the need to terminate slavery. However, the relevance of the book in the years that would follow declined until the 1960s when the civil rights movement became very active. This paper will discuss the journey taken from Douglass’ text, and how it has emerged as one of the critical literary works in the s lave narrative genre. After Frederick Douglass’ Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave was published, it starred an alarming interest on the impacts of slavery. Surprisingly, many people did not realize that slaves were oppressed and mistreated badly. The literature that existed before Douglass’ was published highlighted that slavery benefited both the slave masters and the slaves. The public had been deceived by such information and Douglass wanted to expose the evils of slavery. He was one of the few slaves fortunate enough to exhibit a remarkable level of literacy. His memoir served as a revelation to the real experiences of slaves under their masters. It served to promote the Douglass’ agenda of abolishing slavery. It communicated numerous reasons why African American slaves deserved freedom (Barnes 69). At the end of the memoir, Douglass had stated that he was in pursuit of the freedom of other African American

The U.S. Constitution and the Articles of Confederation Assignment

The U.S. Constitution and the Articles of Confederation - Assignment Example It also finds that the political philosophy depicted in these is that pertaining to the state rights. Introduction United States has operated under a set of two rules. One of these is the Articles of Confederation, which was ratified in 1781, in Maryland. The second one is the US constitution, which was ratified in 1788, in New Hampshire, and which has served to replace the Articles of the Confederation (Kimberly, 2009). There are certain similarities between the US constitution and the Article of the Confederation. These similarities are particularly depicted in the relationship between the states and the federal government and have also been pivotal in informing the federal government responsiveness. This paper responds to various questions regarding US constitution and the Articles of the Confederation. Response to Question 1 There are certain similarities between the US constitution and the Article of the Confederation. Section 1 of the article IV of the constitution accords cred it, as well as full faith to every state as pertains to records, judiciary and public acts. On the other hand, this can also be found in the Article of the Confederation and it is the pillar of section IV, in a move that is deliberately aimed at securing and perpetuating mutual friendship. Secondly, in section 2 of article IV of the constitution, it is stated that each citizen shall be accorded the privileges, as well as enjoy immunities from other states. In the case where a person flees justice from one state, the state reserves the right to demand for the arrest and submission to the state in which the person fled. This is also reflected in Article IV of the Article of the Confederation, in stipulating that except fugitives, vagabonds, and paupers, all other citizens are accorded privileges such as those of the natives in other states. Thirdly, Article IV of the confederate of states bars a state from seeking embassy, receiving embassy or according establishing treaties, among ot her ways, with other nations without the consent of United States congress. On the other hand, this is contained evident in section 3 of article IV of the constitution that no state shall engage territorial affairs without the consent of the congress. Thus, the similarities between the Articles of the Confederate and the constitution are felt in the area regarding the relationship between the states and the Federal government. This similarity has been accounted based on the fact that the Articles of the Confederate were very crucial in informing the making of the constitution, as far as the area of the state relations is concerned (Hall & Feldmeier, 2013). Response to Question 2 The provisions of the constitution, as had earlier served by the Articles of the Confederate of states has served in the making the federal government less responsive to the people’s needs. One area that can be seen is power distribution and limitation. As far as checks and balances are concerned, it may not be disputed that a desirable liberal system is that which contains various devices for limiting power via checks and balances. Such a system functions based on constitution and law, as well as based on interactions between the institutions and individuals. This is because the allocation of excessive powers to one arm would have been accompanied by the

Finance and Accounting Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Finance and Accounting - Research Paper Example It is without doubt that table salt had developed into a well-rounded and mature enterprise but Sea Shore Salt had grown gradually over the years however, on the peril of its competitors that were not well known in the business. The company had developed a legacy with its brand name that was ideally known and recognized in the area giving the company a competitive advantage despite it being very difficult to pronounce the name quickly (Sages & Grable 57). Bernice reported to work on January 2, 2006 and everything was seen to be going smoothly until Mr. Brinepool sent her a memo on the company’s cost of capital, giving her the task of explain to all the other managers the company’s weighted average cost of capital. Bernice had not expected such a task so soon and hence, she stayed at the office late that night to prepare for any questions that may be shot at her during the meeting that was scheduled to be held the following day. Bernice at first analyzed and summarized t he company’s recent balance sheet to and later on wrote down some points she had discovered: (Sages & Grable 58). The bank where the company had taken a loan charged an interest that was similar to the existing market rate bearing in mind that the long- term debt had previously been issued not so long ago. This meant that the book as well as the market values of the debt could not have a great difference in margin. The company had issued stock about 35 years ago at the time when the interest rates were significantly lower than they are now. The stock were expected to rise by a large margin over the years and eventually become very lucrative in future though this did not happen. The current stock which was initially preferred was now trading at only $70 per share contrary to what the management expected the share price to stand at by this time. Common stock was expected to trade at $40 per share by this time. Earnings for the subsequent year were projected to be at about $4 an d the dividends shareholders were going to receive at the end of the fiscal year was probably expected to be around $2 per share. Sea Shore Salt had a tradition of using 50% of her earnings to pay dividends to its shareholders and the rest would be retained by the company for future expansion and growth. Fig 12. 2 Mr. Brinepool’s cost of capital memo Sea Shore Salt Company Spring Vacation Beach, Florida CONFIDENTIAL MEMORANDUM DATE: January 15, 2006 TO: S.S.S. Management FROM: Joe- Bob Brinepool, president SUBJECT: Cost of capital This memo gives and insight and understanding about the company’s long- term policy concerning rates to be considered in terms of making decisions involving capital investment. Recently, many people have started to raise questions and there has been an air of confusion with regards to this disturbing matter. Sea Shore Salt analyses investment by discounted a cash flow that is discounted. The problem in discount rate is the weighted average co st of capital experienced by the company after tax. The weighted average cost of capital is the combination of the amount of returns that investor expect a company to generate at the end of each fiscal year. These investors include persons or institutions such as banks, bond holders or even stock investors; this is on top of the already present stock owners. Sea Salt financings are summarized in the following table Amount (in millions) percent of total rate of return Bank loan 120 20% 8% Bond issue 80 13.3

The impact of foreign direct investment in China Thesis

The impact of foreign direct investment in China - Thesis Example His hypothesis was based on relative efficiency and opportunity cost that determined the production of commodities by each countries and eventual exchange of the same between them leading to trade between them that can easily be visualized in terms of international trade (Ricardo, 1821). However, much before both Smith and Ricardo, in ancient times China was a trade superpower and was involved in active trade transaction with many European and other Asian countries. This might resembles with theorists favoring bullions or monetarist’s theory of economic thought but neither of them extends an absolute explanation. Chinese indigenous goods that mainly comprised of valuable and costly silk of highest quality, extremely fine porcelain products, gun powder, and compass and last but not the least printed papers made their way into other Asian lands through the famous silk root. The same had also swum through the seas and oceans to knock the shores of the European countries where the y made huge profit, along with great reputation (Bodde, 1942; Chow, 2005, p.1). This sort of trade was technology driven and came out of certain resource monopoly. Not only those were mere goods that helped the Chinese economy to reach the pinnacle of its success but ground breaking inventions and innovations that held the Chinese head high at the global arena. Ironically most of those inventions were later credited to the western world. Historically China is a country with huge population; the most populated country of the world and in terms of area it also holds a substantial position. Both of these together created a huge market in China that was wealthy and a point of immense attraction for other countries to set up business ties with the same. It would not be an exaggeration that Chinese technology at that time was far more improved than the rest of the world but a technological backwardness soon crippled the nation as the Chinese monarchy was coming to an end. Inequality of we alth among the Chinese people and absolute ignore on behalf of the late monarchs as well as the upper class of the basic needs of the common people might be considered as the rime cause of this decline. The Chinese monarchy was riddled with undercurrents and mutual conflicts that added to the problem and especially the European businessmen cemented their feet taking advantage of this situation. Greed of the upper class that were busy to reap the last fallen fruits of Chinese monarchy took no care of the common Chinese and dreamt of building their glass house over the flesh, blood and bones of the common people (Mou, 2009, p.483). Once a flourishing nation; was thus turned into a lucrative playground for the European business bullies who were lurking as opportunist vultures to make the most out of this wealthy but technologically backward trailing country that was wrestling among their own class conflicts. Through this process China lost their dominant global presence and entered a s tate of stagnation. Amidst this catastrophic environment the emergence of Sun Yat-sen might be considered as the first fresh air. Though his life was short lived yet he fought the war lords bravely and is

Rhetorical Analysis of George Saunders's story Essay

Rhetorical Analysis of George Saunders's story "christmas" and "sea oak" - Essay Example One of his sisters contends that if they had secured a diploma certificate, they could understand the television content and not be sidetracked in any way. The sisters discuss about the number of sides a triangle has from their low social class Sea Oak home. The neighborhood is rife with crime, even as Thomas and Auntie Bernie are forced to sacrifice their own life and dignity in an attempt to improve the poverty situation. This paper explores the use of satire in Sea Oak; the importance of the literary style to and effectiveness in the storyline. Saunders’s portrayal of the low-class setting is both comical and somehow pushy into resignation. There is a wind of hopelessness in the whole scene. At first, Freddy orders the children to make a squat, hence projecting the image of the dangerous crap-hole more vividly. Then the engulfed lot feels the tragic side of life in the freaking American life where capitalism dictates that the underprivileged work out extremely hard to earn a place in the less risky crap-hole. According to Saunders, the demise of Aunt Bernice plunges the family into financial doldrums, which affect her giving of a decent burial (4). The bereaved are forced to buy a low-priced, balsa-made coffin for the Aunt. Immediately the burial, a church minister tells them the body of their loved one had been procured inappropriately. Bernice’s spirits then leave her body and advance in the house in Christ-like fashion to offer the family effective guidance on how to overcome the nasty situation they are in. Bernice continues decaying in their residence. As her arms break away, she utters wise words on how to cope with life. She repeatedly tells Thomas to go show his manly strength out there. Rando says message basically implies that the only path to success in the society is to steer clear of morality and becoming a prostitute (438). Although she succumbed to death without ever being touched by a man, Aunt Bernice is lamenting that

The Organizational Change Essay Example for Free

The Organizational Change Essay A. What is organizational change? Organizational change is a term used to describe a total overhaul of an organisation. This refers to a big scale changes to suit the current change in needs. There are many reasons. Sometimes there is need for an organisation to curb challenges arising like neck to neck competition, retrenchments or massive lay offs. It may also involve new changes in technology and an organisation might want to adopt or re-fix the new structure in their work places. All this will affect the working operations and environment of an organisation. Organizations sometimes might find need to merge with other related organisation this will force both organisation to restructure (McNamara, 2008). Basic Context for Organizational Change An extreme markets battle has forced many organizations to adopt many ways to survive. An organization might have been offering quality services or rather substandard services hence need to adopt modern technology. This cannot be done without know how, it requires in depth information about how and how effective the change will be. Organizational change can be very expensive, some organization are on favor for minimal changes as they review the effect of the new change. These small changes act as stepping stones for more changes to come for instance lay offs; this is a very costly assignment to an organization. It is important to learn that organizational change requires lots of funding (Darby Mcglynn, 2000, p13). Though this can bring desirable transformation, it is a painful undertaking especially where finance is concern. At the end of the day an organization should evaluate its achievements brought about by the big change Organization change is a very technical procedure; it requires intellectuals, skilled person or specialist who has an insight understanding about the running, management and all other that pertain administration. The entire running and management will be approached very differently of an organization. It entails new procedures and regulations to be followed by the organization’s management and entire work force (Darby Mcglynn, 2000, p13). Every organizational change presents new vision and approach. Accomplishment of the targeted goals and result is now viewed in another perspective; this is because the change might come up with new challenges. The duties and roles of every individual worker changes, others might be absorbed hence need for everyone involved to specialize on ones best subject. It’s noteworthy to learn that every each organizational change shakes all the running of an organization from the top level to bottom and bring new sense of direction. After organization change is accomplished efficiency should be expected and redundancy eliminated (Darby McGlynn, 2000, p. 13). B. Forces for and resistance to organizational change  Organizational change is viewed as a life circle and every organization should undergo in order to survive both internal and external pressures. It is very fundamental given other forces surrounding the change are put into account. Emergence of new technology can compel an organization to embrace and adopt, for the benefits and betterment of an organization. Computerization of an organization’s department is a perfect example of technology changes especially those which have been carrying on their duties manually Such office automation comes with more efficiency and reliability in executing duties (Darby McGlynn, 2000, p13 ). Another example is the introduction of automated teller machines by banks, despite their cost they are accurate and efficient s compared to bank clerks. In that connection it can led a bank into providing more products and services to their clients and customers, competitiveness needs for more supply in the market, change of services products. For any organisational change to take place it need profound consultation in relation to the targeted results. Its result and final achievement should be tangible and convincing (McNamara, 2008). C. Evolutionary and revolutionary change in organizations  Evolutionary change The change within the organization should be successful and constant such that it does not arouse any massive upheavals within and without the organization. Major development and progress in any organization is dependant on the degree of change in the new ideas and how the affected react to it. The organizations need to check at what their users want and supply them appropriately. The use of the collective intelligence and social networking within the organization is evolutionary since it encourages the blending of different good ideas towards the progress of the organization. Exploration of complex situations and involving everybody to participate intermsof decision making is also evolutionary to an organization (Casey, 2008). Attracting people to your vision as a manager within an organization plays a very important role in persuading them to buy into your outcome products, since this will give them a since of feeling that their contributions are very appreciated. Initiatives are the best way to introduce implement and institutionalize deliberate and on-going renewal. The involvement of many people in operational problem solving evolves to Participative Management Problem which is a profit sharing program that increases productivity and employee involvement across the board (Miraglia, 1994). For the renewal of any organization it calls for the organization to improve on its response to customer needs and increase its willingness to experiment with multi-function structures and teams which are led by entrepreneurial spirit. The management layers also need to be scrutinized and reduced and the ineffective functions scrapped off. Determining better ways of pushing responsibilities to every section of the organization without any inconvenience is evolutionary. The creation and continuation of complex activities like efforts in training and quality management processes brings better changes to an organization. This calls for the keeping of simultaneous changes to move in relationship to each other rather than in isolation (Casey, 2008). Revolutionary Change The organizations don’t look to their users in order to try and adjust on what users are willing to adapt to on a large scale. The situation by which most organizations only look for the way to sell out their big products without considering the taste of the consumers is revolutionary since they force the consumers into doing new things they are not comfortable with. The abrupt introduction of or addition new technology within the organization is sometimes very disruptive since it will require quite a bit of training which will consume sometime to allow for adjustment (Miraglia, 1994). The time taken by the organization to sell out its ideas sometimes can be longer. This can be due to disagreements across the decision making board which delays the implementation processes. Within any organization the implication for the Human resources need to seen as not only just to preserve and teach old lessons, vocabulary and assumptions but also to lead in the change processes, development of versatile models, teaching and encouraging new vocabulary and also be at the forefront of the encouraging continuous learning and sharing of knowledge The critical business issues like entrance into emerging markets and new product development pose a revolutionary change into the organization. The competition by related organizations also poses a challenge (Miraglia, 1994). D. Managing the Organizational Change Since an organization is a group or an association made by people who come together with different thoughts and opinions with an aim of achieving certain goals, therefore an organization is made up of individuals and in order for organizational change to be successful; there are different principles which should be considered. First an individual has got to achieve personal change which gives a positive approach to the change by applying it. Thoughtful planning and implementing sensitivity is another crucial principle to boost the organizational change. Consultation and involvement of the individuals affected by the organizational change is important since forcing of changes to an individual will cause problems (Kotter, 2002). The organizational change must be real, measurable and also achievable. These characteristics are relevant in the management of individual changes. Before the commencement of organizational change management, there are questions which are supposed to be taken into consideration. Organizational achievements, why, and how will an organization know if it has achieved the changes. Who the changes have affected and their reactions, how much of the change can be achieved and what parts of the change which are needed with help. These features are in strong relation to the management of the Organizational change (Kotter, 2002). For proper management, change needs to be understood and managed in such a way that people can successfully cope with. The director is the settling pressure. The affected organization or individuals need to agree with the change, understand the need for change and also be given a chance to decide on how the change will be managed and also they should be involved in the application and planning of the change (Kotter, 2002). Confronting each other is the best way to undertake susceptible issues of organizational change management. People or employees need to encourage their, manager to talk face to face to them if they are of help to the manager in managing the organizational change. Sending mails through internet and writing notices are the weakest ways of communication and enlargement understanding. If there is urgent change to be made in an organization, the reasons should be investigated and also its urgency is real. Also their needs to be consideration if the consequences of accepting the rational time-frame can be more devastating rather than taking control over the unsuccessful change. Fast changes in organizations avoid proper consultations and involvement and these leads to complications and more times is consumed when it comes to solving the issues (Kotter, 2002). For successful management for an organizational change, top management in an organization should be involved. This brings out reliability, ideas and expressiveness from the champions. Change is achieved when carried out as a group. The change representative always has a role of carrying out translation of the vision to a practical plan and also carries out the plan. Change communication is required to be regular with all the affiliates of the organization. For change to be maintained, the organizations’ composition needs to be given an amendment by either making course of actions, guiding principles and also deliberate plans. Such kind of change in the constructions of an organization characteristically involves re-freezing process and an unfreezing change (Mc Namara, 2008). E. Organizational Development Organizational Development is a challenge which gives authority to the organizational members in order for expansion to take place in peoples’ openness with each other concerning their opinions of the association and their experiences in the organization. This encourages members to take greater accountability for their own deeds as members of the organization. In organizational development the assumption is that when people practice the purposes simultaneously, there is a likeliness of organizations finding out new techniques of working together and hence there is achievement of the organizational goals (Nielsen, 1984, pp2-3). The final thought of organizational expansion is that organizations are social arrangements. Their aim is to increase long term presentation and physical condition of the organization as well as to also improve lives of its associates. The organizational development loom stresses on organization background which manipulates the way people perform their duties using organizational change based on exploration and achievement (Toolpack Consulting surveys, 2008). By using planned modification based on research, there is increase in motivation, elimination of obstructions and easier change. The perfect is an organization where there is constant improvement which is rampant in a way that it is not expected as a proposal. Organizational Development, changes the performances, shared beliefs and values, of the organization by working with technical and social systems like incentives, communication, work processes and civilization (Toolpack Consulting surveys, 2008) Organizational Development assists an organization in authorizing leaders and individuals’ workers. It also creates a culture of constant improvement and arrangement around shared achievements. There is easier and faster change making. All the minds of the employees are put to task. Organizational Development also enhances momentum and quality of choices. There is also assistance by the Organizational Development in beneficial conflict making rather than negative. Also leaders are given more control over the outcome by giving workers more authority over how they do their tasks (Toolpack Consulting surveys, 2008). There are different benefits which the Organizational Development has achieved, they include satisfaction to its customers, individual feeling of success, and profits by reducing costs for non profits, improvement suppleness of the organization, they have also achieved effectiveness of the costs as well as living, occupation and employment satisfaction. Objectives of organizational development are observed in an organization where, the needs of the customers are always recognized and thought about by the managers and the workers, also people get remunerations for success instead of failure of innovation or creativity hence there is high improvement. The construction and processes are based on the present requirements rather than in the past needs hence there is efficiency and assistance offered to people (Tool pack consulting surveys, 2008). Also in an organization, organizational development s’ objectives are achieved when in an organization; there is constructive resolving and conflict treatment. Hence this is used for modernization with no suppression and lack of intrusion with efficiency. The system of rewarding strengthens the organizational wellbeing. Also open communication is encouraged in both imaginative and straight and hence all the appropriate feelings are distributed and due to this, people can learn from the experience. Decisions are required to be made by people with most related, express knowledge (Toolpack Consulting surveys, 2008). Conclusion Organizational Change is a very crucial feature which brings about wide change in any organization with the aim of assisting the organization achieves its goals strategically. Such changes include, restructuring of self managed teams, new technologies, collaborations, mission changing and also changing of the complete Management of Quality. Hence there is transformation of the organization. This designates essential as well as elementary orientation in the way that the association operates (Mc Namara, 2008). In order for this change to take place successfully, individuals play a very important role in the organization. Hence there opinions and achievements as well as there aims are very crucial and require to be put into consideration. And this will only be possible with the application of some principles which once put into practice; the change becomes successful (Kotter, 2002). Since communication is important to the success of any organizational change efforts, it is important for face to face communication since it is believed to be strong as compared to sending mails and notices. Motivation should be encouraged amongst the organization by rewards, incentives etc. Organizational Development is of great benefit to organizations since it brings about profits, satisfaction both at work and in life. Also goals are achieved due to the Organizational Development efforts (Tool pack Consulting surveys, 2008).

River based tourism in Nepal: An analysis

River based tourism in Nepal: An analysis Rivers based Tourism in Nepal Introduction Nepal is rich in water resources so river plays an important role that flows from Himalayas to Terai. In Nepal, rivers are treated as goddess (SAARC Tourism, 2009). Rivers are the ever flowing and also inspiring source of beauty and also people can enjoy the infinite adventure to the fullest (SAARC Tourism, 2009). In Nepal, when the mountain melts then the river flows across the country and this makes the country the choice of more thriller and adventure. There are more than thousands of river in Nepal so Nepal is the second largest country in water resources after Brazil (prabin, 2010). There are many big as well as small rivers in Nepal so most of the big rivers in Nepal flow from Mountain Region such as Karnali, Arun, Tamakoshi and so on (Khadka, n.d.). These rivers are also called snow fed rivers. Rivers in Nepal are divided into three basic categories they are Koshi, Gandaki and Karnali. Among these Koshi is one of the longest rivers in the country and comprises of different rivers like Arun, Tamakoshi, Indravati, Dudhkoshi, Tamor, Likhu and Sunkoshi (Thamel Dot Com, n.d.). In Nepal, many tourist visits only for the adventurous purpose. Rafting, kayaking could be one of them. So tourist comes to Nepal for rafting because Nepal is one of the best countries for rafting. Bhotekoshi River is one which is just three to four hour far from Kathmandu which provides some of the most adventurous activities like rafting, kayaking and cannoning and also this river is one of the best rivers for rafting in the world. Objective of the study The objectives of the following research are as follows: To find out the state of river tourism in Nepal To understand the profile of river based tourist visiting Nepal. To assess prospects and growths of river based tourism in Nepal. Hypothesis Researcher has created some statement according to the result of an experiment. Hypothesis 1 Most of the foreigners from US, England, Australia and Canada visited Nepal only for adventurous purpose like hiking, rafting, trekking and kayaking. Hypothesis 2 The tourists of age group from 16-30 years visited Nepal only for adventure. Hypothesis 3 Most of the foreigners visits Nepal for adventure purpose are male. Hypothesis 4 Political instability directly affects river based tourism and also in country’s economy. Problem statement What is the current situation of river based tourism in Nepal? Sub-problems Against which gender and age group do river based tourism attract tourist? What is the age group of the instructor who will train to raft? Is the age group from 16-30+ above preferred to go for rafting? How many foreigners come for rafting or kayaking? How river based tourism practices in Nepal? Is there any agent working for river based tourism? How travel agents promoting river based tourism in other countries? What are the different promotional activities used by travel agent for river based tourism? What are the impacts of river based tourism in Nepal? How government plays their role in the development of river based tourism? How travel agent provides security while rafting and kayaking to the tourists? Literature Review There are many rivers in Nepal which flows from Koshi to Mahakali. Almost all of the rafting company in Nepal favors tourism that cherishes the visitors with providing deep knowledge and conserving the cultures and environment they visit (Himalayan River Operator Nepal, 2014). According to Nepal Gateway,† Bhotekoshi River is also called White Water River and is one of the best and Short River rafting in Nepal with the intense of thrilling rafting adventure ( Nepal Gateway Trekking, 2014).† Almost all the rivers of Nepal flow from the mountain region and come with the high forces with continuous rapid action and this makes the tourist more adventurous and thrilling. Adventure tourism is not just trekking and mountaineering, now rafting and river based any activities are also counted as the adventure tourism. According to The Ministry of Cultural, Tourism and Civil Aviation,† the statistics shows that there has been the increment of the tourists in Nepal for the purpose of adventurous activities (Binu, 2013).† According to N. P. Bhandary R. K. Dahal and M. Okamura,† Pokhara is one of the tourist destinations of Nepal where on 5 may, 2012 a devastating debris mixed flood in the downstream of Seti River where many people are killed in that disaster (N.P. Bhandari, n.d.).† . The tourism statistics by Ministry of culture, Tourism and civil Aviation (MOCTCA, 2012) shows that the numbers of tourists who are in the age group 16-30 years visit the country mainly for adventurous purpose (Binu, 2013). Nepal’s main asset is water and it is the second highest in the world. According to Pashupati SJB Rana,† if the rivers of Nepal are harnessed, controlled and utilized properly in a sustainable manner then there will be the development in the tourism sector and as well as in the local areas also which simply results in the development of the country (Lohani, 2011).† So this helps in the tourism sector and for those people who gives the interest towards river. If the government does this in time then some of the environmental factors could be controlled like flood, landslide etc. If the tourist comes to Nepal then the country’s economy automatically rises up. According to (MOCTCA) Ministry of culture, Tourism and civil Aviation,† the countries like England, France, US, Australia, Japan, Canada, Russia visited Nepal for adventurous activities like rafting, trekking, hiking and others (N.P. Bhandari, n.d.).† â€Å"Nepal has no less than 83000 MV hydro potential. But availability of the fund is a major constraint so according to Binod Bhattarai tourism has suffered a setback in recent years because of political instability as well as economical condition and ling draw ethnic conflict (Lohani, 2011).† Climate change can also have a direct effect in river based tourism. In the winter season, the flow of river will be low because melting point of an ice is low so there will be low tourist turnover and by this economy of the country will automatically be low. Rafting in Nepal Rivers of Nepal flow rather faster than any of other countries in the world. Bhotekoshi River ranked top 6 in the world in case of rafting ( Himalayan River Operator Nepal, 2014). So many foreigners visit Bhotekoshi River for the main purpose of rafting. There are many agents who are helping foreigners as well as local people for the development of rafting. So rivers of Nepal flow so fast that for the rafter they can enjoy the thriller and adventurous moment. Another popular destiny for rafting is Trishuli River. Trishuli River is also very popular river for rafting for foreigners and as well as local people. Just 3 to 4 hours it takes from Kathmandu to reach Trishuli River so people can easily go there. Kayaking Kayaking is one of the adventurous games done in the excitement of white water kayaking on warm and Friendly River (Himalayan River Operator, 2014). Just with a single boat, a single person with international level experienced instructor, people can enjoy the excitement in the river flowing very forcedly. Kayaking is very popular in Bhotekoshi River and as well as in Trishuli River. Sightseeing Rivers are not only for rafting and kayaking but also people can spend hours and hours sitting at the bank of the river. They can relax and can enjoy the flow of the river. The image of the sun reflecting on the river could be the beautiful moment and the people cannot forget that moment and it is very hard to imagine. Rivers of Nepal is one of the nature’s gifts that one can fell like heavenly experience. Limitation of literature review Limitation is the certain of limits. This study has some problems and limited as well. Certain limitations are highlighted towards below: Respondent has not given proper attention due to lack of time and resources. Study was carried out within Thamel area. Busy schedule of authorized person led impossible to fetch maximum data. Some data were on hypothetical assumption because due to the lack of fact knowledge and written statement. Conclusion: Literature Review There are many rivers in Nepal among them Bhotekoshi and Trishuli River are the best for rafting and kayaking. These rivers are also called White Water River with thrilling and adventurous activities. The rivers of Nepal come with high forces which flow from mountain region and make the foreigners more adventurous and thrilling. All the data collected by the researcher shows that there has been the increment of the tourist in Nepal in case of river based tourism. The age group from 16-30 years visits Nepal every year for adventure. Also the foreigners from different countries visited Nepal for rafting, trekking, hiking and others. Nepal is rich in water resources so it ranked second in the world. The researcher found that rivers are being polluted day by day; this directly affects the economy of the country as well as river based tourism. If the government does not take action about this then river tourism will be diminished slowly. Methodology Sample Minimum hundred of randomly selected persons of equally Nepalese and foreigner will be asked to participate here in the survey. The population of foreigner people found more comparing towards other ordinary people close to Thamel area. Therefore, 65% of the foreigners are interested in tourism activities where as 35% of the Nepalese are involved in tourism activities. However, current surveys explain that flow of foreigner citizens are growing in the coming days. Finally after the long survey, targeted place will be sited at Thamel area so that calculation of international citizen will count easy. Method The research use Qualitative methods to collect all the possible data. Hundreds of respondent are participated in this study. Researcher collected all the questionnaire and this questionnaire are asked to the respondent. Qualitative interviewing is done by two ways process which gives the researcher to gather all the data more or less subjective and value overloaded (Healey, 1999-2014 ). Research tools The study is done in order to grasp the ideas on what was the current state of River based tourism in Nepal. Certain research tools are required to achieve appropriate data and information certain tools are: Observation: There are two types of observation which includes participative and non-participative. Internet/books: The researcher read all the books and as well through online basis to collect the proper and appropriate data. Interview: Interview simply means the conversation of a person gathering some information from another person. So, the researcher will gather all the possible data through the interview. Questionnaire: Researcher draws some possible questionnaire to collect the necessary data. The researcher has collected some questions in which respondent will give all the possible answers, by this researcher will get the appropriate data. The local respondent will be asked according to the questions collected or any information related to the respondents. Data collection Researcher will collect the data through online methods. Also the researcher would collect the data through face to face interview so researcher can get highest responses rate in survey research. Furthermore, this allows the researcher to get the appropriate answers. Finally data can be collected through online or face to face interview which saves the time and as well as data or information can be entered directly in the database safely and easily (University of Wisconsin Eau claire, n.d). Data analysis Data analysis is the process of the evaluating the data using analytical and logical reasoning to find out each component of the data provided (Dasta Analys, 2014). Data analysis is done by gathering data from various sources, then reviewed and then analyzed to find out the conclusion. The researcher collected all the data from the various source and came to the result. Timeline of activities Conclusion Researcher found that river is one of the most important resources of Nepal and it flows from Himalayan to Terai Region. Many foreigners visit Nepal for the purpose of rafting, cannoning or kayaking. There are many rivers which are suitable for rafting and some of them are Bhotekoshi River and Trishuli River. The pollution is increasing day by day in Kathmandu so the researcher found that the number of tourist is decreasing day by day. Now the rivers are being polluted day by day so the researcher found that in the near future these types of adventurous activities like rafting, kayaking will be diminished soon. Not only rivers are for rafting or kayaking purpose one can their time by sitting at the bank of the river, relax and can watch the flow of rivers. Due to political instability of Nepal, most of the time there will be strike so this directly affect the economic condition of Nepal and by this many tourist could not come to visit Nepal. The countries like US, England, Australia, and Canada mostly visit Nepal for the adventurous purpose like rafting or kayaking. The researcher has found that now rafting, kayaking are also categories into adventurous activities. Appendix Q.1. Which are the potential river sites where river based tourism is possible? Q.2. What are the different activities of river based tourism? Q.3. What are the types of river suitable for river tourism? Q.4. What are the potential customers of river based tourism? Q.5. What are the government policies and plans for river based tourism Reference Himalayan River Operator Nepal. (2014). Rafting in Nepal. Retrieved from himalayanriveroperator: http://www.himalayanriveroperator.com/rafting-in-nepal.php Nepal Gateway Trekking. (2014). Bhote Koshi River Rafting. Retrieved from nepalgatewaytrekking: http://www.nepalgatewaytrekking.com/nepal/rafting-kayaking-package/bhote-koshi-river-rafting.html Binu. (2013, September 1). Adventure tourism gains popularity. Retrieved from ametreks: http://ametreks.com/blog/2013/09/01/adventure-tourism-gains-popularity/ Dasta Analys. (2014). Retrieved from Businessdictionary: http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/data-analysis.html Healey, M. (1999-2014 ). Tools for Qualitative Research. Retrieved from ehow: http://www.ehow.com/info_8036314_tools-qualitative-research.html Himalayan River Operator. (2014). Kayak Clinics and Expedition. Retrieved from himalayanriveroperator: http://www.himalayanriveroperator.com/kayaking-in-nepal.php Himalayan River Operator Nepal. (2014). Adventure Adrenaline Whitewater Rafting and Kayaking in Nepal. Retrieved from himalayanriveroperator: http://www.himalayanriveroperator.com/ Khadka, S. K. (n.d.). Nepal main rivers and watersheds. Retrieved from newworldatlas: http://newworldatlas.blogspot.com/2011/08/nepal-main-rivers-and-watersheds.html Lohani, M. P. (2011). Harnessing Nepal Water Resources and expanding tourism potential . Retrieved from telegraphnepal: http://www.telegraphnepal.com/national/2014-11-20/harnessing-nepal-water-resources-and-expanding-tourism-potential.html N.P. Bhandari, R. D. (n.d.). Preliminary Understanding of the Seti River Debris-Flood in. Retrieved from hils: http://www.hils.org.np/ranjan/papers/setiIssmg.pdf prabin. (2010, March 28). NATURAL RESOURCES IN NEPAL: Forest, Water, Soil and Minerals. Retrieved from nepaldestination: http://nepaldestination.blogspot.com/2010/03/natural-resources.html SAARC Tourism. (2009). Rivers of Nepal. Retrieved from nepal.saarctourism: http://nepal.saarctourism.org/rivers.html Thamel Dot Com. (n.d.). Rivers of Nepal. Retrieved from thamel: http://www.thamel.com/htms/rivers.htm University of Wisconsin Eau claire. (n.d). Quantitative and Qualitative Data collection methods . Retrieved from uwec: http://people.uwec.edu/piercech/ResearchMethods/Data collection methods/DATA COLLECTION METHODS.htm

30 Doradus Image Tour

30 Doradus Image Tour Image Tour 30 Doradus as a image tour and I chose this tour because it is the largest star forming region found near our own galaxies and I thought that it would be a good topic to learn about while I am typing this, and if you are reading this I am going to bring you on a tour of writing this whole this so sit back and grab some popcorn and get ready to read. 30 doradus contains things such as Newborn star clusters, Older Star Clusters, Supernova remnant, Pillar Chain, Dark Nebulae, Hot Bubble, Hill Region, and a Runway Star. I am going to break this into parts. A Newborn Star Cluster is a bright and dense star cluster called R136, and is one of the largest star cluster near our galaxy. Stars usually live to nearly a billion years and these stars are 1 to 2 million years old. These stars will eventually explode into supernovae. Bright stars emit a energetic ultraviolet radiation that heats up and erodes the gas clouds around the star cluster. Dense dust covers the gas creat very dark pillars hence the name pillar chain because there is more than just one. Resembling a gaseous version of a coral reef, these fragmented and wispy clouds are along the edge of a large of extremely hot gas.This gas has been heated to about over 1 million degrees by the high energy radiation from hot stars or stellar explosions, this could be why it it super hot. Lastly but not least is a runway star that was caught speeding at a velocity of 250,000 miles per hour. This star though is 1 to 2 million years old meaning that it could of got at a velocity that fast from a stellar explosion or it ejected itself from the newborn gas cluster but if it did it would move a lot slower than how it is now showing that it was a stellar explosion. When gas is heated a lot it starts to glow a pinkish-red because of a newborn star heating up the gas making that star to appear like a rose-like color. Stars form in the deepest, darkest, and deepest part of hydrogen dust clouds. These dark clouds are remnants of a gigantic dark nebulae that is going to be formed.There was more but I didnt want to add it because it might exceed the 1 page limit for the assignment. Discoveries Discovering Planets Beyond In this discovery it changed austomeners lives forever and used hubble to do so but many planets have been found also found with telescopes on the surface but hubble changed eyes forever. It was then they asked questions like how do planets form, are there alien atmospheres that we can live on?, and can we hunt for a planet that is close to us. All these questions have been answered and it was all because of hubble. Now people have been begining theories that planets just are formed from stars that collided with asteroids but actually plantes have been formed by asteroids colliding with each other to make much bigger asteroids and eventually making a planet. This is true because hubble has seen it happen and made a completely new planet. Finding planets around other stars is hard. Planets are tiny relative to most other objects in the universe. And they can be a billion times dimmer than the stars they orbit. Because planets in other solar systems are nearly impossible to see directly, astronomers have had to come up with innovative ways to hunt these covert objects. Only in the past couple decades has our technology and techniques been up to the task of finding extrasolar planets. The Hubble Space Telescope has a wide range of astronomical pursuits from studying black holes in distant galaxies to observing members of our solar system. So it isnt able to dedicate a lot of time to the hunt for extrasolar planets. But that doesnt mean Hubble hasnt tried or succeeded. In fact, Hubble has conducted some of the farthest searches of extrasolar planets ever attempted. It has proven that enigmatic objects discovered by other telescopes are planets. And it has made some exoplanet firsts.. Lastly are we alone in space that question is average because still many other planets that we havent seen so that is still an unknown question.

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby - Nick Carraways Self-Interest

Nick's Self-Interest in The Great Gatsby      Ã‚   In his novel The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald portrays a world filled with rich societal happenings and love affairs. His main character, Gatsby, is flamboyant, pompous, and only cares about impressing the love of his life, Daisy Buchanan. Nick is Fitzgerald's narrator for the story, and is a curious choice as a narrator because he is of a different class and almost a different world than Gatsby and most of the other characters in the book. Nick relates the plot to the reader as a member of Gatsby's circle, yet he expresses repeatedly his dislike for the man. Nick cannot relate to Gatsby because of their fundamental personality differences. Moreover, he disapproves of Gatsby's desire to impress Daisy at all costs. However, Nick continues to follow Gatsby because by doing so he can ensure his relationship with Jordan, a celebrity socialite, and because, in a perverse way, Nick can use Gatsby to bolster his own self-esteem.    Nick expresses his opinion about Gatsby quite clearly: "I disapproved of him from beginning to end" (162). However, he makes this remark at the end of the novel and actually does like Gatsby when he first meets him. "I could see nothing sinister about him" (54). Nick's image of Gatsby only begins to be tainted once he learns of his relationship with Daisy. Nick's dislike does not stem from jealousy; it comes from the fact that Gatsby shapes his life around what Daisy wants. Nick does not see Gatsby as a real person, only as an image set out to please Daisy and conform to what she desires. The epigraph of the novel states:    Then wear the gold hat, if that will move her; If you can bounce high, bounce for her too, ... ...al element of life, and thus finds Gatsby foolish as he devotes his life to pleasing Daisy. However, Nick links himself with Gatsby so that he can gain in social status and self-regard. Nick wants to be respected, and Jordan gives him much more respect after he becomes Gatsby's friend. Thus Nick keeps up the friendship to benefit his love life. He also gains self-assurance because he sees himself as Gatsby's only "true friend". Thus it is Nick's selfishness that causes him to develop a rapport with Gatsby even though Gatsby "represented everything for which I [Nick] have an unaffected scorn" (6). Gatsby becomes merely an object, though he is the character that gives his name to the title of the novel. Gatsby is only "great" relative to Nick's self-interest. Work Cited Fitzgerald, F. Scott.   The Great Gatsby.   Simon and Schuster Inc., New York: 1991.

Pathos in MLK Jr.s Letter from Birmingham Jail Essay -- Letter from B

Pathos in MLK, Jr.'s Letter from Birmingham Jail    In his "Letter," Martin Luther King Jr.'s ability to effectively use pathos, or to appeal to the emotions of his audiences, is evident in a variety of places. More particularly in paragraph fourteen, King demonstrates his ability to inspire his fellow civil rights activists, invoke empathy in the hearts of white moderates, and create compassion in the minds of the eight clergyman to which the "Letter" is directed. In response to the clergyman's claim that his use of direct action was "untimely," King states, "We have waited for more than 340 years for our constitutional and God-given rights." As you can see, this statement is in direct relation to the clergyman's "untimely" notion, but one would do good to realize his underlying audience. The "we" in this statement refers to his "black brothers and sisters" taking an active role in the civil rights movement. So what this statement does in terms of pathos is to light the fire of inspiration under his black brothers and sisters and have them realize that 340 yea...

Economic Development Models Essay

Different economic development models have been the product of theorizing from various economic and political contexts. With regards to underdevelopment, the dependency model was chosen for discussion in this paper because the model itself was developed from the experience of underdeveloped countries. The experiences of the Philippines and Venezuela were selected for comparison and contrast because of their relationship to one developed country – the United States where the former is a loyal ally and the latter is presently an ally turned critique. The Dependency Model The Dependency Model as a theory of economic development is based on the premise that in the world today, there exists an unequal relationship between satellite and metropolitan countries. This relationship is based on the evolution of an international division of labor under the world capitalist system which dictates that the role of underdeveloped satellite countries is to provide cheap raw materials and labor necessary for industries in the metropolitan or capitalist countries (Todaro 2006: 25). This is based on the assumption that economic and political dominance is held by capitalist countries and leads to the phenomena of neo-colonization that is the existence of dummy governments subservient to the economic interests of developed countries. Dummy governments are perpetuated by an elite class whose economic interests lie in the raw material export-finished products import orientation of domestic economy and whose political interests lie in protecting these class interests (Perkins, Radelet and Lindauer 2006:24). Some Marxist-leaning dependency theorists attribute these relationships to the occurrence of the crisis of overproduction evident in imperialism where the economic survival of metropolitan states largely depends on the additional role of satellites as markets for finished products (Perkins, Radelet and Lindauer 2006:24). The dependency theory was developed to mirror the underdevelopment and widespread poverty in Latin America which was a vastly contrasting experience to the trickle-down effect of economic wealth from capitalist countries as proposed in neoclassical models of economic growth. The dependency theory further opens alternative roads in attaining development. One is through local development of industries for domestic needs in order that resources would serve the interest of the general population which at the same time reduces the need to import (Todaro 2006: 401). This takes into account that genuine economic development is not only based on actual domestic production but more importantly in how resources and the gains in production actually benefit the people. However, this depends in part on the political will of third-world governments to effect necessary political and economic changes not for the elite but for the population living in poverty (Ferraro 2006). In general, the dependency model predicts a worsening and continued poverty in satellite states as long as the dependency relationship exists. Although there have been no actual third world experience proving the viability of certain methods undertaken to effect domestic economic development, the historical and prevailing circumstances of underdeveloped countries show that the only way out of dependency is through a change in the structural context in which it is rooted. Dependency in the Philippine Context The Philippines, located in Southeast Asia, has a population that is expected to hit 90. 4 million this year and is currently experiencing political turmoil as evidenced in coup-de-etat attempts, allegations of large-scale corruption in government and extrajudicial killings allegedy perpetuated by military forces. The Philippines traces its history to Spanish colonization which profoundly changed the historical direction of the feudal states, semi-slave and semi-communal societies that prevailed during that time. The primarily trading and subsistence based economy that co-existed in the archipelago were transformed into feudal kingdoms ruled by the Catholic Church and the Spanish bureaucracy (Agoncillo 1980:11-16). Economic resources were used to finance Spanish wars, the galleon trade and the excessive lifestyle of the Spanish while the native elite were co-opted into the bureaucracy to consolidate political control over the populace (Agoncillo 1980: 18). The defeat of Spain led to the handover of the Philippines to U. S. auspices through the Treaty of Paris in 1898. The U. S. , then a capitalist state, set up its own bureaucracy under the concept of benevolence assimilation and transformed the feudal remnants of Spanish rule into raw-material extraction for export and promoted the importation of finished products (Eviota 1992:8-9). Large-scale mines and logging operations were opened as well as semi-processing in the textile and electronics industries by multinational companies. A mix of export based agricultural production and semi-processing industry under colonial political conditions was created. The locals were educated and evangelized along Protestant religions which promoted an individualistic and highly consumerist culture, the origin of the Filipino’s propensity at emulating the American lifestyle. The members of the middle class were given Fullbright scholarships which provided the necessary training for their participation in the various levels of colonial economy, politics and culture. The social upheavals after the second world-war fueled movements for independence in U. S. colonies. This was the context in which Philippine independence was granted in 1946. However, economic structures essentially remained intact with the exception that the elite land-owners and big businessmen now made up the bulk of the political bureaucracy (Eviota 1992: 12). Economic and political pressure from the United States ensured the subservience of past and present Philippine governments and cooperation is to a certain extent a primary determinant for a president to stay in power (Agoncillo 1980: 65-68). Although Japan and the members of the EU also have stakes in Philippine import and export, it is largely dominated by U. S. economic interests. At present, the tenets of globalization are firmly enshrined in economic policies of recent and current governments. The large-scale privatization of public utilities involved in energy production and distribution, education and others are already underway. The deregulation of the prices of basic commodities such as oil and gas has been instituted since 1995. The liberalization of trade and agriculture has opened up these crucial aspects of the domestic economy to unfair competition from developing countries and the first world (Ibon 2008). Looking at present economic indicators, the Philippine gross national product for the past year stands at P7,274,660 million, GDP is at P6,651,320 million and balance of trade for 2007 is at $-114 million (NSCB 2008). Of the GDP, 14% is attributed to the agriculture sector, 31% to the industry sector and almost 55% to the service sector. Labor force accounts for 35% in agriculture, 49. 3% in the service sector and 15. 1 in the industry sector (NSCB 2008). The latter involves workers in mining and quarrying, construction, electricity/gas/water and manufacturing. The service sector also includes the growing number of Filipinos employed in call centers sprouting all over the country. In addition, overseas workers contribute about 10% to the total GDP and economic figures do not accurately reflect the cushioning effect of dollar remittances from these workers who leave the country because of the absence of meaningful employment in the country (Jimenez-David 2007). Top 10 Philippine exports include gold, petroleum products, coconut oil, woodcrafts and furniture, ignition wiring sets, other products manufactured from materials imported on consignment basis, cathodes and section of cathodes of refined copper, articles of apparel and clothing accessories, electronic products, metal components (NSCB 2008). Manufactured goods are mainly from export processing zones in various parts of the country. This reflects the semi-processed and raw material nature of Philippine production. Its top 10 imports on the other hand include cereal and cereal preparations, iron and steel, organic and inorganic chemicals, mineral fuels/lubricants and related materials, plastics in primary and non-primary forms, electronic products, textile yarn/fabrics/made-up articles and related products, telecommunication equipment and electrical machinery and electrical machinery/transport equipment (NSCB 2008). The imports reflect the absence of basic manufacturing industries in the country. Although, economic growth has been posted for the 4th quarter of 2007 other indicators should be taken into account to determine the state of economic development especially with regards to the poor. Simple literacy (2000) is 92. 3% and functional literacy (2003) is 84% (NSCB 2008). The top 10 causes of deaths include respiratory infections, tuberculosis, diarrhoeal diseases, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, perinatal conditions and heart diseases, ailments that are easily curable and preventable in the first world (NSCB 2008). In terms of income, the annual income for a family of 6 in 2006 was P173,000. 00, but unemployment and remains high with 6. 3% and 18. 1% respectively in 2007 (NSCB 2008). This translates to around 21 million people. In addition, inflation has most probably decreased purchasing power vis a vis the rising costs of petroleum products in the world market that affects the prices of basic commodities. If the daily cost of living is P680. 00, the annual income per family would only yield P254. 00 per day. Finally, the Philippines has a current $54. 4 billion foreign debt and continues to borrow for payment of debt interests and pad its annual budget deficits (Dumlao 2007). Loans usually come with corresponding Structural Adjustment Programs while loans for public sector projects are usually funded through a build-operate and transfer scheme in favor of companies from the funding country (Ibon 2008). In the realm of politics, the Philippines has the longest running communist insurgency in the world implying that there is a general discontent among a portion of its population (Ibon 2008). The Philippine government has responded by increased military spending and military equipment acquisition. It has also supported the war on Iraq by actually sending members of her military for combat and allowed the entry of U. S. visiting forces despite local calls sovereignty. Although â€Å"democratic† is generally used to describe local politics, elections are characterized by patronage politics, violence, massive vote buying and manipulation so that only the elite have the capacity to run for office (Eviota 1992:12). On a cursory view, current data seems to reinforce the historical developments outlined above and presents how the Philippines has come to be part of a continuing dependency relationship that is far from changing. Dependency in the Context of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela Venezuela, with a population of 26. 7 million in 2005, shares the same historical experience as the Philippines in that both have been subjected to successful Spanish colonization efforts. Exports were primarily cacao, cotton, beef and coffee until the early 1900’s (Salazar-Carillo and Cruz 1994:33). After Spain lost in the series of local uprisings against her, the political landscape was dominated by successive civil wars that served to oust an existing government and install another. In 1908 emerged a dictator, Juan Vicente Gomez who was elected by Congress under questionable circumstances and ruled unchallenged until 1935 with solid control over the military and presumably foreign support (Lieuwen 1969:50). The discovery of oil around that time drastically changed Venezuela’s economy, politics and culture. Necessary technology to develop oil as an industry was undertaken largely with the involvement of the foreign oil companies, notably Shell from Britain and later the Creole Petroleum Company from the United States (Salazar-Carillo and Cruz 1994:42). Both countries had friendly relationships with the Gomez dictatorship because of oil interests. Two decades later, Venezuela has established itself as one of the important sources of oil in the world. Royalty sharing between government and foreign oil companies was through a 50-50 scheme and as foreign revenue increased, it enabled the country to pay its foreign debt (Lieuwen 1969:46). However, much of the wealth created was accumulated by the dictatorship with its policy of well-arming the military to quell dissent. The focus given on the oil industry and overdependence on its revenues resulted in the neglect of other productive sectors such as agriculture such that Venezuela started food importation in the 1920’s (Tinker-Salas 2005:1). Foreign control over the oil industry was entrenched through the promotion of a culture among the intelligentsia that equated prosperity with the oil industry and that foreign oil companies are essential to economic development (Tinker-Salas 2005:1). This was despite the fact that a substantial portion of society, especially those in the agricultural sector who still comprised the bulk of labor force and the displaced peoples from the construction of the oil industry infrastructure, were poor. It is in these aspects that a form of dependency relationship between Venezuela and primarily the U. S. , who had greater control over oil concessions after the Great Depression, was developed. A different turn of events to the contrary occurred with the privatization of the oil industry in the 1970’s. The Petroleos de Venezuela, S. A. (PdVSA) was established as a state-owned company that undertook the sole extraction, processing and exportation of domestic oil (Tinker-Salas 2005:1). However, privatization created a business enterprise out of the oil industry that was virtually untouchable. Because they held (and misused) the bulk of the country’s revenue, the officicials of PdVSA had almost the same political powers as the president and created a sector of managerial personnel that constituted the elite in society (Tinker-Salas 2005:1). Thus, the general view that the oil industry never improved the standards of living of most brought to fore the smoldering class tensions that have been existent in Venezuelan society. The opening up once again of oil concessions to foreign oil companies in 1992 through the Apertura Petrolera policy fueled public perception that the PdVSA worked more for foreign interest than domestic advantages (Tinker-Salas 2005:1). This was the context in which Hugo Chavez found himself when he was elected president in 1998. Contrary to existing PdVSA practice, he instituted reforms in the oil industry, putting more government control in its operations, drafting new laws with regards to oil resources and allocating funds from oil revenue for social programs (Alvarez 2006). In 2001, Venezuela had a crude oil production rate of 3. 6 million barrels a day where about 60% of this is exported to the U. S. conversely supplying an estimated 11% of total U. S. imports of the product (EIA 2008). Though still largely dependent on income from the oil industry, Venezuela is starting to diversify in order to lessen the economic impacts of oil price fluctuations in the world market and decrease importation of basic food stuffs (Alvarez 2006). There are also efforts to decrease reliance on the U. S. oil market through market expansion to other countries in Latin America, China, Iran and India (Alvarez 2006). In addition, Venezuela has started providing foreign aid from its oil revenues to its Latin American neighbors and initiated agreements for a joint venture in natural gas extraction and the refining of crude oil produced in neighboring countries, solidifying its economic and political ties in the region (Alvarez 2006). These developments have earned both commendations and criticisms from the international community but generally seem to point to a nation’s attempt to remove first world control on local resources and industry and effect the delivery of social services from the wealth created as benefits for the people. With regards to how these reforms will significantly and reliably raise the current standard of living of Venezuelans and the Latin American region remains a subject for study by social scientists in the coming years. Its success will provide dependency theorists with empirical evidence of how a satellite state can break away from dependency. List of References Agoncillo, T. H. (1980) The History of the Filipino People. Philippines: Garotech Publishing Alvarez, C. (2006) Venezuela’s Oil-Based Economy [online] Available from [17 February 2008] Dumlao, D. (2007) Foreign debt stock up to $54. 4B [online] Available from [16 February 2008] Energy Information Administration (2008) Available from [17 February 2008] Eviota, E. U. (1992) The Political Economy of Gender: Women and the Sexual Division of Labour in the Philippines. New Jersey: Zed Books Lieuwen, E. (1969) Venezuela. London, New York and Toronto: Oxford University Press Ibon E-Media (2008) The Philippines and Globalization [online] Available from < http://info. ibon. org/index. php? option=com_content&task=blogsection&id=5&Itemid=27> February 2008] Jimenez-David, R. (2007) At Large Migrant Nation [online] Available from [16 February 2008] National Statistics Coordination Board-Philippines (2008). General Reference [online] Available from [17 February 2008] Perkins, D. , Radelet, S. and Lindauer D. (2006) Economics of Development (6th ed). New York and London: Norton Salazar-Carino, J, Cruz, R. (1994) Oil Development in Venezuela. London: Praeger Publishers Tinker-Salas, M. (2005) ‘Fueling Concern: The Role of Oil in Venezuela’. Harvard International Review 26: 5-10 Available from [16 February 2008] Todaro, M. P. , Smith S. (2006) cc Economic Development in the Third World (6th ed). New York and London: Longman Vincent Ferraro-Mt. Holyoke College (2006). Dependency Theory: An Introduction [online] Available from [16 February 2008]

Biography of Mary and Martha

Mary Magdalene is probably one of the most controversial figures in the New Testament. There are many claims about her personality, from a notorious sinner to until recently, the wife of Jesus Christ. Actually, Mary Magdalene is mentioned as one of Jesus’ female disciples in the Gospels of Mark, Matthew, Luke and John. All throughout the New Testament, there are other references to Mary Magdalene. Accounts about her life, although plenty, are sometimes confusing depending on the source. The name Magdalene suggested that she came from the town of Magdala, hence the name Mary Magdalene.The town of Magdala is believed to be on the Sea of Galilee’s western shore. The town was a source of salt for the neighboring towns. It was also the administrative center and the largest among the towns surrounding the lake (George, 2003). Mary Magdalene is the sister of Martha and the brother of Lazarus. Accordingly, the story of Martha is intertwined with the story of Mary Magdalene but there are also claims that the Mary who anointed the Lord Jesus, the woman sinner and the Mary of Bethany are three different persons.Pope Gregory the Great declared that all three women were the same person but in 1969, the church retracted that position (Ehrman, 2006). One account tells that Mary Magdalene came from a middle-class family in an affluent fishing village. Later on, Mary Magdalene was believed to be possessed by seven demons which drove her sometimes to madness but was freed by Jesus. Mary Magdalene suffered these demons in her life since childhood and when Jesus freed her, she followed Him. Since then, Mary Magdalene became part of Jesus’ circle of disciples.There were many disputes about her personality. Some say she was a prostitute, others say she was a female divinity figure. Still others claim that she became the wife of Jesus (George, 2003). Mary Magdalene has been both revered as well as reviled for almost 2,000 years. There are claims of her being a wi tch, a whore and to being the eternal feminine and devoted companion of Jesus. New researches have also shown that Mary Magdalene could have played a central role in the ministry of Jesus and possibly an influential figure in the creation of Christianity (Chilton, 2005).Mary Magdalene was an eyewitness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. She was also believed to have played an important role in the growth of Christianity following Jesus’ ascension to heaven (Lester, 2006). The most famous mention of Mary Magdalene in the New Testament was her anointing of Jesus with perfume and washing his feet in one of the dinners that Jesus frequented in the house of Mary Magdalene and her siblings. Interestingly, many new accounts are coming out disputing the popular belief among Christians that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute.Recent works by scholars claim that there is no concrete evidence to suggest that indeed Mary Magdalene was a prostitute. Some point to the sermon by Greg ory the Great five centuries after Mary Magdalene’s death which started that notion (Ehrman, 2006). Since Mary Magdalene was claimed to come from an affluent family, there were also claims that she helped pay for the expenses of Jesus’ ministry. Since Jesus and his disciples never collected donations from people, according to some texts, it was possible that Mary Magdalene helped sustain their ministry through her own funds (George, 2003).When Jesus was crucified, Mary Magdalene was there at the foot of the cross along with Jesus’ mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and one of his apostles John. Being present at the foot of the Lord’s cross with Jesus’ mother bolstered the claim of other people that indeed Mary Magdalene may have been the wife of Jesus because why would she be there along with His mother. These claims were unfounded and probably misunderstood the deep faith and courage of Mary Magdalene on the Lord Jesus Christ. She was avid follower. The story of Martha complaining to Jesus about Mary Magdalene sitting there listening to Him while she serves all the guests, is a testament to the devotion of Mary Magdalene to the teachings of Jesus (Chilton, 2005). When the Risen Christ showed Himself to Mary Magdalene, again many justified that Jesus first appeared to Mary Magdalene because she was His wife. The risen Christ chose to appear before Mary Magdalene because she was a repentant sinner. It was probably an analogy or symbolic gesture on Jesus’ part (Chilton, 2005).After Jesus’ ascension, accounts say that Mary Magdalene together with her sister Martha and brother Lazarus were seized by the Jews along with many other Christians and left to die on board a ship without sails. They survived miraculously and Mary Magdalene was further mentioned to have chosen to live on a cave and every day, the angels of the Lord visited and carried her to heaven (â€Å"Memorial of St. Martha†, 2006). There is no clear record on when and where Mary Magdalene died. There were claims that she was miraculously transported to the chapel of St.Maximin where she was given the last sacraments. Others claim that she spent her last days in Ephesus. With so many conflicting accounts on the life of Mary Magdalene, many scholars have spent countless hours researching her life story. With the recent interest on the life of Mary Magdalene because of claims that she was the wife of Jesus and she bore him a child, many writers and scholars have offered their own theories and writings based on their findings. In her book, Joan Norton even ventured as far as interpreting the mind of Mary Magdalene and writing a novel with a first-person perspective.Though conflicting are the accounts on her life, what was certain was Mary Magdalene followed and served the Lord Jesus Christ while He was preaching and continued to do so even after his ascension to heaven. The feast day of Mary Magdalene is celebrated every July 22. She is regarded to symbolize the virtue of penitence. Hence, her title â€Å"The Penitent. † St. Martha Not much is known about the life of Martha. In the Bible, she was only mentioned twice in the New Testament in the Gospels of John and Luke. Specifically, Martha was cited in Luke 10:38-42 and John 11, 12.That mention is the story about the visit of Jesus in the house of Martha, Mary and Lazarus at Bethany. It was said that Jesus loved to visit them whenever He was in Judea. In one of Jesus’ visits to Martha’s home, Martha was busy serving the Master, preparing food for the guests and doing errands around the house when she noticed that her sister, Mary, was not doing anything but instead is seated near Jesus listening to his preaching. Martha, annoyed by Mary’s attitude, approached the Master to ask Him to persuade Mary to help her in doing the house chores.Jesus understood what Martha was complaining about. Not wanting to offend her because Jesus love d them both, He explained to her that she was worrying too much at the things that are trivial and in the process loosing sight of the more important thing which is what Mary had been doing, and that is listening to the word of God (â€Å"Memorial of St. Martha†, 2006). There are, however, some snippets of stories about Martha that sheds some light on her life. According to one account, Martha came from a rich and noble family.Her parents have enough wealth to live comfortably and to take good care of their children. But in spite of their wealth, Martha chose to serve the Lord in the ways she knew best. In fact, she is most remembered in the Christian world for the hospitality she gave to Jesus and his disciples whenever they visited them in their home (â€Å"Memorial †¦Ã¢â‚¬ , 2006) After the event where Jesus explained to Martha the importance of listening to the word of God, not much is known about what events followed on Martha’s life.Martha was mentioned ag ain in the New Testament when her brother Lazarus, who died of an illness, was raised from the dead by the Lord Jesus. Upon learning of Lazarus’ death, Jesus was saddened and He immediately set off to Judea. There, at the tomb of Lazarus, Martha was mentioned again wherein she spoke to Jesus uttering those intense words of faith, which later on became part of the Christian funeral liturgy. Martha told Jesus: â€Å"I know he will rise again on the resurrection on the last day.† To which Jesus replied, telling her He, the Lord Jesus, is the resurrection and the life and whoever believes in Him shall not die but have eternal life (â€Å"St. Martha†, nd. ). Martha’s conversations with Jesus showed her faith and courage. It is evident in the available writings that Jesus loved the family of Martha. Some time after Lazarus was raised from the dead, Jesus again visited Martha and her siblings and shared a meal with them. Because of their association with Jesus, the siblings were known throughout their town.Lazarus was always talked about as the one that Jesus raised from the dead; Mary was known as the one who cause a commotion in one of the many dinners Jesus had with them by washing Jesus’ feet with her hair and pouring expensive perfume after. In contrast, Martha was known only as the one who always served Jesus the meals and took care of the guests whenever the Master came for a visit. She simply and humbly served Jesus (â€Å"St. Martha†, n. d). After the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus and his eventual ascension to heaven, there was no mention of Martha again in the Scriptures.Again, other accounts say that after the ascension, Martha, Mary and Lazarus were held by the Jews. Together with Martha’s handmaid Marcella and a disciple named Maximin who performed the baptism of the whole family, and with many other Christians were herded on to a ship. The Jews then left them on the open sea while on board the ship that was stripped of its sails and oars with the intent of exposing them to the elements of the sea and possibly send them to their doom through shipwreck or disease (â€Å"Memorial †¦Ã¢â‚¬ , 2006). But God had other plans for them.The ship was not wrecked and all the passengers arrived safely in the city of Marseilles, now known as part of the nation of France in Europe. The miraculous journey became known to the local population. The Christians, including Martha and her siblings, set off to preach throughout Marseilles and the neighboring towns such as Aix, eventually converting many to become believers of Christ (â€Å"Memorial †¦Ã¢â‚¬ , 2006). The same account continued to say that because of their works, Lazarus was made bishop of Marseilles and Maximin the disciple, was also made bishop of the neighboring Aix.Mary, it was said, decided to retire into a deserted cave and devoted herself to prayers and enjoyed the part wherein she had chosen when Jesus was sti ll among them and that is immersing in the joys of heaven. Martha, it was believed, withdrew form the public eye and together with other virtuous women, lived apart from the community of men and settled in a remote place in the Marseilles. She spent the rest of her life serving the Lord Jesus Christ through her piety and prudence (â€Å"Memorial †¦Ã¢â‚¬ , 2006). Some accounts specifically mentioned that Martha died on the fourth of the Kalends of August.Her body is believed to be interred at Tarascon where it is held in great veneration generations after generations (â€Å"Memorial †¦Ã¢â‚¬ , 2006). Still, others believe that where and when Martha died is unknown or whether she died a natural death or at the hands of those who persecute Christians (â€Å"St. Martha†, n. d. ). The feast day of St. Martha is celebrated every 29th of July. She is recognized as the patron saint of cooks, housewives, servants and travelers. Application to One’s Life/Lessons Fro m the life of St.Martha, one lesson which I believe many of us can relate to is that sometimes, with all the hustle and bustle of daily life, we worry too much about many things. Some are trivial, some are not but just the same, we become so immerse with the daily grind of life that we forget to pause and pray, just like what Martha experienced when Jesus made one of his many visits to their home. We need to stop and meditate, even contemplate because we may not realize it but taking a break and spending time to pray energizes our spirits and helps us cope with everyday problems and stress.One other lesson that I can see from the life of St. Martha is that even simple things like household chores or small works outside our homes, can also be an instrument or a way to serve the Lord because in serving others, we serve also the Lord Jesus Christ. On the other hand, Mary Magdalene represented the symbol of unwavering faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. If truly she was a prostitute, she di splayed great courage and devotion when she followed Jesus in spite of her sins.Recognizing one’s sins and repenting is probably the most valuable lesson that Mary Magdalene have taught us through her example. No matter how sinful we are, the Lord can forgive us and even elevate us to a level we could never expect. From the lives of St. Martha and St. Mary Magdalene, we can learn that serving the Lord Jesus Christ can be done in various ways albeit it should be based on true devotion and faith. References Chilton, B. (2005). Mary Magdalene: A Biography. New York: Doubleday. Ehrman, B. (2006). Peter, Paul, and Mary Magdalene: The Followers of Jesus in Historyand Legend. Philadelphia: Oxford University Press. George, M. (2003). Mary, Called Magdalene. New York: Penguin Group (USA). Lester, M. (2006). The Everything Mary Magdalene Book: A Divine Profile. Massachusetts: Adams Media Corp. â€Å"Memorial of St. Martha, virgin†. (2006). Catholic Culture. Retrieved on November 25, 2006 from http:/www. catholicculture. org Norton, J. (2005). The Mary Magdalene Within. New York: iUniverse, Inc. â€Å"St. Martha†. (n. d. ). St. Martha. org. Retrieved on November 25, 2006 from http://www. stmartha. org/St%20Martha. htm

The Costs of Congestion

Costs are divided into private costs and cost to third parities. The cost to the third party is called an externality. Private costs are costs that are personal to a person or company and so an example of that would be fuelling an airplane with petrol. Externalities occur when a person is doing something, but the full cost of doing the thing is not paid. An example of this is pollution, because no one actually pays for the damage caused. The most efficient outcome to society would be when marginal social cost and marginal social benefit equal each other. The externalities that are caused have to be the main problem. The environment is greatly damaged because of this. The more vehicles driven, the more the pollution caused. 44% of nitrogen oxide emissions in the UK come from cars. Cars also contribute to 24% of carbon dioxide emissions. Both nitrogen oxide and carbon dioxide are big contributions to global warming. Because of global warming, the Earth's average temperature rises which causes sea levels to also rise. Nitrogen oxide also harms the bodies respiratory and immune systems. Carbon monoxide reduces the oxygen carrying capacity of the bloody and could prove to be fatal. The UK road traffic is responsible for 69% of Carbon monoxide emissions. Another externality that is less obvious is noise pollution. This occurs because of vehicles. It causes a lot of disturbance to people. There are very few places left in England where noise pollution doesn't affect anyone in anyway. To reduce car congestion a number of ways have been developed to try and achieve the aim. ‘A new deal for transport' was published which outlined policies to create a better public transport system. The increase use of public transport would mean that congestion would be cut enormously as cars won't be in much usage. The congestion charge in London that was introduced last February was developed to try and cut the congestion problem in the centre of London. This would be effective as people could be put off with the à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½5 charge and would rather use the public transport as it is cheaper. As this scheme is seen to be a long term success, other cities may well introduce them too. A criticism of the congestion in London however is that rich people would be able to pay and the people on lower incomes wouldn't. Although the money gained from the charges would then be used to improve public transport. To carry on using cars and not polluting the environment would be impossible, unless you switch to cars that run on hydrogen. This would be more environmentaly friendly as they emit less pollution than petrol. However the downside of this is that in current times, these cars are very expensive. In the future we may be able to see more of these cars being manufactured and slowly replacing the petrol-run cars.

The Development of Multi-Faceted Literacy in American Culture

Though many theories have been formulated about literacy and how to apply proper education to it, few seem to grasp the fact that true literacy involves lots of different aspects. Though many educators have tried to put the term literacy into a strict definition, it is best understood as a complex educational aspect. Literacy combines elements of culture, both nation and international. It involves picking up essential skills that can be taught in the classroom, as well. In addition to all of that, it involves a person learning the advanced art of articulation. Speaking well, writing well, and understanding how to get a point across are three things that should be included in that discussion, as well. How a person understands literacy is dependent upon which of these theories that person accepts as being the standard. According to Dr. Robert Needlman, literacy needs to be understood in a broad sense, as it is very important to all other forms of learning. In a recent article on the matter, Needlman wrote, â€Å"Literacy is more than just being able to read and write. Literate children see reading as fun and exciting. They use reading to learn about a wide range of subjects, and they use writing to share their ideas† (Needlman). This means that teachers must learn to teach their students how to read and write at the most basic level, but that is rarely enough. True literacy can not be gained without a wide application of many different principles. One position that has become very popular among educators in recent years is one that employs a strategy of teaching students to communicate. Learning how to frame words in sentences and paragraphs is not enough in order to truly teach someone to be literate. In order to be literate, a person has to be able to take those words and put them into coherent thoughts. This position is probably the one that most closely represents what today’s educators should be aiming for when they frame curriculums for students. Skills based literacy is the building block from which all other things have to come. This is generally accepted by most educators out there. The problem is that some of these educators are not going beyond that. Though literacy starts with the basic skills, it certainly cannot stop there. It can only be effective if it is combined with a literacy program that teaches students cultural literacy and communications skills, as well. Teaching one without taking the time to teach the other is like teaching a person how to fish, giving them all of the equipment, and then forgetting to tell them where the pond is located. Though learning the actual skill of reading and writing is obviously an important part of the process, the cultural aspects are even more important. Especially in the United States, cultural literacy has not been nearly as much of a concern as other aspects of education. This is partly because teachers have been teaching with their eye on standardized tests and partly because no real value has been placed on cultural literacy. Now, the value and importance of both understanding how to read and write and understand how to put those things into context is being stressed more and more in schools and to America’s youth. Certain school districts have taken the initiative of instilling this sort of program within their curriculum for students. According to literature put out by the Poway Unified School District, cultural literacy is important to the development of students. Their website states, â€Å"The best lessons for cultural literacy come from the many students who sit in front of us each day in our classrooms. Their cultures, heritage, and stories formulate the most powerful cultural literacy curriculum† (Poway Unified School District). Elementary schools are not the only ones taking notice in this. College writing programs have implemented strategies as well to give their students a chance to become fully literate. Reed College, for example, has an entire writing program that is dedicated to teaching students the proper rules for communicating in their writing. This program not only focuses on writing, but it also teaches the value of things like drama and other liberal arts. Hampden-Sydney College is another college in the United States that has put an emphasis on this type of education. Their rhetoric program must be completed by all students who come through the school, whether those students are business majors or history majors. In the full context of a college liberal arts program, writing takes on a huge level of importance. Universities that offer these programs need to instill a writing intensive program across the board. This does not mean that just journalism or English students should have to concentrate on refining their skills. It means that in history courses, religion courses, philosophy courses, and other sorts of classes, a bunch of writing should be required. By incorporating writing into the curriculum of these other subjects, students will further learn how to communicate with their writing and they will become better at the other subjects, as well. Without an emphasis on writing, a liberal arts program is doomed to failure. Successful communication is a necessary aspect of these programs, as well. That cannot be gained without learning how to write critically, though. As E.D Hirsch is quick to point out, the English language lends itself to much interesting diction for writers. In his book, Hirsch wrote, â€Å"Literature in English excels in every kind of writing. Its particular glory is its poetry. For historical reasons, the English language acquired a vocabulary that is unusually rich and nuanced, combining words of Germanic root (such as see and glimpse) with words of Latin root (such as perceive and envision)† (Hirsch). There are quite a few different approaches to organizing a program such as this. Some colleges have started specific writing courses that teach students how to put their ideas into writing. More times than not, these classes are put into freshman year experience programs. These are the programs that teach students how to learn and how to be good college students. More times than not, these classes are taught alongside a study skills course. After all, most students are going to have to write multiple essays when they enter college and writing will be an essential part of their life. It only makes sense to preach the importance of writing from the very beginning of the college experience. This is not enough, though. In today’s world, being able to write and communicate is essentially important. Just about everything revolves around it, including the business world. According to the Educational Testing Service, which handles much of the student testing in the United States, the situation is extremely dire. They state, â€Å"As society becomes more technologically advanced, the quantity and types of written materials are growing. Adults are expected to use information from these materials in new and more complex ways and to maintain and enhance their literacy skills through lifelong learning activities. Literacy skills are critical not only for the personal achievement of individuals, but also for the social and economic development of each nation. These skills are no longer linked to a single threshold that separates the literate from the nonliterate† (Educational Testing Service). This quotation does much to state the overall importance of literacy in society and it also hammers home the point that literacy is becoming more important and more relevant, despite what some might think. In fact, it is dire, according to C.H. Knoblauch. In his Literacy and the Politics of Education, Knoblauch writes, â€Å"However, if literacy today is perceived as a compelling value, the reason lies not in such self-interested justifications but in its continuing association with forms of social reality that depend on its primacy† (Knoblauch). In addition to that, there is sentiment from other literary sources about the American situation. The Formation of National Cultures states, â€Å"In America, the reality is that we have not yet properly achieved monoliteracy, much less multiliteracy† (Foundation of National Cultures). This means that the United States still has to work on both the simple parts of literacy, as well as the more advanced aspects. One of the staples of any liberal arts program is a good history department. History courses are interesting because of the fact that they incorporate many different aspects of reading, writing, critical thinking, and lots of other skills. Students are not only forced to write and read critically, but they are often forced to do these things in a cultural sense. History courses not only teach what happened and when it happened, but they study cultural trends. Writing and reading have to be a huge part of any history course. Framing a history course with an eye on literacy is easy. In fact, it would be very difficult to even consider teaching any sort of history class without the inclusion of these things. As far as the actual setup of a course is concerned, it would not be all that difficult to integrate. The course would need a strong textbook, which must be read each and every night. In addition to that, the instructor of the course would teach the class in a lecture/discussion format, where students have to get used to both critical listening and critical communication. During each class period, students would have to listen to an instructor and take notes on what that professor is saying. This is one way to not only teach students the art of writing, but it also teaches students to think about the most important things that they are hearing. From that, they will react to that knowledge. The course would not be taught with only lectures, though. There would obviously be some grading that would be required. Writing would be integrated into the course in both essays and in tests. For the essays, students would be required to submit a number of them, depending upon length. This would give students a chance to not only explore the liberal arts staple of history, but it would also make them learn how to express themselves in a logical way. Essays would require proper writing skills, as well as good organization and good understanding of the material at hand. This would be an appropriate test of the knowledge and a good way to further integrate literary skills into the course. When it came time to give the test, writing would be on that, as well. Some part of the test would include an essay, where students would have to prepare a concise thought without too much time to research the issue. By doing these things, writing, reading, and critical communication could take their rightful place of importance in the liberal arts field. Without them, the courses would be naked and barren. By including writing and reading in liberal arts programs, a university would not be precluded from also offering advanced writing courses. Traditional definitions of literacy have come up with the conclusion that it is actually a skill that must be learned and mastered. Though the cultural literacy idea has become much more popular in recent years, the idea of literacy being a skill has still not been lost. With the right amount of instruction, students can learn how to both read and write at a very high level. Like with other subjects in a curriculum, writing programs must take the opportunity to teach both the basics and the advanced aspects of writing and reading. Colleges would be well advised to offer a literacy major or minor within their course catalog. With this program, the university could offer tens of classes on writing and reading. Everything from critical writing to business writing could be offered within this major. With that knowledge, a student would be able to go on to many different careers, since it has been established that writing and reading is such a large part of the business culture today. As long as literacy is a skill, it is something that must be harnessed and taught in universities and in lower levels of schools, as well. Elementary, middle, and high schools would be smart to adopt similar programs, which would further prepare students for the rigors of college literacy programs. In short, this would take a concerted effort at every level of academia if it is going to be successful. This is something that Allan Bloom takes very seriously in his book, The Closing of the American Mind. In there, Bloom writes, â€Å"I used to think that young Americans began whatever education they were to get at the age of eighteen, that their early lives were spiritually empty and they arrived at the university clean slate unaware of their deeper selves and the world beyond their superficial experience† (Bloom). The need for education at early levels is of the utmost importance to people like Bloom. No matter what definition of literacy a person subscribes to, the fact remains that it is a very important part of education that must be addressed. At current standing, schools are not doing nearly enough to teach the skills and to instill the type of cultural knowledge that is essential in order to truly communicate. Literacy is far more complicated than many educators have been willing to give it credit for. The first step to truly teaching literacy in a correct way is to understand that it is a changing thing. According to the folks at the Perkins School for the Blind, literacy includes many different aspects that must be accounted for. Their website reads, â€Å"The development of literacy is founded upon our experiences – beginning with birth – and our interactions with the world and those around us. Over time, these experiences enable us to develop the ability to connect meaning to words and letters. First, though, the path to literacy requires establishing communication and connecting meaning to objects, events and people in our world† (Perkins School for the Blind). This means that literacy is constantly being learned by everyone, each and every day. With this sort of knowledge in hand, it is easy to conclude that literacy must be included in every aspect of education. When talking about a classic liberal arts education, this is especially true. No matter if the skills-based literacy interpretation is correct or the other interpretations are correct, one must concede that all aspects of the idea should be considered. When shaping the plan for literacy training within a liberal arts program, lots of things must be considered. Luckily for those people who frame curriculums,   many liberal arts classes already require many pieces of literacy to be included to begin with. From critical writing to reading to other forms of communication, literacy will always be a part of history, philosophy, English, and the other subjects within liberal arts. With that in mind, the key is to highlight those skills and make sure that students are given an opportunity to enhance them. Works Cited Bloom, Allan. Closing of the American Mind. Educational Training Service. What is Literacy? http://www.nocheating.org/portal/site/ets/menuitem.c988ba0e5dd572bada20bc47c3921509/?vgnextoid=2a8eaf5e44df4010VgnVCM10000022f95190RCRD&vgnextchannel=6773e3b5f64f4010VgnVCM10000022f95190RCRD Hirsch, E.D. Cultural Literacy. Knoblauch, C.H. Literacy and the Politics of Education. Perkins School for the Blind. Perkins Panda Early Literacy Kit. http://www.perkins.org/literacy/panda/ Poway Unified School District. Cultural Literacy. http://www.powayusd.com/projects/edtechcentralnew/culturallit.htm â€Å"Formation of National Cultures† Needlman, Robert. What is Literacy? http://www.drspock.com/article/0,1510,5133,00.html