Quantitative research Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Quantitative research - Assignment Example The sample represents the teenage population in one village in the Capricorn district of the Limpopo province (Babbie & Mouton, 2009). This indicates that the study was only considering the pregnant teenagers in that geographic sector. The sample therefore represents the part of population that has the highest number of individuals. Eligibility criteria and delimitations are not clearly shown in the research article. This is because the sample that aided in the research did not require formalities such as education background and financial issues. In addition, the study was based on facts in the area of operation and not assumptions. According to the issue in the area of study, the study sample was adequate because generation of reliable information was possible from the sample. This facilitates the concept of relevance in a study. The instruments were reliable and valid since they were straight to the main objective of the study (Babbie & Mouton, 2009). In addition, the translation into the local language created a greater understanding and establishment was prior to the study. The rise in the number of teenage pregnancies is resulting to a great concern and being more critical. The situation requires urgent and appropriate action to prevent family disintegration (Babbie & Mouton,

Meaning of Life and Personality Essay Example for Free

Meaning of Life and Personality Essay What is personality? Personality is defined as a ingrained and relatively enduring patterns of thoughts, feeling and behavior. How can anybody be certain how his or her personality is going to turn out. I think people go through many different types an stages of personality throughout life. I think there no way to judge a personality, and thats if you go by what researchers go by. Do researchers gather all the people in the world and judge the way they act, think, and go through what they do? I think everybody chooses their own personality, what I mean is there personality goes through what prson want it to be. People change their personality many times, at different times. People change their personality through the environment they go to everyday. There is really is no defintion to me, because personality changes too many times and people change each time to a new social world. A personality is very unique to a person, because it defines a person characterstics toward life. Personality usually has to constitute the meaning of that person and the way he or she lives in the world. Personality has to be with that person at all times, because it will help it will help distinguish you from other people. Personality is a key element for a person to establish his or hers in the social world. One person can not only have on personality because that person thakes on a different personality of the series of things that a person is going about. This all comes to point how does personality develops in a person. Reasechers think personality develops in the enviroment and is through heredity.

The Changeable Nature of Life in The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver E

The Changeable Nature of Life in The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver Life is constantly changing, like clouds in the sky; always shifting and turning. People never really know which way life will turn next, bringing them fortune or failure. When you look at how things change it is best to compare it to something that you can relate it to. The changeable nature of life can be related to the novel 'The Bean Trees.' This is a book written almost entirely on dealing with changes in the characters lives. The Changeable nature of life affects us all somehow. Whether it be moving to a new city, having children, or losing people that we love, it can affect people in many different ways. For example, in the novel, the main character Taylor Greer changes her name from Marietta and moves...

Why Napoleon Is Bad

Hello comrades, today right this second, I am supporting Snowball because he is not a thieving liar, a pig of trust and a pig with honor. He is the real pig behind the farm; not Napoleon. He has saved many animals during the Battle of Cowshed and he too shed blood. Napoleon, he is the real liar he has done nothing contributing to the leadership of the society! He is the traitor and not Snowball because he is the one with the ideas and with his heart so bright; brighter than the sun. His heart so pure, the purest even. And we have Napoleon. His heart so dark and evil it almost conceals him and no light can even be seen in his heart.We cannot trust this man of hell. He is the fake leader of this movement, he is not kind, he will never careless about the animals and he will never be pure of heart because he is consumed by the evil within him the greed, the thirst for power, the abuse of power he has acquired. He will have a tongue of lies which god may even curse and a life full of sin ahead of him. I do not encourage the leadership of Napoleon. In stead I would let Snowball a true believer take on the challenge because I feel that he who is pure at heart will be our leader and not a pig with a thirst for too much power.And when either takes over who shall be the one? My guess is simple. Snowball the Great Leader. He is the one who fought bravely for the animals, the one who loves the animals to heart’s content! He is not a coward, not an idiot and down to earth and he deserves your support and he does not deserve Napoleon to backstab him! He is the very best of his league the very best strategist. The animals are not doing this for fun! They are doing it for the sake of their society everything they do is for them and they deserve a leader like Snowball. They deserve better!They deserve the intellectual Snowball he always looked at other ways to solve problems and never failed! He is the chosen one. He is the one who will lead for the future. He is pure. H e is not one of those people who would not give a damn if someone was hurt he is caring and he is honest that is the best thing about him. He has chased our beloved Snowball of the farm! EVEN THAT SHOULD BE A SIGN! He is the traitor! He must be subjected to mutiny! Throw him in the pits at the least! He has done nothing for the people but only for his own affairs! They do not accept domination over the animals they are all EQUAL!No one will be unequal! No one shall have more power than others! No animal shall have as much power as the humans because they themselves have seen how power has corrupted the human race! They are against the policy to be unequal are they not? Or are we just slaves to our own kind? It is up to you! But I say HE IS EVIL! Snowball believes in equality does he not? He protected them! Until this tyrant has taken over and put their days of Jones back in action! Napoleon believes in creating fear! And using the animals for himself! He trained the dogs for his own protection not for theirs!The creator of this revolution has blessed Snowball! Old Major himself! Do not forget what they stand for! Do not forget how they must stand for their principles! DO NOT TRUST THE TRAITOR! DO NOT FOLLOW HIS TYRANNICAL JUDGEMENT! He has killed! Is that not against the 7 Commandments? He sleeps in a bed too and influenced the pigs that were not corrupt! He is not to be trusted! Not to be trusted with power of the country! And their leader abuses the power! Snowball would never do that! He would never give into corruption! He was the best, one and only true leader of this movement! Cheers.

Prison Term Armed Robbery Essay

As you know all robberies are felonies and with the use of weapons brings tougher penalties towards the crime committed by the individual. While all robberies are considered to be violent crimes certain states took the initiative to raise the punishment when a violator uses a weapon of choice to rob. This means the person that is robbing you is more at risk of serving a greater prison sentence if he is caught and convicted. For the most part, many people do not realize that 40% of all robberies that are committed are strong armed robbery. Strong arm robbery is known as taking or attempting to take anything of value from the care, custody, or control of a person or persons by force or threat of force or violence and/or by putting the victim in fear. In this paper, I will be giving a recommendation on a bill from the state legislator which involves criminals who commit arm robbery and I will not recommended the sentence to be doubled for the maximum prison term for anyone convicted of armed robbery. Robberies can happen at any time and any place unexpectedly. And it really does not matter how it’s done. The victim should always satisfy the robber by giving what the robber wants at the time of the attack without any hassle or lip. There are so many ways and places for a robber to attack. Even though a robbery could take less than one minute to attack the victim it is still a very wise idea that the victim does not create any hassle. Most robberies that take place involve one robber and one victim. When robber’s attack, they usually like to hit areas that are private rather than public. And if it is a public place, the robber will make sure that there will be more than one or two escape routes for a fast get away. Most regular people think that all robberies take place in a bank, stores, gas stations, or restaurants that stay open late. However, most robberies take place in the street dealing directly with the target/person, which is another example of strong arm robbery if a weapon is involved. This is when a person who uses force or fear against the victim to get what they wa nt. Is robbery a violent crime? I believe it is. According to the 2006 FBI Uniform Crime Report, they say â€Å"the weapon of choice for robbers is a firearm at a high of 42.2% and knives or cutting instruments are second on the list at 8.6%. Strong arm tactics like punching, pushing, kicking or threats are used mainly on the street and that is at 39.9%.† While being robbed, robbers like to use force on their victims and also like to showcase their weapons. Robbers like to use weapons because it is a  quicker method of getting what they need. And by doing so it increases the sentence of the perpetrator to a higher class sentence of strong armed robbery if caught. Also, let’s keep in mind, robbers are scared too when in the attack mode and have been known to hurt the victim when an attack is happening. This can also be another reason why the sentence should be increased to double maximum sentence due to the fact of unintentionally harmful acts you propose on the victim while using a weapon. And also, most of all, rob beries are pre-meditated when time of committing this violent act upon victims. There are different ways on how to commit armed robbery. Some of those ways are using a gun to rob a person, being wolf packed by a crowd of people/gang, using a knife or metal objects to rob the victim just so they can get what they want. By using an object and showing it off to the victim will allow a faster and easier attack at the time of the robbery. By doing so it will help speed up the process on getting what they want from the victim and still uphold a scheduled robbery under a minute. As far as my recommendation about armed robbery and if it should uphold a double maximum sentence, I will have to vote no. My reason is because armed robbery should already have a sentence attached on the type of robbery the attacker committed. Just because the attacker robs someone does not mean they should have to serve a double maximum sentence when caught. Whatever the sentence is now by law should be the sentence the attacker has to serve in jail. Unless the attacker harms the victim in any way, then more penalties/punishment should apply to their criminal charge when being sentenced. I think this double maximum sentence should be more for the murder cases and child molestations/rape cases we have committed today. Those are more important crimes we should be looking at and for us to throw these type of punishment in those directions. We know that robbery is a common crime. We all know this crime will happen over and over again. But, we as the people and the law should make this crime more punishable by maybe adding a year more to the sentence when armed robbery is committed. It should be not a double maximum crime. Although, this crime is harsh, unpredictable, and dangerous for a victim to face when attacked. Looking through the eyes of a criminal advisor, no I do not think this crime should uphold double maximum sentence for armed robbery. I think the crime should be based on what the crime is and what has happened during the crime when it  was committed for more severe punishment. I know armed robbery is a serious crime and we all want to put a stop to it, but putting a double maximum sentence is going overboard. The reason I am against this bill and for it not to pass it is because I think the punishment is already set in our law guidelines. If anything, the punishment should be increase by a year so the attacker will know that this crime is serous when caught in the act of arm robbery and plus it will give them a little more time to think about not robbing someone else while back on the street. Let’s keep in mind most robberies are pre-meditated and by increasing the punishment one year might put into perspective that this crime should not be committed. We all as a whole want this crime to stop, and by pushing for this bill for double maximum sentence should be held off for the time being. This bill is a good guster for the future of double the maximum sentence for those who commit armed robbery if we do not come up with any other solutions that is more suitable for this crime. But for now, let us explore other ways for this crime to be more punishable than to fill up our jails with people that committed armed robbery serving double maximum sentences. This is my recommendation towards the bill.

Vernacular Definition and Examples

Vernacular Definition and Examples Vernacular is the language of a particular group, profession, region, or country, especially as spoken rather than formally written. Since the rise of sociolinguistics in the 1960s, interest in vernacular forms of English speech has developed rapidly. As R.L. Trask has pointed out, vernacular forms are now seen as every bit as worthy of study as standard varieties (Language and Linguistics: Key Concepts, 2007). Examples and Observations Around the middle of the fourteenth century English began to be accepted as an appropriate language for government, law, and literature. In response to this wider use of the vernacular, a debate over its suitability as a means of communicating scripture and theology began in the 1300s.(Judy Ann Ford, John Mirks Festial. DS Brewer, 2006)The Elizabethans had discovered once and for all the artistic power of the vernacular and had freed native writers from a crippling sense of inferiority, for which the classical languages and the classicists were largely responsible.(Richard Foster Jones, The Triumph of the English Language. Stanford University Press, 1953)The BCP [Book of Common Prayer] allowed for celebrations in Latin ..., but required that worship should normally be conducted in a language understanded of the people. Vernacular liturgy was a reform for which Roman Catholics had to wait another 400 years.(Alan Wilson, The Book of Common Prayer, Part 1: An English Ragbag. The Guardia n, Aug. 23, 2010 Writers on Writing: Using The Vernacular   Mark Twain ... transformed elements of regional vernacular speech into a medium of uniquely American literary expression and thus taught us how to capture that which is essentially American in our folkways and manners. For indeed the vernacular process is a way of establishing and discovering our national identity. (Ralph Ellison, Going to the Territory. Random House, 1986)American writers were ... the first to intuit that the catchall web of the vernacular reflected the mind at its conscious level. The new melodious tongue shaped the writer to a greater extent than he shaped the language. (Wright Morris, About Fiction. Harper, 1975)  [W]hen I interrupt the velvety smoothness of my more or less literate syntax with a few sudden words of bar-room vernacular, that is done with the eyes wide open and the mind relaxed but attentive. (Raymond Chandler, letter to Edward Weeks, January 18, 1948)Ive always wanted to bring the books down closer and closer to the characters- to get mysel f, the narrator, out of it as much as I can. And one of the ways to do this is to use the language that the characters actually speak, to use the vernacular, and not ignoring the grammar, the formality of it, to bend it, to twist it, so you get a sense that you are hearing it, not reading it.(Roddy Doyle, quoted by  Caramine White in Reading Roddy Doyle. Syracuse University Press, 2001 Two Worlds of Writing Theres a newish world of writing where lots of people are busy all hours of the day and night emailing, tweeting, and blogging on the internet. Students startle their professors by sending chatty emails using the slang they write to buddies on Facebook. Much writing in this new world is a kind of speaking onto the screen; indeed, plenty of people, especially literate people, dont consider this writing to be writing. Email? Thats not writing! Actually, people have been writing in everyday vernacular spoken language for centuries in diaries, informal personal letters, grocery lists, and exploratory musings to figure out their feelings or thoughts. ...So in one world of writing, people feel free to speak onto the screen or page; in the other, people feel pressured to avoid speech on the page. I wont join the chorus of literate commentators who lament all the bad writing in the world of email and web. I see problems with writing in both worlds. Id say that most writing is not very good, whether its literate writing or e-writing, and whether it comes from students, amateurs, well-educated people, or learned scholars.(Peter Elbow, Vernacular Eloquence: What Speech Can Bring to Writing. Oxford Univ. Press, 2012) The New Vernacular ​​Like its antecedents, the new  vernacular represents a democratic impulse, an antidote to vanity and literary airs. Its friendly, its familiar. But familiar in both senses. The new vernacular imitates spontaneity but sounds rehearsed. It has a franchised feel, like the chain restaurant that tells its patrons, Youre family.In part this is just a matter of clichà ©. Some writers try to casualize their prose with friendly phrases such as you know or you know what? Or even um, as in um, hel-lo? ...The new vernacular writer is studiedly sincere. Sincere even when ironic, ironically sincere. Whatever its other goals, the first purpose of such prose is ingratiation. Of course, every writer wants to be liked, but this is prose that seeks an instant intimate relationship. It makes aggressive use of the word you- bet you thought- and even when the you is absent, it is implied. The writer works hard to be lovable.(Tracy Kidder and Richard Todd, Good Prose: The Art of Nonficti on. Random House, 2013) Vernacular Rhetoric [N]arratives of vernacular rhetoric can afford a certain accuracy in gauging public opinion that otherwise is unavailable. Were leaders to hear these opinions and take them seriously, the quality of public discourse might take a positive turn. Understanding peoples concerns and why they hold them holds promise for helping leaders to communicate with societys active members rather than manipulating them.(Gerard A. Hauser, Vernacular Voices: The Rhetoric of Publics and Public Spheres. Univ. of South Carolina Press, 1999) The Lighter Side of the Vernacular [Edward Kean] once said that he was probably best known for coining the word cowabunga (originally spelled with a k) as a greeting for Chief Thunderthud, a character on [The Howdy Doody Show]. The word has become part of American vernacular, used by the cartoon character Bart Simpson and by the crime-fighting Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. (Dennis Hevesi, Edward Kean, Chief Writer of ‘Howdy Doody,’ Dies at 85. The New York Times, Aug. 24, 2010) Pronunciation: ver-NAK-ye-ler EtymologyFrom the Latin, native

Show Balling on Beaters essays

Show Balling on Beaters essays Often, the action that a character takes defines who they are. This statement is also fitting in Ishmael Chambers case. Ishmael kissed Hatsue at fourteen and discussed the controversy of their kiss could cause among the community inside a hollow tree. At this point in time Ishmael feels their relationship will work, but the arrival of war changed everything. After receiving a devastating letter from Hatsue and losing his arm in battle, Ishmael could not control his rage and puts the blame on Hatsue and all Japanese. He found himself saying the words, that fucking goddamn Jap bitch(251) after the surgical removal of his left arm. Since his rejection by Hatsue, Ishmael fails to resume his normal mental state. He has reacted to Hatsues rejection with pettiness. He continues to attempt to bring Hatsue back to his arms. During their meeting at the beach, Ishmael tells Hatsue that he is a dying person(334), and wants to hold Hatsue. Hatsue, now married, turns him down. Not only does his f ailed attempts to retrieve Hatsue disabled him to sustain a loving relationship with another woman, his hate for Hatsue and all Japanese has cultivated a crippling cynicism. It was not until the revealing of the lighthouse report where Ishmael finally redeems himself. When Ishmael first finds the lighthouse notes, his temptation to seek revenge on Hatsues husband and his accumulated anger forces him to keep the notes to himself. Yet, by revealing the lighthouse report, Ishmael knows that he prevents a serious miscarriage of justice, fueled by the same prejudice which has been the focus over the decades against Japanese in San Piedro. In addition to his realization, Ishmael finds the words in Hatsues letter that will convince him to reveal the notes. In the letter Hatsue writes, Your heart is large and you are gentle and kind, and I know you will do great things in this world.(442) By revealing th...

The Battle of Fort Donelson During the Civil War

The Battle of Fort Donelson During the Civil War The Battle of Fort Donelson was an early battle in the American Civil War (1861-1865). Grants operations against Fort Donelson lasted from February 11-16, 1862. Pushing south into Tennessee with assistance from Flag Officer Andrew Footes gunboats, Union troops under Brigadier General Ulysses S. Grant captured Fort Henry on February 6, 1862. This success opened the Tennessee River to Union shipping. Before moving upstream, Grant began shifting his command east to take Fort Donelson on the Cumberland River. The capture of the fort would be a key victory for the Union and would clear the way to Nashville. The day after the loss of Fort Henry, the Confederate commander in the West, General Albert Sidney Johnston, called a council of war to determine their next step. Strung out along a wide front in Kentucky and Tennessee, Johnston was confronted by Grants 25,000 men at Fort Henry and Major General Don Carlos Buells 45,000-man army at Louisville, KY. Realizing that his position in Kentucky was compromised, he began withdrawing to positions south of the Cumberland River. After discussions with General P.G.T. Beauregard, he reluctantly agreed that Fort Donelson should be reinforced and dispatched 12,000 men to the garrison. At the fort, the command was held by Brigadier General John B. Floyd. Formerly the US Secretary of War, Floyd was wanted in the North for graft. Union Commanders Brigadier General Ulysses S. GrantFlag Officer Andrew H. Foote24,541 men Confederate Commanders Brigadier General John B. FloydBrigadier General Gideon PillowBrigadier General Simon B. Buckner16,171 men The Next Moves At Fort Henry, Grant held a council of war (his last of the Civil War) and resolved to attack Fort Donelson. Traveling over twelve miles of frozen roads, the Union troops moved out on February 12 but were delayed by a Confederate cavalry screen led by Colonel Nathan Bedford Forrest. As Grant marched overland, Foote shifted his four ironclads and three timberclads to Cumberland River. Arriving off Fort Donelson, USS Carondelet approached and tested the forts defenses while Grants troops moved into positions outside the fort. The Noose Tightens The next day, several small probing attacks were launched to determine the strength of the Confederate works. That night, Floyd met with his senior commanders, Brigadier-Generals Gideon Pillow and Simon B. Buckner, to discuss their options. Believing the fort was untenable, they decided that Pillow should lead a breakout attempt the next day and began shifting troops. During this process, one of Pillows aides was killed by a Union sharpshooter. Losing his nerve, Pillow postponed the attack. Irate at Pillows decision, Floyd ordered the attack to commence, however it was too late in the day to begin. While these events were occurring inside the fort, Grant was receiving reinforcement in his lines. With the arrival of troops led by Brigadier General Lew Wallace, Grant placed the division of Brigadier General John McClernand on the right, Brigadier General C.F. Smith on the left, and the new arrivals in the center. Around 3:00 PM, Foote approached the fort with his fleet and opened fire. His attack was met with fierce resistance from Donelsons gunners and Footes gunboats were forced to withdraw with heavy damage. The Confederates Attempt a Breakout The following morning, Grant departed before dawn to meet with Foote. Prior to leaving, he instructed his commanders not to initiate a general engagement but failed to designate a second-in-command. In the fort, Floyd had rescheduled the breakout attempt for that morning. Attacking McClernands men on the Union right, Floyds plan called for Pillows men to open a gap while Buckners division protected their rear. Surging out of their lines, the Confederate troops succeeded in driving back McClernands men and turning their right flank. While not routed, McClernands situation was desperate as his men were running low on ammunition. Finally reinforced by a brigade from Wallaces division, the Union right began to stabilize however confusion reigned as no one Union leader was in command on the field. By 12:30 the Confederate advance was stopped by a strong Union position astride Wynns Ferry Road. Unable to breakthrough, the Confederates withdrew back to a low ridge as they prepared to abandon the fort. Learning of the fighting, Grant raced back to Fort Donelson and arrived around 1:00 PM. Grant Strikes Back Realizing that the Confederates were attempting to escape rather than seeking a battlefield victory, he immediately prepared to launch a counterattack. Though their escape route was open, Pillow ordered his men back to their trenches to re-supply before departing. As this was happening, Floyd lost his nerve and believing that Smith was about to attack the Union left, ordered his entire command back into the fort. Taking advantage of the Confederate indecisiveness, Grant ordered Smith to attack the left, while Wallace moved forward on the right. Storming forward, Smiths men succeeded in gaining a foothold in the Confederate lines while Wallace reclaimed much of the ground lost in the morning. Fighting ended at nightfall and Grant planned to resume the attack in the morning. That night, believing the situation hopeless, Floyd and Pillow turned command over to Buckner and departed the fort by water. They were followed by Forrest and 700 of his men who waded through the shallows to avoid Union troops. On the morning of February 16, Buckner sent Grant a note requesting terms of surrender. Friends before the war, Buckner was hoping to receive generous terms. Grant famously replied: Sir: Yours of this date proposing Armistice, and appointment of Commissioners, to settle terms of Capitulation is just received. No terms except unconditional and immediate surrender can be accepted. I propose to move immediately upon your works. This curt response earned Grant the nickname Unconditional Surrender Grant. Though displeased by his friends response, Buckner had no choice but to comply. Later that day, he surrendered the fort and its garrison became the first of three Confederate armies to be captured by Grant during the course of the war. The Aftermath The Battle of Fort Donelson cost Grant 507 killed, 1,976 wounded, and 208 captured/missing. Confederate losses were much higher due to the surrender and numbered 327 killed, 1,127 wounded, and 12,392 captured. The twin victories at Forts Henry Donelson were the first major Union successes of the war and opened Tennessee to Union invasion. In the battle, Grant had captured nearly one-third of Johnstons available forces (more men than all previous US generals combined) and was rewarded with a promotion to major general.

Engineering management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Engineering management - Essay Example Therefore, it can be said that the company or the management of the company in particular would have to take all these aspects into consideration and ascertain whether all the constraints associated with these factors are suitable or not. The product can only be introduced if and only if a majority of these factors are found or are projected to be favorable to the interests of the company. Therefore, a company needs to two things in this regard. The first and the foremost requirement is to conduct a fair assessment of the various constraints and make a forecast. Secondly, the company also needs to come up with an action plan in order to be able to handle any situation such as things not going along as expected or detecting some errors in the forecast etc (Blanchard & Fabrycky, 2004). therefore, all these factors need to be considered before the introduction of the product into the market. Therefore, this is the key consideration that the current paper would attempt to discuss in dept h in line with the concepts of System engineering. The paper would accurately determine the resources that would be required for each phase of the project in addition to determining the implications if any of the calculations went wrong. These p Systems engineering & Analysis The introduction of a new product into the market may be regarded as a project. Generally, such a development would usually comprise the following stages (Blanchard, 2001): Analyze the current products in the market. Drive internal R&D (Research & Development). Design new Product. Ensure that the new product's attributes are competitive enough to survive the market pressures and be able to offer healthy competition to existing and established products. Be able to make the necessary adjustments in all possible respects in order to achieve the above-mentioned objective.These phases are not sequential in order and may vary in their sequence of occurrence. In many cases, these steps have been found to be iterative in nature. The focus of the company that intends to develop and market a new product would be to use the resources to the least possible extent and to be able to use them in an efficient manner. This can be achieved through the concept of system analysis. Under this, the entire development is considered to be a complex system. Thus, system analysis would concentrate on studying every part of the system as well as the relationships between these parts in detail. It must be mentioned that it does not matter whether the system under consideration is an abstract system or a physical system, the former being the one in the present case. Most operations that are conducted under systems analysis are based on the use of certain mathe matical models for generating the appropriate results. These mathematical equations are used for describing the behavior of the system's individual components as well as the effects caused as a result of the interaction of these individual components. The estimation of the various resources along with their quantities can be classified into two main categories, which are discussed in detail: Operations Research. PERT &

Arab Oil Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Arab Oil - Case Study Example The Egyptian and Syrian political leaders, President Anwar Sadat and President Assad had made their final decision to attack Israel on October 6, at 2:00 P.M. As a response to the decision of the Arab leaders, Soviet Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko began evacuating Soviet civilian personnel and their families from Egypt and Syria. The Soviet Union government headed by Leonid Brezhnev did not fully approve of the decision of these two Arab countries. Israel was headed by Golda Meir during the armed conflict. (Israelyan, 1995) The Yom Kippur, or Ramadan War, which started on October 6, 1973 was due to the frustration of the Arab countries with Israeli failure to evacuate occupied territories and to support UN resolutions. (Morse, 1999) These frustrations had been aggravated by persistent perceptions among Arab leaders that the United States was strongly supporting Israel in violation of the Arab situation. Prime Minister Assad of Syria informed the Soviet authorities that the Syrian and Egyptian leaders had decided to prusue a joint attack against Israel on October 6 at 2:00 P.M. This crucial decision had been made on October 4. Both countries had relied on the Soviet Union for understanding and support. (Israelyan, 1995) The combined military forces of Egypt and Syria attacked Israel during the Yom Kippur which was a religious holiday for Israelis, the Day of Atonement. On the Golan Heights, 150 Israeli tanks battled 1,400 Syria tanks and in the Suez area, about 500 Israeli soldiers faced 80,000 Egyptian soldiers. The Israelis were obviously outnumbered. However, the Israeli army called up reserves and engaged the two countries in strategic counter-offensive military actions. (Morse, 1999) Furthermore, the act of using oil as a weapon was enhanced by the efforts of the five Arab OPEC members on October 17 to enlist the support of the oil ministers of Egypt, Syria, Libya, Bahrain, and Syria in order through a Conference of Arab Oil Ministers. The meeting had a political purpose; the ministers mutually agreed on how to use the oil weapon to encourage the United States to re-examine its unwavering support for Israel and to force the evacuation of occupied territories. The outcome of the October 17 meeting was a resolution specifying the appropriate processes steps need to be taken. Nine countries signed the resolution. The members decided that the oil weapon would be deployed as follows: the nine signatory countries would decrease their oil production levels by at least 5 percent from the actual September 1973 levels. Then in the succeeding months, a similar reduction will be applied. The Arab countries will guarantee that friendly states will not be included in the redu ction.The oil production cuts would continue until Israel had moved out of the occupied territories and the basic and legal rights of the Palestinian people were upheld. The decision on the production cut was then changed on November in which the reduction of oil production were raised to 25 percent below the September level. This was to be followed by another round of 5 percent reduction in December. The different categories of oil-consuming countries were prioritized accordingly. First, the most favored countries would receive their full oil

Pv system 2 Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Pv system 2 - Coursework Example Semi conductors are used in photovoltaic cells to provide voltage as a result of light. The semiconductor absorbs the light thereby knocking electrons and letting them flow freely. This is a typical conversion of light to electricity at atomic level. The suns power originates from the fusion of Hydrogen. The proton-proton reaction produces deuterons, which is the nucleus of an isotope of Hydrogen 2 that contains one neutron and one proton as a result of the ejection of the positron and an uncharged neutron form the deuteron forms the nucleus of a deuterium which is a heavy Hydrogen (Hedegus and Luque 79). Deuteron and proton combines to form triton or Helium 3 which is an isotope of Helium. Helium 4 can also be formed through the combination of two Helium 3 to form two protons and Helium 4 or a combination of triton and deuteron that produces energy, neutron and Helium 4. The total energy yielded is 26.7MeV. This may be obtained through calculations based on the atomic mass energy of Helium 4 nucleus (Hedegus and Luque 79) Part of the radiation is lost to the outer space through radiation as some is scattered by the atmospheric gases. Some of the heat that reaches the earth’s surface has an average intensity termed as solar isolation and ranges between 0.6to 1.0kW/m2. This is mostly absorbed by plants as humans also harness the solar energy to produce electricity (Hedegus and Luque 48). In the production of electricity, the solar radiations are concentrated by PV cells into a silicon wafer. This is usually done through optical systems concentration may also be done through luminescence (Gratzel 6848). Solar thermal power is an option of generating electricity through solar energy. Solar power is concentrated in solar power towers and focused into a fluid that bares a fluid. The temperature increases and it turns turbines thereby producing electricity. There are commercially available PV

Article's summary in (international economic field) Essay

Article's summary in (international economic field) - Essay Example 2). However, using buildings as an example, it was evident that the economies of scale seem to become inapplicable up to a certain extent where the construction of higher buildings apparently becomes more costly and inefficient. In cases of large organizations, the article revealed that organizations that have continued to expand through mergers and acquisitions could only be evaluated in terms of viably realizing economies of scale through the concept of the cost function. As noted, the relationship requires the need â€Å"to estimate how output levels influence the costs of production in a competitive industry† (Land of the corporate giants par. 6). However, due to differences in inputs and outputs as determined by the kind of industry some organizations are categorized in, the cost function is a challenging way to gauge the applicability of economies of scale. Overall, large organizations have been reported to justify continued merger and acquisitions by the ability to limit and restrict competitors and to dictate market prices. The article â€Å"IMF warns of threat to global economies posed by austerity drives† written by Elliot and published online in The Guardian presented issues that have been recommended by 11 international leaders headed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) with a recommendation of boosting much needed global economic growth. As revealed, the current practices exemplified by different developed countries focus on protectionism and trade barriers which do not encourage international economic expansion. As indicated, after reviewing the economic indices and thrusts exhibited by various governments, it was evident that more focus was centered on â€Å"decelerating global growth and rising uncertainty; high unemployment, especially youth unemployment, with all its negative economic and social consequences; potential resort to inward-looking protectionist policies† (Elliot par.

Annual Reports with Calculations Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Annual Reports with Calculations - Assignment Example Various classes of financial ratios are analysed based on financial statements of the organisation provided in its annual reports of 2012 and 2013. These annual reports cover the financial performance of the organisation for 2011, 2012 and 2013. The classes of financial ratios analysed in this report include liquidity ratios, solvency ratios and profitability ratios. Liquidity ratios are used to measure the ability of the organisation to meet its short term debt obligations as they fall due. One of the liquidity ratios is the Quick ratio. This ratio measures the ability of the firm to pay its current assets using its more liquid current assets (Ryan, 2004). From the financial ratios calculate, the quick ratios of Woolworths Ltd were 0.29, 0.31 and 0.32 in 2013, 2012 and 2011 respectively. This means that Woolworths could pay for its current liabilities 0.29 times, 0.31 times and 0.32 times in 2013, 2012 and 2011 respectively before its more liquid assets are exhausted. Therefore, the company was able to meet its current short term liabilities using its more liquid assets in 2011 and 2012 more than 2013. The ability of the organisation to meet its short term debt obligations using more liquid assets reduced over the three years under analysis. The company needs to manage its more liquid assets more effectively to improve its liquidity so that it can meet its short term financial obligations as they fall due. The second type of liquidity ratio used in this analysis is the current ratio. This ratio measures the ability of the organisation to meet its short term financial obligations using current assets as they fall due. It indicates the number of times current liabilities can be paid using current assets before the current assets are exhausted (Gibson, 2012). In 2013, the current ratio of Woolworths was 0.91 while in 2012 and 2011 the ratio was 0.86 and

Article's summary in (international economic field) Essay

Article's summary in (international economic field) - Essay Example 2). However, using buildings as an example, it was evident that the economies of scale seem to become inapplicable up to a certain extent where the construction of higher buildings apparently becomes more costly and inefficient. In cases of large organizations, the article revealed that organizations that have continued to expand through mergers and acquisitions could only be evaluated in terms of viably realizing economies of scale through the concept of the cost function. As noted, the relationship requires the need â€Å"to estimate how output levels influence the costs of production in a competitive industry† (Land of the corporate giants par. 6). However, due to differences in inputs and outputs as determined by the kind of industry some organizations are categorized in, the cost function is a challenging way to gauge the applicability of economies of scale. Overall, large organizations have been reported to justify continued merger and acquisitions by the ability to limit and restrict competitors and to dictate market prices. The article â€Å"IMF warns of threat to global economies posed by austerity drives† written by Elliot and published online in The Guardian presented issues that have been recommended by 11 international leaders headed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) with a recommendation of boosting much needed global economic growth. As revealed, the current practices exemplified by different developed countries focus on protectionism and trade barriers which do not encourage international economic expansion. As indicated, after reviewing the economic indices and thrusts exhibited by various governments, it was evident that more focus was centered on â€Å"decelerating global growth and rising uncertainty; high unemployment, especially youth unemployment, with all its negative economic and social consequences; potential resort to inward-looking protectionist policies† (Elliot par.

Analyzing a Supply Network Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Analyzing a Supply Network - Research Paper Example All these requirements have been imbued upon the companies so as to ensure their continuity. In light of the above discussion, for companies it has become imperative that they streamline their operations to match the dynamics of their business environment. The degree of coordination required between different functions of the business has never been higher (Simchi-Levi, Kaminsky, and Simchi-levi, 2007). Not only is coordination required between different functions of the business but also it is required between different channel partners. This coordination between departments and channel partners should result in the sharing of accurate and timely information (Halldorsson, Kotzab, Mikkola, and Skjoett-Larsen, 2007). This information should enable a channel partner to adjust its operations to fit the requirements created by the new change. In this current globalised environment a holistic view a business entails a supplier, manufacturer, distributors and customer. This makes up the su pply chain of a business. The extended supply chain of a business would be supplier suppliers and customer customers. Thus, in this highly complex and vast supply chain it becomes imperative for supply chain partners to share information between each other so that they could serve their customers effectively. The current business environment has brought previously local companies in contact with international customers and suppliers. These local businesses which previously were confined to their national borders have now transcended across these borders to advantageous of the opportunities present in the international market. But since these businesses are unaware of these landscapes they need to collaborate with local businesses that have a much more cultural familiarity of these landscapes. In order to facilitate communication and information sharing between trans-national channel partners it is important for these channel partners to have supply chain management system in place t o link them up (Gundlach, Bolumole, Eltantawy, and Frankel, 2006). Organizations are facing several supply chain issues and challenges. The preferences of customers are changing at the rapid rate at the same time there are additional cost pressures on the organizations. This in turn has created dilemma for the organizations that either they should go for increasing the responsiveness and adaptability of the supply chain or should incorporate cost effective strategies. The organizations are looking for an optimal place in the middle of both important variables. In this paper an attempt has been made to understand the overall process of supply chain management and associated issues. For this purpose, the analysis of the supply chain management of Beri has been presented in this paper. In this way it will become easier to comprehend the important concepts. Supply Chain Management and Drivers of Supply Chain Management: It is important for the organizations to manage the overall supply chain in effective and efficient manager. Different key players are involved in the whole supply chain and in order to make sure that the supply chain is appropriately managed all players should be integrated to each other. While devising the supply chain strategy there is always a tradeoff between the cost effectiveness and high responsiveness. The elements of supply chain can be either designed in such a way that the overall suppl

Terry Fox Video Response Journal Essay Example for Free

Terry Fox Video Response Journal Essay After watching the video and discovering a little more about Terry Fox with the guest speaker and all, it has reminded me once again about Terrys courageous achievement. For many years, ever since I came to Canada, I learned about Terry Fox, ran the Terry Fox Run, Terry Fox fundraising for Cancer Research, watched videos about Terry during assemblies, and have discussed about Terrys bravery; each time I hear about him, he never ceases to make me look back at myself and think, If Terry can run the Marathon of Hope with an amputated leg, what can anything else stop me from achieving my goals? Terry was a normal teenager just like me, my peers, and anybody else, but the little something that made him special was his courage to actually do something about what he eventually came across. He knew what he went through, he felt what cancer was, and he knew that he wanted to do the best he can do to lessen the suffering for children that were going through the same pain as he did. And so, he made a difference. Every year, as I hear about Terry and his big accomplishments, it makes me think that really, it does not take much to achieve your goals as long as you have the courage and bravery to do it. Terry really showed that when you have the motivation and mind set to do something, you really should do it, because everything really comes from your heart; nothing more is needed. His actions always makes me feel that I have to be brave, be proactive, and go for my goals when there is something that I really want to accomplish. Often times, I do not have enough bravery to just do it or I become lazy and I have indeed failed to accomplish my goals multiple times, but Terry really brings me back up that I should keep trying and never give up. If Terry can run across Canada with an amputated leg, why would anything keep me from achieving my goals, when my goal will probably be less of a big deal than running all the way across Canada? In my family, my dads father has had cancer and is now passed away. He once used to be an active, lively person who liked going fishing, playing with his friends, and going cycling. But in 2010 January when I last visited him in Korea, there I saw him, lying in the hospital bed, paralyzed by the effects of cancer. His face had gone yellow, his flesh was no longer in a condition of circulating blood, he had lost almost all parts of body fat, and his cheeks were almost about to touch the other side of his mouth that I could barely see any sort of fat on his face. The cancer had had totally distorted him. This was the worst day of my life, and it was the day when I realized that cancer was one of the most deadliest, and destructive sickness to have. But hearing that Terry Fox had fought this cancer the first time he got it, really makes me realize, how hard he must have tried to fight it. Cancer is such a stubborn disease to demolish, and at last Terry could not handle its powerful strikes in his body. But even being able to fight it the first time he got it is needless to say- brave. I really admire and respect how Terry took action on what he faced, because when I saw my grandfather not being able to do what he wanted to do was a painful thing to watch, and Terry really cared and showed what he could do for the Canadians who were fighting cancer, and for cancer research. Although I wont be running across Canada or anything big like Terry, but, when I set my goals, I will definitely look up to what Terry did: setting specific goals, train and prepare for my goal, and really plan out my goal of what I am willing to accomplish!

Tesco is biggest supermarket

Tesco is biggest supermarket INTRODUCTION Tesco is biggest supermarket chain in the U.K. it has more than 1700 stores in the U.K alone and has about 2318 stores in the whole world. It also sells its products through online Tesco.com. Tesco is the U.Ks largest retailers which operate through its branches under the name of Extra, Metro, superstore and Express. Political and other conditions of UK and European union has very much influence on the Tesco performance. Tesco employs a large number of students and disable people and elderly people and pays them in most cases lower wages. Consumers are getting to know about health issues and their approach in choosing the food product is increasingly changing. (Ivythesis, 2009) Tesco has serving more than 40,000 food products including non food items and clothing to its customers. The companys own products which contribute about 50% of its sales are categorized in three different types Value, normal and finest. As a convenience produce most of Tesco store have gas store and filling stations. It is becoming one of U.K biggest independent filling outlets. Tesco is operating others business as well which includes retail banking, Tesco insurance, Tesco mobile as well. (bized, 2009) The company is also the first in U.K which allows their customer to pay or cash their cheques at the tills. Tesco has been employing a large number of British people and it facilitating it by allowing the new branded product into Tesco which helps the new companies to grow and employ more people. But recently company realized to look for some other products which are not available in U.K market. Recently Tesco has been facing stiff competitions from Sainsbury and Asda food giants. The goal of Tesco management is to focus on competitive advantage by adding more value in its products like Tesco has starts giving delivery services to its customers as well. The business and organizational strategy applied by Tesco has helps the organization to make its core business which is in the UK more strong. It also helps the company to expand its business internationally. These services includes providing the financial services like offering Credit cards, loans, insurance and banking services. There is also a strategy to find the potential market to enhance the market share of the company in Asia, Europe and in United States. The strategy to explore new market has started in 1997and it has been the foundation of success of Tesco business. There has been a huge expansion in its expansion of operations with the opening of thousands of store for the past12 years has been made possible with the implementation of this strategy, they are having competitive edge over other businesses and are profitable. In fact Tesco is market leader not even in U.K but also outside the U.K as well. (tesco plc, 2009) 1) STRATEGY OF TESCO: Tesco has been doing business in the stock exchange since 1947 and it was having share price 27 pence in the beginning. It has been keeping on growing and has become a popular name on the High street of the UK. Tesco has a strategy which is describes as Pile it high and sell it cheap but with time as people attitude has been changed and there become a trend in the better interior of stores, Tesco has made huge investments in the refurbishments of its stores and make them very attractive to shop for customers. It has added many value added service and product in its operations. It has start selling petrol and customer gets discount when they buy from Tesco and then they spend money to buy petrol. It has made a huge investment on the implementing of Tesco loyalty card scheme. 1.1 STRATEGY: Tesco has done well by successfully implementing the four parts of its business strategy. A strong UK core business , Non food Retailing services International The objectives of this strategy are: To be a successful retailers in the world. To grow the core UK business. To be as strong in the non-food items as in food items. To develop retailing services- such as Tesco personal Finance, Telecoms and Tesco.com. To put the community in the heart whatever we do. Tesco has taken considerable steps to attract customer with advent of Tesco Extra, Tesco Metro, Tesco Super stores and Tesco Express at town with filling stations. These stores provide all essentials food and non food items at very competitive prices. These stores give a direct challenge to other stores like ASDA, Sainsbury etc. Tesco has introduced a loyalty club card. Customer gets points from every purchase they made and then they can get product with these points. For Tesco this thing help to get a value data about customer, what is customers buying behavior and how they respond to the sales promotions carried on in the store. Apart from the product it sells it has worked on the other services as well. It has start providing the Loans, credit cards and online sale of products. Tesco has taken to expand in other countries like India, Japan, and U.S.A and in Europe as well. It has continuing working on the improvements of services to its customers. In USA it has made a partnership with Safeway Group. (articlebase,2009) 2) ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS: 2.1 PESTEL FRAMEWORK: 2.1.1 Political Factors: Tesco has stores worldwide and its main business is in UK. These countries includes many European countries. It also has stores in Taiwan, Japan and India as well. Political and other environmental factors of UK and European are having a too much influence on the Tesco performance. These legislations advise to these stores to hire people for different position in the company. These people include the students, disables and senior citizens as well. As local business in the Tesco suffers heavily because of competitions, in order to survive these local stores cuts the jobs so Tesco has hire a large number of People to accommodate them. Tesco usually pays them low wages. 2.1.2 Economical Factors: Tesco is very much concern to the economic factors because prices and demand gets affected with this. Goods and services are heavily affected if the economic conditions of people is not good and many people are unemployed and it influence the people purchasing capacity so demand for the goods and services will be affected. Tesco is heavily dependant on UK market, Although international business are growing but Tesco is still dependent on the U.K food market and if the demand for UK food market get slow down then it will badly affect the Tesco performance. 2.1.3 Social/Cultural Factors: Currently the U.K people trend shows that they prefer to go at that store from where they could get everything. There has been huge demographics changes in the UK population happened i-e ageing people, increase in the number of female workers and declining in the preparations of food in the home, which has force Tesco to sell supporting products and services as well. Customers demands of services and products are created by the change of their social and cultural changes, their beliefs. People are recognizing the hygienic problems. Tesco is adopting a product mix in order to meet the demand of organic products. It has start mentioning the product with labels on it for people who strictly want to use product which are free from animals ingredients. U.K has a diverse population from different cultural background people. Areas which are densely populated with Asian people prefer to go for their traditional foods so keep this thing in mind Tesco management have introduced mostly those products which are in demand in those areas. (321books, 2009) 2.1.4 Technological factors: Technological improvement has benefited both the company and customers. Goods are readily available in the store which has increased the customer satisfaction and it has become easier to manage the ordering system. Customers get served more quickly than before. Tesco stores are utilizing the following technologies in their outlets: Wireless devices Intelligent scale Electronic shelves labeling Self check out machine Radio frequency identification. By the use of electronic tills and fast fund transferring machine and new scanner has increased the operational activities of the Tesco which has improve the image of the Tesco further. (Finch, 2004). 2.1.5 Environmental factors: Starting from 2003, managers were under great pressure to look into society issues and adopt policy which benefits for both the society and for the company. (Lind green and Hingley, 2003). In order to prove that company care about society, they need to clearly work about environmental issues. By recognizing this trend Tesco has been working on the environmental issue to prove that it is a socially responsible organization which cares about the environment. Government has introduced new policies which aim to reduce the waste pollution and encourage the companies to take steps to reduce the pollution. Recently a new legislation has been created in which a heavy tax has been imposed on those products which are not environment friendly. This tax has been directly affecting the Tescos products and damaging the relations with suppliers and customers. 2.1.6 Legislative factors: Tesco performance has been affected by various government policies and legislation. Tesco is bound by law no to take payments from supplier to take order for goods and any such kind of activities. The existence of strong competitors has created a demand of stiff competitions in prices of branded products and a strong demand for product diversification. Government policies to control the monopoly and reduction of buyers powers can reduce the chances to enter in this sector with such controls. (Mintel Report, 2004: Myers, 2004). Tesco has been giving discount on buying the petrol to its customers based on amount it spends on the purchase of groceries at the stores. Tescos keep the prices on the promotions low while it increase the prices on other products in the store in order to compensate. 3) PORTERS FIVE FORCES FRAMEWORK: 3.1 Threats of new entrants: There is four big supermarket which are Tesco, Sainsbury, ASDA, Liddell which makes 75% of total market and Waitrose, Somerfield and Budgens makes about 10% percent of total market. The trend in people of UK has been changed to one stop shopping and they want to get everything at one place so majority of grocery stores has transformed into one stop supermarket. These big supermarkets heavily affects the surrounding butcher and food shops. These big supermarket does not let any new business to come into their area as they give very stiff competitions and starting business in those area are more difficult because of huge capital investment. In order to make a solid position in the UK market, Tesco has been spending a huge amount of money on the development of existing infrastructure. 3.2 Bargaining Power of Supplier: Suppliers power of bargaining get affected from big store as the supplier fear that if they put their own conditions of bargaining then they might lose it client and will not be able to operate their business. Tesco always negotiate with suppliers to get the best competitive prices and get a better price as compared to small food chains. The UK small food chains also threatened from this big supermarket as they get cheap goods from abroad for their promotional activities. So the relations with the suppliers can have affects on the freedom and margin of the company. (321books, 2009) 3.3 Bargaining Power of Customers: Tesco club card scheme is very successful in order to retain the customers with Tesco which has increase the profit margin of the Tesco significantly. In order to fulfill the customers needs, the customized services such as lower prices, better choices, constant flow of promotional products and availability of all the product which customers demands enables Tesco to retain its customers. In recent years a huge changes has occurred in the food chain stores due to a change of behavior of customers, So Tesco has started keeping more non food items as well in its stores. It has also provides a strategic expansion of its business into new markets such as retail banking, pharmacies, phone shops. 3.4 Threats of substitutes: A demand for a particular product can be reduce due to a general substitution because there is always a threat that customer will switch to alternatives (Porter, 1980). Substitute for needs and product for product has been observed in the grocery industry. It is more affected with the new trend. Small stores are opening up in the industry. In this case supermarket like Tesco is trying to taking over the small stores and opening up big stores in town centers. (Ritz, 2005). 3.5 Bargaining Power of Competitors: Tesco is getting lot of customer information through its loyalty club card and trying to improve its relations with the consumers. In UK food industry, because of high competitive expansions, most of these big stores are taking further steps by investing more money in the information system of the business. 4) CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS: By doing an evaluation of Tesco industry it has become an important to identify the success factors to consider the effectiveness of Tesco. 4.1 Branding and Reputation: The company is expanding rapidly by working hard on its packaging and spending every penny on promotions which contribute to the environment as well. Tesco is doing well in the information system applications. By introducing loyalty club card system which has helped the Tesco to get a valuable data about customers behaviors about their spending, choices and etc. 4.2 IT integration: Tesco is always step ahead in applying the new technology and it has become a necessity rather luxury in Tescos operations. A system that controls stocks, helping to serves the customers; keeping valuable record of customers transactions and ordering system is the lifeline of the Tesco. 4.3 Supplier Management: To have a competitive position in the market Tesco also get most of its products from oversee countries which are cheaper as compared to UK. Tesco has been supporting British companies for its branded products but recently it has start importing products which are not manufacturing in the UK. To keep a better communication to get its products on time Tesco has adopted a advance communication system which enables the suppliers to delivers products on time. 5) MARKET OBJECTIVES AND STRATEGIES IMPLEMENTATIONS: Tesco has plan to introduce two types of strategies, first one will going to focus to explore the market and find new customer with its new products and second one is on the diversifications of products. 5.1 Joint development and joint ventures: Tescos has a long term strategy to focus on the Japan market. In making possible Tesco is making partnerships with local business to enter into the market. By doing joint ventures Tesco will have a economy of scale and has made a good image of its brand name. (Andrew, 2009) By the entering into partnership with the local businesses in the foreign countries, Tesco will get the necessary skill in order to penetrate in the market. So in future it will be easy for Tesco to operate its operations independently. By doing joint venture with the international companies Tesco will improve its operational skills as well. 5.2 Product Diversification: UK is diverse population which comprises of different ethnic people from different countries. Tesco can do more development expansion by opening up new stores in those areas where people strictly go for their traditional food, so Tesco can add whole range of products which is in demand in these areas. 6) CRITICAL EVALUATION: Ro have a sustainable competitive advantage Tesco should apply following strategies: Firstly Tesco should adopt a strategy of cost leadership by offering goods and services to its customers at low prices in a broad market. This strategy will help the Tesco to reduce its cost, Tesco will be able to sell its products competitively and thus generate huge profit. If Tesco has to adopt another strategy then, It has to offers it products and services with a unique features which customers value it. Then Tesco has to gives some other value added services in technology, competitive price, special features and customer service improvements. Last strategy of niche is from either cost leadership strategy or product differentiation but focus on narrow market. In order to perform cost leadership strategy Tesco has to work on internal efficiencies that will help Tesco to cope with external pressure. As these both strategies are aimed at broader market, it may be possible than Tesco focus on small market or with a limited range of product. In other words, Tesco may be pursuing the strategy to be a leader in cost and keeping a huge variety in product. This can be done with a specific product in a market or by selecting a specific market for its products. The problem which many of organizations have that these organization implement all these strategies one time and most of them stuck in middle. But Tesco is very careful when it select a market, they have a clear strategy regarding it. (Wringley, 1988) 7) CONCLUSION Tesco is a very well established organization in the UK. Tesco apply different strategy in the organization to make the business grows. Its primary focus is to attract the customers and keep the loyal customers attached with the organization. In order to evaluate the customers it has apply different technology process in order to know the customers needs, their attitude and likes and dislikes. It has a specific layout which has been applied in all its branches. Tesco is investing a lot money on its information technology improvement which has helped it to improve its sales and get a competitive advantage over its competitors. 8) REFERENCES Publications from the Tesco preliminary result.2004. [online]. [Accessed on 2 December 2009]. Available from World Wide Web: . Publications from the Tesco web site. Tesco plc.2009. [online]. [Accessed 2 December 2009]. Available from World Wide Web: http://www.tescoplc.com/plc/about_us/strategy. Publications from 321books web site. Porters five forces model.2009. [online]. [Accessed 5 December 2009]. Available from World Wide Web: http://www.321books.co.uk/catalog/tesco/porters-five-forces.htm. Andrew.2007. Article base web site. [online]. [Accessed 5 December 2009]. Available from World Wide Web: http://www.articlesbase.com/sales-articles/success-of-tesco-in-great-britain-163894.html. Publications from a article from web site.2006. [online]. [Accessed 8 December 2009]. Available from World Wide Web: http://ivythesis.typepad.com/term_paper_topics/2009/08/tesco-strategic-analysis.html. WRINGLEY, N. 1988. Store choice, store location and market analysis. NY (USA). T.J press. [Accessed on 8 December 2009]. Available from World Wide Web: http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=xbYOAAAAQAAJpg=PA106dq=tesco+analysisei=xkZDS7naLqXczQTRkZDtDgcd=1#v=onepageq=tesco%20analysisf=false. PANDELETON, D. 2004. Tescos Steering Wheel Strategy. [online]. [Accessed on 9 December 2009]. Available from World Wide Web: http://www.icmrindia.org/casestudies/catalogue/Business%20Strategy/BSTR187.htm.

Political Correctness or Freedom of Speech -- Freedom of Speech

The term political correctness (PC) has infringed on our freedom of speech by assuming that the populace is too ignorant to realize what appropriate speech is. This term is now as common in our society as the term, ‘freedom of speech’. It is incomprehensible how these two words have had such an effect on the manner in which our society communicates. The trend casts a negative view on our society by letting political views determine what is appropriate in our social sector. Political correctness, as applied in today’s society, seeks to control freedom of speech and poses a true danger to a free society. The First Amendment’s focus is the protection of our right to express our thoughts through speech, whether written or verbal. By PC’s intrinsic infringement on these rights, it has become a subtle tool used for dismantling freedom of speech and manipulating the flow of information to the masses. The similarities between political correctness and Marxism are nearly endless. Marxism bred political correctness; therefore, its roots lie in a version of Marxist ideology, derived from the Frankfurt School, which sees culture, rather than the economy, as the site of class struggle. Marxist social theory projects the importance of mass culture and communication in social reproduction and domination. The Marxist theory attacks free speech and the demand for diversity and tolerance over everything except individuals and ideologies deemed ‘intolerant.’ This theory is the beginning of the process of transforming a free nation into a Marxist state. When this theory is presented in a subtle manner, it accomplishes its goal. Although it is often the subject of humor, the political correctness’s of Marxist roots impose societal control and denial... ...rrectness: For and Against. Lanham, Univ Pr of Amer. 1995. Print. Kellner, Douglas Critical Theory, Marxism, and Modernity. Cambridge and Baltimore: Polity and John Hopkins University Press. 1989 Print. Heston, Charlton, Winning the Cultural War Speech delivered 16 February 1999, Austin Hall, Harvard Law School Levine, Lawrence W. The Opening of the American Mind: Canons, Culture, and History Beacon Press; 1st ed. 1997 ---Media Culture. Cultural Studies, Identity, and Politics Between the Modern and the Postmodern. London and New York: Routledge; 1995 Mirkinson, Jack . â€Å"Juan Williams: Muslims On Planes Make Me ‘Nervous’† The Huffington Report on the web 21 Oct. 2010. 07 Dec 2010 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/10/19/juan- williams-muslims-nervous_n_768719.html Wheatland, Thomas. The Frankfurt school in exile. Univ of Minnesota Pr, 2009. Print.

Emerging Nokia Essay

1. What strategy would you recommend for Nokia going forward? Please develop a complete strategy that addresses the following issues: Choice of scope: does it make sense for Nokia to be in both emerging and developed markets, or should they choose not to play in certain markets? How integrated should it be into manufacturing, services (apps), software development, sales, etc? Answer1: Choice of scope: With dwindling sales in developed countries like USA, UK, Germany, Russia and Italy and even in emerging markets like India, Indonesia and Brazil (as per Exhibit 1) despite previously having a stronghold, Nokia now had to decide if it should continue its focus on emerging markets or attempt to salvage the sales even in the developed markets. Status in developed markets: 1. The operators usually have more power but this was changing since the emergence of iPhone. It is a replacement market with users looking for up gradation 2. Competition- Growing competition from companies like Motorola, Samsung, LG and Sony Ericsson. The RIM‘s launch of Blackberry(2002) and Apple’s iPhone (2007) was a further set back 3. New Operating System- Emergence of new user friendly operating systems such as Google‘s Android and Microsoft’s Windows mobile further put Nokia on the back foot 4. Inability to understand demand- Nokia failed to identify the growing consumer need for touch screen phones 5. Target – Nokia operated at all price points where as competitors like Apple (high-end segment) and Samsung( mid and high end segment) had a clearly drawn up strategy Slowdown in some emerging markets: 1. Reverse bundling allows the manufacturer to wield more power than the operator 2. There is lower cost of production which helps produce inspirational products at low rates 3. The growing competition from companies like Samsung that were offering the latest technology at competitive prices 4. Therefore, Nokia lost out on the middle and high segment but continued to grow in the low-end mobile segment as it had identified the gaps in emerging markets and customized services to suit the local consumers Nokia must recognize the difference in the different market  segments and take the challenges head on to be able to operate in both markets. It must clearly identify the segments it wants to operate in and also change its positioning based on the data below. Data from Exhibit 11: Percentage of phone sales by segment Emerging Markets Developed Countries Mid East AP w/o Japan Latin America E. Europe Japan W. Europe North America Basic 41% 43% 20% 34% 0% 4% 8% Enhanced 40% 44% 58% 45% 32% 29% 43% Smart Phones- E. level 10% 7% 12% 10% 6% 34% 8% Smart phone- Feature 10% 6% 9% 11% 62% 33% 41% Penetration 58% 45.50% 80.30% 127.50% 86.60% 122.90% 84.90% Nokia Market Share 61.40% 42.30% 32.80% 48% 0.30% 39.40% 7.20% In emerging markets, Nokia must focus on Basic and Enhanced phones, as that is the largest segment as the market is still evolving and low cost handsets coupled with customized services will help further grow its footprint. In developed countries, Nokia should look at development of high end- high technology driven models in the Smart Phones Entry Level and Feature segment. At the same time when it comes to Japan, Nokia should look to  divest as it is largely smartphone driven market and Nokia has very little market share and does not have the requisite technology to successfully compete in that segment yet. It is essential for Nokia to follow the innovations in developed countries especially USA and adapt them to developing markets if it wants to stand up against competition in both the markets. Mobile phone industry has followed the International Product Life Cycle but now they have reached a stage where different approach is required for innovation to take place in developed and developing markets to meet their specific needs. Another key thing that Nokia must do is to reconsider its Transnational Strategy and adopt a Multi-Domestic Strategy to be able to cater to the distinctive needs of both the developed and emerging markets and to be more locally responsive. Level of Integration: Manufacturing- It should continue to be highly integrated as that is its core competency and contributed to operating profits with a CAGR of 13%. It helps in cost control especially in price-sensitive emerging markets. Operating System- Low integration. The future of Symbian isn’t very bright as competitors like Android of Google and Apple already have a lot of applications to offer on their OS. hence, it must look to finding a partner for a better OS as has been shown by its adoption of windows OS. Service (Apps) – Low integration. This can also be outsourced since it is not a core competency of Nokia and customer Value given to third party applications is on the rise (as per Exhibit 6) Sales and Distribution- Should be highly integrated as it has already developed a vast distribution and achieved great penetration in emerging markets which has been a source of higher margins by direct selling to consumers and is also a core competency. 2. What products should it offer – smart phones, low end phones, etc? Source of advantage: what will be the distinctive competitive advantage that Nokia will offer? Choice of activities: what choices should Nokia make in all its key activities, and where will it locate those activities – for eg., HR policies, manufacturing, R&D, software development, sales and marketing, etc. What is the justification for your strategy recommendation? Answer2: Addressing the consumer needs should be the strategy for Nokia in both emerging and developed market. In the emerging markets where Nokia is already a leader, it should focus on catering to the growing bottom of the pyramid consumer. The biggest advantage that Nokia offers is its reach. It should focus on its complimentary telecom industry trend, specifically in India, telecom players are involved into price war and which gave customer a higher bargaining power to switch. In such case coming up with dual sim phone would cater to the primary need of market. The applications in the phone should be in sync with local leisure such as music, newspaper and such more. Instead charging user for Life tools, revenue generation should be from advertisers. Provide time bound high end test features in low end phone during successive OS updates; this will generate user awareness and need for high end smart phone. On the other hand, in developed markets, Nokia has lost its share to other players. Customer demands smartphones with high quality user interface experience and applications and data security (RIM’s competency), Nokia need to target it. Nokia’s target should be the esteem need of user. Developing an OVI ecosystem with third party app developers, advertisers through more free and few paid applications for users. This will give Nokia a distinct advantage in the market if acted as 1st mover. More investment and development for user data security will generate trust among the users. In the mobile phone industry, the product life cycle is very short. Every year a new product is available on the shelf. Hence responsiveness to the consumer’s need is a must. Nokia failed to do that this with the clamshell model in China. By the time it came out with the product, the trend for clamshell models had faded and Nokia lost out to competition. Key advantages of Nokia a. 3 distinct operating system platforms that can offer the base for wide range of products catering to all user segments. b. Longest and complex supply chain in the world. It has the most efficient sourcing, logistics, manufacturing, and distribution of any company in the world. c. Nokia offers the OVI Store: the second largest app store in the world which is growing 70% per month as per Tero Ojanpera, Nokia’s EVP for the Services. d. With the acquisition of Navteq Corporation, it has a strong presence in the GPS  world and provides a wide range of geographic image support covering almost more than 180+ countries. e. In India. Nokia has a strong hold of rural market with their distribution system handles by HCL Info systems. In Latin America, it has a dedicated team to manage the relationship with America Movil and Telefonica and to co-ordinate sales and services across the region. Choice of activities a. HR policies should be locally controlled by subsidiaries to keep local culture intact. b. Manufacturing should be done on a global scale to utilize cost and resource arbitrage. Core product R&D should be centralized with satellite R&D in each market to add local flavor to the product. c. Software development centers have to be installed in countries like India or Philippines to utilize local talent and expertise in software development. d. Sales and marketing should be again localized. Country specific distribution channel should be adopted.

Culture of Sri Lanka Essay

Ceylon Tea The culture of Sri Lanka has been influenced by many factors, but has managed to retain much of its ancient aspects. Mostly it has been influenced by its long history and its Buddhist heritage. The country has a rich artistic tradition, embracing the fine arts, including music, dance, and visual arts. The Sri Lankan lifestyle is reflected in the cuisine, festivals, and sports. South Indian influences are visible in many aspects. There is also some influences from colonization by the Portuguese, the Dutch, and the British. Sri Lankan culture is best known abroad for its cricket, food, holistic medicine, religious icons like the Buddhist flag, and cultural exports such as tea, cinnamon and gems. Sri Lankan culture is diverse, as it varies from region to region. Sri Lanka has had ties with Indian subcontinent from ancient times. Demographics: Sinhalese 74.8%, Sri Lankan Moors 9.23%, Indian Tamil 4.16%, Sri Lankan Tamil 11.21%, Other 0.6%. History Main article: History of Sri Lanka Sri Lanka boasts of a documented history of over 2000 years with the first stone objects dating back to 500,000 BC mainly due to ancient historic scriptures like Mahawansa Several centuries of intermittent foreign influence, has transformed Sri Lankan culture to the present outlook. Nevertheless ancient traditions and festivals are celebrated by mostly conservative Sinhalese people of the island, together with other minorities that make up the Sri Lankan identity. Visual arts A royal palace in Polonnaruwa. Frescoes at Sigiiriya. Architecture Main articles: Architecture of Sri Lanka and Architecture of ancient Sri Lanka See also: List of Sri Lankan architects The architecture of Sri Lanka displays a rich variety of architectural forms and styles. Buddhism had a significant influence on Sri Lankan architecture, since it was introduced to the island in 3rd Century BCE. However techniques and styles developed in Europe and Asia have also played a major role in the architecture of Sri Lanka. Ritigala Arts and crafts Gilded bronze statue of the Bodhisattva Tara, from the Anuradhapura period, 8th century. Many forms of Sri Lankan arts and crafts take inspiration from the Island’s long and lasting Buddhist culture which in turn has absorbed and adopted countless regional and local traditions. In most instances Sri Lankan art originates from religious beliefs, and are represented in many forms such as painting, sculpture, and architecture. One of the most notable aspects of Sri Lankan art are caves and temple paintings, such as the frescoes found at Sigiriya and religious paintings found in temples in Dambulla and Temple of the Tooth Relic in Kandy. Other popular forms of art have been influenced by both natives as well as outside settlers. For example, traditional wooden handicrafts and clay pottery are found around the hill country while Portuguese-inspired lacework and Indonesian-inspired Batik have become notable. Its has many different and beautiful drawings. Performing arts Traditional Sri Lankan harvesting dance. People in Sri Lanka love the performing arts. The main style of performance is Bollywood. Dance Main article: Dances of Sri Lanka See also: Kandyan dance Sri Lanka is famous around the Indian ocean for Kandyan dancing. Music Main article: Music of Sri Lanka The two single biggest influences on Sri Lankan music are from Buddhism and Portuguese colonizers. Buddhism arrived in Sri Lanka after the Buddha’s visit in 300 BC, while the Portuguese arrived in the 15th century, bringing with them cantiga ballads, the ukulele, and guitars, along with African slaves, who further diversified the musical roots of the island. These slaves were called kaffrinha, and their dance music was called baila. Traditional Sri Lankan music includes the hypnotic Kandyan drums – drumming was and is very much a part and parcel of music in both Buddhist and Hindu temples in Sri Lanka. Most western parts of Sri Lanka follow western dancing and music. Cinema Main article: Cinema of Sri Lanka The movie Kadawunu Poronduwa (The broken promise), produced by S. M. Nayagam of Chitra Kala Movietone, heralded the coming of Sri Lankan cinema in 1947. Ranmuthu Duwa (Island of treasures, 1962) marked the transition cinema from black-and-white to color. It in the recent years has featured subjects such as family melodrama, social transformation, and the years of conflict between the military and the LTTE. Their cinematic style is similar to the Bollywood movies. In 1979, movie attendance rose to an all-time high, but recorded a gradual downfall since then. Undoubtedly, the most influential and revolutionary filmmaker in the history of Sri Lankan cinema is Lester James Peiris, who has directed a number of movies which led to global acclaim, including Rekava (Line of destiny, 1956), Gamperaliya (The changing village, 1964), Nidhanaya (The treasure, 1970), and Golu Hadawatha (Cold Heart, 1968).There are many cinemas around Sri Lanka in city areas. Media and technology Radio and TV See also: Telecommunications in Sri Lanka Sri Lanka was introduced with many technologies. Lifestyle Cuisine Main article: Sri Lankan cuisine Kiribath with lunumiris The cuisine of Sri Lanka draws influence from that of India, especially from Kerala, as well as colonists and foreign traders. Rice, which is usually consumed daily, can be found at any special occasion, while spicy curries are favourite dishes for lunch and dinner. A very popular alcoholic drink is toddy or arrack, both made from palm tree sap. Rice and curry refers to a range of Sri Lankan dishes. Sri Lankans also eat hoppers (Aappa, Aappam), which can be found anywhere in Sri Lanka. Much of Sri Lanka’s cuisine consists of boiled or steamed rice served with spicy curry. Another well-known rice dish is kiribath, meaning milk rice. Curries in Sri Lanka are not just limited to meat or fish-based dishes, there are also vegetable and even fruit curries. A typical Sri Lankan meal consists of a â€Å"main curry† (fish, chicken, or mutton), as well as several other curries made with vegetable and lentils. Side-dishes include pickles, chutneys and â€Å"sambols† which can sometimes be fiery hot. The most famous of these is the coconut sambol, made of scraped coconut mixed with chili peppers, dried Maldivian fish and lime juice. This is ground to a paste and eaten with rice, as it gives zest to the meal and is believed to increase appetite. In addition to sambols, Sri Lankans eat â€Å"mallung†, chopped leaves mixed with grated coconut and red onions. Coconut milk is found in most Sri Lankan dishes to give the cuisine its unique flavor. As noted above many of Sri Lanka’s urban areas are host to American fast food corporations and many of the younger generation have started to take a liking to this new style of cuisine although it is rejected by many, particularly the more traditional elder members of the commu nity. Spices Sri Lanka has long been renowned for its spices. The best known is cinnamon which is native to Sri Lanka. In the 15th and 16th centuries, spice and ivory traders from all over the world who came to Sri Lanka brought their native cuisines to the island, resulting in a rich diversity of cooking styles and techniques. Lamprais rice boiled in stock with a special curry, accompanied by frikkadels (meatballs), all of which is then wrapped in a banana leaf and baked as a Dutch-influenced Sri Lankan dish. Dutch and  Portuguese sweets also continue to be popular. British influences include roast beef and roast chicken. Also, the influence of the Indian cooking methods and food have played a major role in what Sri Lankans eat. Sri Lankans use spices liberally in their dishes and typically do not follow an exact recipe: thus, every cook’s curry will taste slightly different. Furthermore, people from different regions of the island (for instance, hill-country dwellers versus coastal dwellers) traditionally cook in different ways. Sri Lankan cuisine is known to be among the world’s spiciest, due to the high use of different varieties of chili peppers referred to as amu miris (Chili pepper), kochchi miris, and maalu miris (Banana pepper) (capsicum) and in Tamil Milakaai, among others. It is generally accepted for tourists to request that the food is cooked with a lower chilli content to cater for the more sensitive Western palette. Food cooked for public occasions typically uses less chillie than food cooked in the home, the latter where the food is cooked with the chilli content preferable to the occupants. Tea culture Tea plantation near Kandy Being one of the largest producers of tea in the world, Sri Lankans drink a lot of tea.There are many tea factories around mountainous areas. Many Sri Lankans drink at least three cups a day. Sri Lanka is also one of the best tea-producing countries in the world and the Royal Family of the United Kingdom has been known to drink Ceylon tea. Tea is served whenever a guest comes to a house, it is served at festivals and gatherings or just for breakfast. Festivals and holidays New Year Main article: Sinhala and Tamil new year The Sinhala and Tamil new year (â€Å"Aluth Avurudhu† in Sinhala, â€Å"Puthiyathandu† in Tamil) is a very large cultural event on the island. The festival falls in April (also known as the month of Bak) when the sun moves from the Meena Rashiya (House of Pisces) to the Mesha Rashiya (House of Aries). Unusually, both the end of one year and the beginning of the next occur not at midnight but at separate times determined by astrologers with a period of some hours between (the â€Å"nona gathe† or neutral period) being a time where one is  expected to refrain from all types of work and instead engage solely in relaxing religious activities and traditional games. During the New Year, festivities both children and adults will often don traditional outfits. But the clothes must be washed and very clean because it should be southam (pure). List of holidays January Tuesday Duruthu Full Moon Poya Day (In honour of Lord Buddha’s first visit to Sri Lanka) *† # January Tamil Thai Pongal Day *† # 4 February Monday National Day *† # February Navam Full Moon Poya Day (The Buddha proclaims for the first time a code of fundamental ethical precepts for the monks) *† # March Thursday Maha Sivarathri Day *†  March Thursday Milad-Un-Nabi (Muhammad’s birthday) *†  March Medin Full Moon Poya Day (Commemorates the visit of The Buddha to his home to preach to his father King Suddhodana and other relatives) *† # March Friday Good Friday *†  13 April Day prior to Sinhala and Tamil New Year Day (the month of Bak) when the sun moves from the Meena Rashiya (House of Pisces) to the Mesha Rashiya (House of Aries) Sri Lankans begin celebrating their National New Year) *† # 14 April Sinhala and Tamil New Year Day *† # April Friday Additional Bank Holiday †  April Bak Full Moon Poya Day (commemorates the second visit of The Buddha to Sri Lanka) *† # 1 May Thursday May Day *† # May Vesak Full Moon Poya Day (The Buddhist calendar begins) *† # May Day following Vesak Full Moon Poya Day *† # June Poson Full Moon Poya Day (Commemorates the introduction of Buddhism to Sri Lanka) *† # July Esala Full Moon Poya Day (Commemorates the deliverance of the first sermon to the five ascetics and setting in motion the Wheel of the Dhamma by Buddha) *† # August Nikini Full Moon Poya Day (conducting of the first Dhamma Sangayana (Convocation)by Buddha) *† # September Binara Full Moon Poya Day (Commemorates The Buddha’s visit to heaven to preach to his mother and celestial multitude) *† # October Wednesday Id-Ul-Fitr (Ramazan Festival Day) *†  October Vap Full Moon Poya Day (King Devanampiyatissa of Sri Lanka sending envoys to King Asoka requesting him to send his daughter Arahat Sanghamitta Theri to Sri Lanka to establish the Bhikkhuni Sasana (Order of Nuns)) *† # October Monday Deepavali Festival Day *†  November Il Full Moon Poya Day (Celebrates the obtaining of Vivarana (the assurance of becoming a Buddha)) *† # December Tuesday Id-Ul-Adha (Hajj Festival Day) *†  December Monday Unduvap Full Moon Poya Day (Sanghamitta Theri established the Bhikkhuni Sasana (the Order of Nuns)) *† # 25 December Saturday Christmas Day *† # * Public holiday, †  Bank holiday, # Mercantile holiday All full-moon days are Buddhist holidays referred to as Poya. The actual date on which a particular Poya day will fall changes every year. Religion Main article: Religion in Sri Lanka See also: Hinduism in Sri Lanka, Buddhism in Sri Lanka and Islam in Sri Lanka A Hindu temple in Colombo Sri Lanka’s culture also revolves around religion. The Buddhist community of Sri Lanka observe Poya Days, once per month according to the Lunar calendar. The Hindus and Muslims also observe their own holidays. Sri Lankans are very religious because the history of the island has been involved with religion numerous times. There are many Buddhist temples in Sri Lanka associated with ancient times. The religious preference of an area could be determined by the number of religious institutions in the area. The North and the East of the island has several notable Hindu temples due to majority Tamil population reside in those areas and ethnic conflict has severely affected other communities living on these areas during the times of LTTE strife. Many churches could be found along the southern coast line because of former Roman Catholic or Protestant colonial heritage. Buddhists reside in all parts of the island especially down south and in upcountry and western seaboard. They are the largest religious group in Sri Lanka. Languages of Sri Lanka Main article: Languages of Sri Lanka While the Sinhalese people speak Sinhala as their mother tongue, the Tamil people speak Tamil. English is also widely spoken. Sinhala is spoken by about 16 million people in Sri Lanka, about 13 million of whom are native speakers. It is one of the constitutionally-recognized official languages of Sri Lanka, along with Tamil, which originates from South India. Sports Main article: Sport in Sri Lanka Cricket in Sri Lanka Sports plays a very big part in Sri Lankan culture, because the society was quite rich in educated people, therefore the people had found playing a sport is an important thing in life. Sri Lanka’s main sport is cricket. But after the age of Englishman’s cricket, being the most popular sport event in Sri Lanka. Every child in Sri Lanka knows how to play cricket, and there are many cricket fields scattered across the island for children and adults to play the sport. The biggest pastime of the Sri Lankan population, after cricket, is watching the Sri Lankan national team play cricket. It is common for businesses to shut down, when very big matches are televised. This was the case in 1996, when the Sri Lankan team beat Australia in the finals to win the Cricket World Cup. The whole country was shut down, although there was a curfew imposed upon the whole island. Cricket Main article: Cricket in Sri Lanka Cricket is the most popular sport in Sri Lanka. After the 1996 Cricket World Cup, triumph of the Sri Lanka national cricket team, the sport became the most watched event in the country. But in recent years, the politicians and the businessman getting into the sport has raised many concerns. Volleyball Volleyball is not a popular in Sri-Lanka, because Cricket is one of the popular sport in Sri-Lanka. Rugby Main article: Rugby in Sri Lanka National symbols Main articles: Flag of Sri Lanka, Coat of arms of Sri Lanka and Sri Lankan anthem This section requires expansion. (January 2012) Tourism Main article: Tourism in Sri Lanka This section requires expansion. (January 2012) World Heritage Sites in Sri Lanka Anuradhapura Central Highlands Galle and its Fortifications Golden Temple of Dambulla Kandy Polonnaruwa Sigiriya Sinharaja Forest Reserve Sri Lankan people Sri Lankan literature Henry Parker (author), British engineer who studied and compiled the oral tradition of Sri Lanka. References 1. http://www.statistics.gov.lk/abstract2010/chapters/Chap2/AB2-13.pdf 2. http://bookonsrilanka.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/growing-up-white-in-south-asia.pdf 3. http://mahavamsa.org/ 4. â€Å"LANKALIBRARY FORUM †¢ View topic – Home and family in ancient and medieval Sri Lanka†. Lankalibrary.com. 2008-12-21. Retrieved 2012-06-29. External links [1] Volume 1, Volume 2 and Volume 3 of â€Å"Village Folk-tales of Ceylon† by Henry Parker (Public Domain) Sri Lanka a cultural profile Sri Lanka culture Cultural Festivals and Public Holidays in Sri Lanka

Indian Gaming Regulatory Act Essay

In 1988, Congress passed the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act establishing gaming on Indian reservations as a means of helping tribes become self-sufficient and less dependent on government dole-outs. Donald Bartlett and James B. Steele co-wrote an article which appeared in Time magazine on December 16, 2002 entitled â€Å"Wheel of Misfortune† negatively criticizing the consequences of instituting the said Act. A day later, the Native American Times published an editorial which contains dissenting arguments against the first article. According to Bartlett and Steele, the major defect of the Act is the unequal redistribution of profits derived from gaming in the reserves: â€Å"It gives billions of dollars to the white backers of Indian businesses and nothing to hundred of Native Americans living in poverty†¦hundreds of millions of dollars to one Indian tribe with a few dozen numbers—and not a penny to a tribe with hundreds of thousands of members†¦(78)† The bulk of the essay expounds and provides evidence to these assertions. It also points to the fact that while these tribes earn tax-free revenues, they continue to collect millions in government aid. The Native American Times editorial, meanwhile, accuses the Time magazine article as simply a piece that â€Å"fan the flames of racism with lies (â€Å"Indian Gaming† 84)† and proceeds to either refute or justify the points raised of the latter. Bartlett and Steele claim that only a few Indians are benefiting financially from the Native-American gaming industry thus defeating the purpose of the act, which is to raise the average Native American out of poverty. At the same time, a high percentage of the profits from these lucrative casinos go to the wealthy leaders of tribes. The editorial counters this argument by stating that there are varied reasons why some tribes do well than others. It cites the case of Oklahoma, home to more Native Americans than any other state. The state prohibits Class III gambling thus preventing an opportunity for the Native Americans in Oklahoma from realizing the Congressional Act. Today tribes continue to â€Å"fight with every resource available to them to hold off those who would send them back to the metaphoric reservation (â€Å"Indian Gaming 85). † The editorial also praises the success story of the Shakopee tribe which the Time magazine article derides. The success is well-deserved, according to the editorial, since this group has experienced one of the most harrowing histories of violence inflicted against Native Americans. For all its passionate defense and criticism of the Time magazine article, the editorial of the Native American Times does not touch on the other issues raised by the former like cronyism among the tribal leaders, the involvement of white Americans behind the casino operations, and the applications for recognition by extinct tribes that suddenly resurrects because of the business opportunity. Then again, the former is a lengthier and more detailed presentation complete with figures and facts, in keeping also with its being an investigative article. Nevertheless, it can be argued that the editorial does not need to refute the Time magazine article point by point and that its entire argument is summed up when the editorial writer states that the reason why people like Bartlett and Steele are being too critical about the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act is because â€Å"the thought of rich Indians is against nature we can only assume (85). Inequality, anomalies, and other issues about the Native American and their casinos may exist but they are no different to those in regular gaming industries. Despite some wealthy members, Native Americans are still the poorest and most victimized people in America.