Monday, December 30, 2019

Sadness - 857 Words

Sadness means suffering in silence. Many people suffer because they have their heart broken, they have problems at work, they have had a fight with a dear person, they have lost something, or someone. Sadness means sorrow, grief, being upset etc. Sadness is a state of mind that comes and goes as it pleases. Today we can be sad tomorrow we can forget about yesturday. Life is about going through bad and good moments so it`s normal to feel sad sometimes. Sadness can manifest itself through emotions like being angry, stressed out, nervous or just depressed. Depression is a more serious case of sadness. Depression means negative thoughts and lasts for much longer. Many people commit suicide because of depression so, it`s a dangerous disease†¦show more content†¦There are many people, men and women, that think that by drinking they will escape from problems. well, drinking makes things worst. If you think consuming a lot of alcohol will make you forget about problems you are wrong . Alcohol makes you more aware of everything and makes you more sad. People are sad and drink because of many reasons. For example love is one of the most common reasons that leads to depression and suicide. Teenagers are a category that is most affected by love problems and consumption of drugs and alcohol. Also many teenagers are depressed and have suicidal thoughts. It`s sad to see that young girls and boys become depressed at an age where they shouldn`t have any problems. Sadness Alcohol Depression ends with Suicide because of different reasons. Stress and many problems and sad thoughts can influence a person into doing many bad things. People try to find solutions in all the wrong places. Life is very hard, but we have to be strong. Some say that God doesn`t give you more than you can take so, we just have to be stronger and don`t take the easy way out from a problem. As a conclusion, bad habits like drinking can kill us in time or combined with negative thoughts can have immediate consequences. The wise thing to do, is to seek help, try to let others help us especially family members. Having someone that cares about you is a great feeling. People need encouraging and support, and someone dear to you will always be a sholder to cryShow MoreRelatedSadness Is An Emotion That Has A Bad Reputation964 Words   |  4 PagesSadness is an emotion that has a bad reputation in our society and is often categorized as weakness or depression. In the film, Inside Out, it shows its viewers what is happening in the mind of an 11-year-old girl, Riley. At the beginning of the film, Joy admits that she doesn’t understand what Sadness is for or why it’s even in Riley’s head when sadness is introduced. At one point in life, many of us have probably questioned the purpose of sadness and why we need it because it makes us feel terribleRead MoreDoes Aging Bring Sadness to an Athlete? Essay647 Words   |  3 Pagesin any sport. So being named an athlete is an honor because your skills are put to the test at all ages which leads to the question of: does aging bring only sadness to an athlete? In this essay, this question will be answered from many different points of view including external and internal validations. Firstly, can aging bring sadness to an athlete? This question can have multiple answers of yes and no, but with my agreement with A. E. Housman I believe athletes do get sad. Athletes can becomeRead MoreI Do Believe That If You Haven t Learnt About Sadness, You Can Not Appreciate Happiness1589 Words   |  7 Pages â€Å"I do believe that if you haven’t learnt about sadness, you cannot appreciate happiness.† -Nana Mouskouri. Nana Mouskouri came up with this quote during her singing career, when a fan asked her how she came to be such an amazing singer. Nana Mouskouri mentioned that she had a lot of rough patches along the way with managers dropping her, but in the end, she ended up on top. In other words, it will be easier to appreciate the good times if you’ve already been through bad times. This quote is appealingRead MoreSummary Of Ethan Watterss The Mega-Marketing Of Depression In Japan1036 Words   |  5 Pagesdo the same with their term yuutsu. â€Å"The top ten word associations for the native Japanese were Rain Dark Worries Gray Suicide Solitude Exams Depressing Disease Tiredness†(521) The top ten word associations for the Caucasian Americans includes sadness, loneliness, down, unhappy, moody, low, gloom, failure, upset, and anxious. When comparing the responses, a considerable difference was found. The Japanese related the term yuutsu to an internal emotional state that is due to external situations ratherRead MoreA Rose For Boland s Fond Memory 1207 Words   |  5 Pagesabout her childhood in a format that also allows others to read about it. The tone of this poem is both sad and reflective to begin with as Boland enters a past memory which still conjures sadness within her as an adult. Its initial sombre tone embodies the image of an isolated and lonely child and evokes sadness within the reader. As readers we trapped by the tone of the poem and become confined by the emotions that Boland draws out of us. This feeling of entrapment mirrors how Boland felt as a childRead MoreCultural Observation1125 Words   |  5 Pagesout in the crowd. Once I finished up my meal I left the mall. While driving home, I thought about how all those kids appeared to be starving for attention and they all were going about it in the wrong way. I was left with an overwhelming sense of sadness. They were all lost and they had no idea. Response: It is a very rainy night tonight and I am immediately aware that they rain had not stopped the flow of people within the mall. There are people continually walking in with raincoatsRead MoreAnalysis Of Katherine Mansfield s Miss Brill 1167 Words   |  5 Pagesstory where is aware that she is sad â€Å"And when she breathed, something light and sad - no, not sad† (100-101), â€Å"And what they played was warm, sunny, yet there was just a faint chill - a something, what was it? - not sadness - no, not sadness† (102). Miss Brill refuses to accept her sadness by bring light to the dark. Where she noted the dark room, she mentions right after that the leaves on this tree is turning yellow and just behind the tree are gold-veined clouds, and this is how we know that itRead MoreAnalysis Of The Movie Southpaw 1418 Words   |  6 Pagespeople talking frantically, people calling 911, and screaming. While there is all the back ground noise, in the frame is Billy and his wi fe talking. Their dressed in formal attire, and the props around them are elegant. The shot portrays a since of sadness, and fear. In shot two the camera moves tilt, down to her wound, and then back to their faces. Maureen is begging for reassurance that she is going to be okay. The duration of the shot is only three seconds. The sound continues to be frantic diegeticRead MoreA Short Note On Anxiety Attacks And Depression1488 Words   |  6 Pagesprobably involving a negative self concept that resulted from an excess of conditions of worth† (159). This indicates that Bob’s negative sense of worth could absolutely be the cause of his depressive tendancies, as well as his constant state of sadness. This sadness and anxiety (as mentioned above, where Bob sees where his problems are affecting his relationships) are the cause of his inability to hold down a job, have a stable relationship with his girlfriend, and avoid interactions with his father andRead MoreDepression And Depression In Wurtzel931 Words   |  4 PagesWurtzel is just a woman trying to figure her life while dealing with depression and its symptoms. Having depression at a young age had affected her whole life and has made it difficult to act normal. Wurtzel expresses her sadness and copes in destructive ways such as cutting and doing drugs. The book goes on a journey of her life and the issues she goes through, meeting people, and dealing with additional problems. The novel’s main conflict is battling with depression and the urges of dealing with

Sunday, December 22, 2019

Civil Disobedience And Its Effect On Society - 998 Words

Many people act differently to certain situations. Violence is usually used to express feelings. Violence should not be the only way to solve things. It’s not only dangerous but unnecessary also. Not all circumstances are violent though. Civil disobedience is a nonviolent way to expression your opinion towards something. People practice civil disobedience all the time. A friendly protest is a good example of civil disobedience. The Salt March, led by Mohandas Gandhi in 1930, was one of the first acts of civil disobedience in the 20th century. Violence was not the motive of the protest at all. The protest was for Indian independence from Britain. The people were tired of Britain’s reign of terror. No one could predict the affect it would have on the country in the near future. The non-violent protest served many purposes and got the message across. At the time, 1930, the Indian National Congress had just adopted Satyagraha, non-violent protest, as their main tactic for i ndependence. India was under the control of the British and wanted freedom. This was the start of a new beginning or India and its people. Many people had the same thoughts but never acted on it. The idea quickly spread over India. Soon Indians from all over the country we joining in. The large number of people helped the protest greatly. The Indians were determined to make a change at any cost. The country was trying to regain its independence in a reasonable manner. With hope in their hearts and persistenceShow MoreRelatedThe Article Hacking As Politically Motivated Digital Civil Disobedience1179 Words   |  5 PagesDigital Civil Disobedience: Is Hacktivism Morally Justified? by Kenneth Einar Himma, She argues that the as an electronic civil disobedience, hacktivism is morally impermissible. Kenneth claims that the acts of civil disobedience is not always morally permissible because the nature of it is disobeying the state of the law and it is more expressive than the right to free speech. Then she discusses the framework to evaluate acts of civil disobedience in both sides of favoring and against the civil disobedienceRead MoreThe Roots Of Transcendentalism And The United States1481 Words   |  6 Pages While we go on with our daily lives, we often forget that our society has been built upon many years of history to become where it is currently; however, learning about the past, such as a historical era, may allow us to understand why our society is like the way today. As the United States grew quickly as a young nation, some people realized there were consequences to it. These people believed we were losing our intimate relationship with nature, thought people were too absorbed into changingRead MoreWhat Makes A Breach Of Law An Act Of Civil Disobedience?1383 Words   |  6 Pagesact of civil disobedience? When is civil disobedience morally justified?† These are the basic questions that are asked when dealing with civil disobedience. According to John Rawls, civil disobedience is a nonviolent breach of laws by the public in order to reform or change laws or government policies. But Rawls’ concept of civil disobedience is too narrow. This raises many questions. Why should civil disobedience be non-violent? Why does the public play a large role in civil disobedience? This paperRead MoreMethods Of Civil Disobedience Of Antigone And Martin Luther King1038 Words   |  5 Pages Civil disobedience is best defined as the act to peacefully protest actions that may seem unlawful, detrimental to society, or morally wrong. Both Antigone and Martin Luther King Jr. express civil disobedience in similar ways, but differ in that Dr. King utilizes his first amendment right and creates more planned, organized, and methodical ways to create a peaceful protest in which he does not defy the law, meanwhile, Antigone is very irrational in her methods and ultimately defies man’s law. WeRead MoreEssay about Civil Disobedience935 Words   |  4 Pagesconcepts of justice and how a society should be governed have dominated literature through out human history. The concept of peacefully resisting laws set by a governing force can be first be depicted in the world of the Ancient Greeks in the works of Sophocles and actions of Socrates. This popular idea has developed over the centuries and is commonly known today as civil disobedience. Due to the works of Henry David Thore au and Martin Luther King Jr. civil disobedience is a well-known political actionRead MoreEssay on Civil Disobedience1532 Words   |  7 PagesAbstract Civil disobedience is the term assigned to actions taken by individuals to sway public opinion about laws that individuals deem unfair or unjust. Actions taken are usually nonviolent, and can include sit-ins, mass demonstrations, picket lines, and marches. Citizens are acting on their consciences, demonstrating highly advanced moral reasoning skills. Generally, these advanced skills fall into Kohlberg’s Six Stages of Moral Development, Stage Five and Six in particular. Characteristics ofRead MoreThe Need For Civil Disobedience Essay1172 Words   |  5 Pagesprinciples, which helps to develop to better society. According to Thoreau’s society should show their civil disobedience for any unjust of government. Thoreau came to conclusion that person should obey conscience rather than law in order to defend the justice and moral principles, which are the cornerstones of each individual conscience, from the unjust government policy. Therefore, in compliance to Thoreau’s view, true honor is derived from civil disobedience, according to the reasons of own conscienceRead MoreCivil Disobedience: Cost of Change1469 Words   |  6 Pages2013 Civil Disobedience: The cost of change More than 40,000 strong activists from the Sierra Club protested at the White House to reject the Keystone XL Pipeline proposal. They protested because they the extraction of tar sand oil and moving it from Canada to Texas will pollute the groundwater in the surface (Hammel). Civil disobedience is â€Å"the active, professed refusal to obey certain laws, demands, and commands of a government, or of an occupying international power† (Civil Disobedience). ThroughoutRead MoreCivil Disobedience, By Dr. Martin Luther King1657 Words   |  7 PagesThere have been many people that have partaken in the act of not following, or breaking a law that they personally have deemed unjust throughout history, or taken part in civil disobedience . Socrates as well as Dr. Martin Luther King have done this. But the question of whether or not we should be required to follow a law that one personally believes is unjust is very hard to answer. Nevertheless, I believe that we should in fact be able to disobey a law and or a decision that we consider to be unjustRead MorePersuasive Essay On Civil Disobedience819 Words   |  4 PagesHave you ever heard of civil disobedience? It is a way of peaceful protest that has been used successfully in the past and in the present. Walkouts, boycotts, and marches are all forms of civil disobedience that have been used and are currently being used. During past four years, there have been womens rights marches, pro-choice marches, and kneeling during the national anthem. These are people that are actively trying to create a fair society themselves and for the people around them. As the real

Saturday, December 14, 2019

Mean Creek Free Essays

Film Report ‘Mean Creek’ In the film ‘mean creek’ directed by Jacob Aaron Estes. We see a group of teenagers who try to play a trick on the bully in the movie, but it goes horribly wrong. A main Idea In the film Is the way the relationships change between everybody from the start to the end of the movie. We will write a custom essay sample on Mean Creek or any similar topic only for you Order Now The director uses 4 aspects, sound, lighting, camera shots and dialogue, to communicate the theme of change in friend/relationships. The director uses camera shot, lighting and sound in the scene where they are all sitting on the river bank after they play truth and dare and George gets pushed overboard by Rocky because he wouldn’t shut up about Martyr’s father, but then George freaks out and drowns to death. We see a long shot of them all sitting away from catheter. The director uses positioning to show the feeling of Isolation. The director uses this aspect to communicate the beginning of separation between there friendships. They all feel guilty because they had decided not to play the trick on George anymore, because they started to feel sorry for him, but Marty choose otherwise. The director uses the lighting of a blue filter across the screen to show that this a sad moment and everything has been completely messed up. The sounds of Violins and soft music in the background gives us that felling that everything is changing for the worst and that their relationships will probably never be the same again. Also the aspect of lighting and sound links into the theme of separation and contributes to the mood because up to this point there group was always collective, but are now separate. Now they all have different decisions on what happens to George. Some want to bury him and the others want to confess and go to the police so they don’t look guilty. After George dies it goes all silent and that’s when it starts to et darker. The director uses dialogue and close ups in the scene where Millie runs off and Sam follows her. We hear the dialogue between them â€Å"Buck you. † â€Å"We can never be forgiven for what we did. We see a the close up of Mile’s face and how scared and traumatized she Is. The director uses these aspects to show us how much Millie has changed from the start, when she was day dreaming about her date with Sam. She seemed so innocent and was only concerned about what she was going to talk to Sam about on her date. Millie was the only one who didn’t know of the plan until they got to the river. So there Is a sense of betrayal between her and Sam. This shows how murder can change the way people feel and their relationships can be affected in a situation like this. I think the director is trying to show us how people deal with guilt. Millie try’s to blame Sam, Sam try’s to blame Marty. But really they are all to blame, they were all apart of It. The director uses sound and close ups in the scene where they are paddling back to 1 OFF paddles hitting the water. The director uses the sound of water to remind us that they are surrounded by water, that water is what killed George and they can’t get way from what they did. We also see close ups of each of their faces one at a time. We know that each character is going through conflicting emotions. There is no eye contact or emotion between each other. Their faces look exhausted and pale, some with tears down their face. The director uses these aspects to show and communicate the feeling of guilt and disbelief. It almost gives you a sick feeling in the pit of your stomach. The nonexistent dialogue between each other shows the breakdown In their relationships and makes us wonder what they’re thinking and feeling. This for me was one of the most powerful scenes throughout the movie, because I know nothing could be the same again. Lighting is used in the scene where they’re driving back from the river and its all dark and silent. It gives off a gloomy, uneasy feel almost like that what they’re feeling inside and that’s being portrayed through the lighting of the scene. The director used this aspect to communicate the change in all their relationships between one another, because as seen in the start of the movie the lighting is bright and there is lots of color to give Off nice, relaxed vibe. So the darkness and lack of light gives us he feeling that their relationships have somewhat deteriorated since earlier that day. It also shows the passing of time as it was daylight at the start of their trip and now its evening. This could symbolize not only the end of the day, but the end of Georges life. Also the loss of their innocence. In conclusion he director has communicated the theme of the change in all of their friend/relationships throughout the movie with the help of these four aspects, lighting, sound, camera shots and dialogue. I think this film helped me realize that because of a little mistake made by someone, can or will change your life forever. By Messiah Wales How to cite Mean Creek, Papers

Friday, December 6, 2019

Analysis of James Hardie – Social Contract Analysis

Question: Describe the Analysis of James Hardie for Social Contract Analysis . Answer: 1 Stakeholders Analysis: Stakeholder Group of James Hardie Corporate governance responsibilities owed Shareholders This is basically the main reason for any company to exist. There is a considerable amount of money that is invested by the investors and a company must return that investment with a considerable dividend linked with it. The Corporate governance is critical because based on that the shareholders and investors can make a sane decisions towards investments(Howell, 2012) Employees Employees are the one who contribute towards the growth of the company and they work towards the stakeholders dividends. They are very important part of Corporate Governance as they need to know where their hard work is heading towards and what is the current as is state of the company(Botha, 2015). Investors They are the most important reason that the company is always up and running and is able to be operational even in crunch situations. The investors always need to the governance and compliance standards of the company and hence they can make a rational choice towards investments to be made(Ayuso, 2007) Public Society This is seldom ignored by the company but ultimately all the resources that are used by the companies have come from the society and hence they are liable to show the correct level of governance and standards to the general public and hence a clear image(Hayes, 2012) Directors Senior Management Many have an opinion that they are an internal stakeholder of the company and hence the governance clause is not applicable but they have the responsibility to check the correctness and see the operational wellbeing of the tasks related to the regulation and compliance(Mckinsey, 2010). Mine Workers / Factory Workers In this case there is strong responsibility towards the mine workers so that they are properly aware of the fact that what are the risks that the job officers to them and based on that they are able to make a better and more detailed choice. If that is not in place then it needs a lot of restructuring(Kramer, 2013) Law Governance The Law and Governance is there to define the standards of the work to be followed with respect to the regulatory compliance that has to be in place. If these are not in place then overall the company is not complying with main law and hence they are misguiding the people at large(LawQuest, 2015) Subsidiaries The subsidiaries working and operations are the responsibility of the main company and hence an important stakeholder in this assessment. This have a very long impact on relations and image. 2: Key Corporate Governance Issues: ASX Principle Key corporate governance issue corresponding to that ASX Principle Lay solid foundations for management and oversight(ASX_Corporate_Governance_Council, 2012) This is a huge principle lapse as the companys performance and image is more dependent on the performance showcased by the top management people. Like in the earlier days when it was known to the management that Asbestos is not something that is good for the health of the people not just inside the company but outside as well. There is a need for the alarm to be raised by the management people and immediately stop the production and operations related to Asbestos but since the company continue to do the same and hence it is a lapse of the given ASX principle and that will have a huge repercussion for the company. Promote ethical and responsible decision-making(Beck, 2014) This is another lapse since there is no way can the decision of producing asbestos be deemed as ethical either from the business ethics point of view or the moral ethics point of view. The detailed discussions about the same will be done in the coming sections. But the ethics are considered either from utilitarian or deontological point of view. But there is no such point of view shown by the company by which they are trying to be ethical about their deeds throughout. This is a very serious violation and hence it is required to be very strictly executed so that things are managed properly without any lapses. Make timely and balanced disclosure(James, 2010) This is a lapse that is shown by the company when they didnt disclosed the critical things and information related to their subsidiaries and other sister concerns. This lapse is both from the financial and operational working perspective, which is just not able to manage the burden of the losses incurred. The forged figures were just not correct to be able to cover the wrong deeds of the company and further manipulation turned things to be even worse. This violation is an extremely critical one and needs through attention by the company of they want to score in compliance points. The management is very important as it will improve the image of the company Recognise and manage risk(ASX_Contracts, 2012) The risk was recognized long back, what is leading to the issue is that the company was unable to curtail the effects effectively and worst is that even after knowing the issues they continued it. This is a very serious violation of the ASX Principle and hence needed to be managed properly and very effectively. This is not just a single law breach, but a bundle of breaches. Since the ban of some element is there as it can cause harms. If that element is still in use, then it is posing issues for the company and also health issues and risk for the users and hence that is something that needs some thorough introspection at the beginning itself so that it does not pile up at any point of time. 3: Compliance to Corporate Governance Issues: ASX Principle Actions company should have taken to comply with the ASX guideline Lay solid foundations for management and oversight(ASX_Corporate_Governance_Council, 2012) The management could have taken some serious steps towards a few things. The first one is the direct ban on the use and production of Asbestos and the second one is to invest some good amount of money towards the research and development of the material that is suitable as an substitute to Asbestos. In this manner it will be lay a solid foundation for the management and it will also generate a through confidence in the company that will ensure that the things are going on in the proper supervision of the management people and hence this supervision will also ensure that the things are followed in compliance to the actual requirement of the statutory and law. Promote ethical and responsible decision-making The ethics in every aspect of decision making is very important. Starting with the regular moral ethics that is the ethics of Utilitarianism is to be implemented that raises the bar of ethics in the company and some strong of code of conduct rules are to be involved in the decision making from business ethical stand point. The management must be able to bring the choice on the table about what is the best way to go ahead in every situation. Make timely and balanced disclosure This disclosure and correct information sharing is something that will not just keep them active in the compliance category but also for the betterment of the image of the company both internally and externally. If the company is able to show the correct information with the stakeholders, then the confidence in the company increases and hence that will lead to better management in place. This is the foremost and the easiest step that can be taken by the company to be assured that the things will fall in place correctly. Recognise and manage risk The risk management and recognition is again a leadership level trait that is to be followed properly. If the risk recognition happens at an early stage, then that is not enough, the management must be able to take necessary steps to ensure that it does not pose any risk to the operations or working in the company. 4 Long term interest of the Stakeholders: Stakeholder Group of James Hardie How long term interests of stakeholder groups were affected or exacerbated Shareholders The interest of the shareholders were not affected much as the company is continue to produce the cost effective product in the unethical manner. This may not be good for the society overall. But for the shareholders the money was flowing in uninterrupted. This is the big advantage that the shareholder will experience throughout(Tony, 2014). Employees For the employees working in the offshore were not affected much. The impact was more on technical people and that will be discussed later on. The only impact would be that they have to be associated with a company that may tarnish their image in outside world that may have an impact on the career. Investors For investors the impact is huge as in the long term when the company has accumulated so much of liability for them in the form of NGOs and support companies, the money will be flowing there and that is going to impact their returns and hence it can be deciphered that their money is not getting utilized in the intended manner(OECD, 2013). Public Society They are the big losers as even after giving so much to the society they are getting a very return in the form of health hazards and that to the impact is seen at a very long term and hence a huge dangerous to the society overall. This a huge loss for the society. Directors Senior Management They are also a huge losers, may not be in the short term but in the long term and the major loss is due to the tarnishing of the image that is caused by their act of supporting the misdeeds of the company and that is what will lead to huge long term loss for them. Mine Workers / Factory Workers The major loss bearers who are not even educated nor informed about the risk they are exposed to and how much it is hurting their health and wellness.This is long term health hazard that they are directly exposed to and this is a huge breach of social contract and corporate social ethics. Law Governance They are not at loss but then there is an administration loss that is faced by them when it comes to the management of the overall industry. If one industry breaches the law for such a long time it encourages other companies to do the same thing and get away(IFC, 2015). Subsidiaries The subsidiaries are at loss because they are not being used for the purpose that they were built for and it tarnishes the image of the parent company and the concept of NGO as such and this is every means is not an ethical thing to practice or exercise and makes a bad impression on the society. 5: Ethical Decision making in the mid-60s: The decision taken by the management to go ahead with the production of Asbestos is by every means an unethical decision both from the purview of business ethics and moral ethics. The reason is to understand the difference between the two and then demonstrating that the decision taken by the management is fitting in none of the definitions. The moral ethics is relied on the concept of utilitarianism and hence the decision has be taken from the point of view that it brings maximum benefit for almost every stakeholder(Swinton, 2012). Now as per the decision taken by the management only their interests are being met and the interest of the society and many other stakeholders is not met and it is about tarnishing the moral duties and responsibilities that relies on the big companies to comply with(Clara, 2012). The decision of breaking the law and not following the right thing that is to stop the production of Asbestos is by every means an unethical thing from the point of view of moral ethical situation. Coming to the business ethics, which is a bit complicated concept and people faces the cognitive dissonance as the business ethics principle is based on the concept of deontological ethics, which is the ethics of duty. Now from the point of view of the business management people, they are there to keep the business profitable and also ensure that money is flowing in timely and in cost effective manner(Gibson, 2012). This may not have been achieved if they think too much about the society, but the duty is not just to maintain the profit, there is a legal obligation to maintain a good decorum in the society at large and work for the society as they take a lot of resources from them. This is the very reason it is mentioned that they face cognitive dissonance and that leads to moral dilemma. Keeping in point both the facts of profit and society, the decision taken was thoroughly incorrect and need changes as it is not the sole way of surviving profitably and there is a need to build other competencies to be more profitable and also ethical for the society and hence even that decision cannot be treated as ethical in any terms. So the overall analysis from the point of view of business or moral ethics it is established that in any mode the decision was not at all ethical and hence the decision cannot be deemed as rational or ethical in any circumstances of business or moral ethics(Siddle, 2010). 6: Threats for sustainability: Specific Stakeholder Group How did actions threaten James Hardies corporate sustainability Investors The Investors are the one who have invested the real money in the company and they expect some good results from the companys performance. There are chances that they might not care about the ethical righteousness of the company of the company at all and they pushes the management to keep on following the most operationally efficient and profitable way of business. Through this line of thought and the importance that investors hold in the company, it can be rightly assumed that they will pose a great deal of risk for the corporate sustainability of the company and will be focussed more towards just the monetary returns of the company(Eliot Metzger, 2013). Shareholders The shareholders are the second main stakeholder who needs the company to be performing at a profit and will not care much about the sustainability part of the business. Under that circumstance it is important that the company is able to give them good dividends to be ascertain about the cash flow and ensure that they always remain a loyal stakeholder of the company. The use of Asbestos is something that has the capability of making company profitable at the cost of sustainability parse. This is an important point that pushes most to the companies towards the unethical behaviour that they put in front of the society. Management The management is someone who is holding the saddle of the company and their actions will decide the future of the company. In the similar lines they have the responsibility of taking care of the investors and the shareholders and for that purpose there are loads of responsibilities on them(Woodward, 2012). Due to this they have to take some decisions that may not be in the best interest of the company but are definitely profitable and hence stint by stint they keep on piling up the wrong act and slowly it becomes the culture of the company, this leads to the flaw in implementation of the sustainability program. Subsidiaries The functions of subsidiaries usually have a vested interest of the company attached with it and hence that is something usually used by the companies in a very different format and manner. This is usually to hide some vested incomes and some other interests that are good for the business financials but not for the business sustainability and functions(Ctaeges, 2013). This finally creates a situation that the companies starts to project the subsidiary as a method to cover the wrong that they have done but after experiencing the benefits of the subsidiaries they ignore everything and become full-fledged vested interest mode. Hence regarded as one of the stakeholder that will not let the sustainability to pile on. References: (2012). Corporate Governance Council. Queensland: ASX Austalia. (2012). Corporate Governance Principles and Recommendations and Recommendations. Canberra: ASX Corporate Governance Council . Ayuso, S. (2007). Responsible Corporate Governance: Towards a Stakeholder board of Director. Navarra: IESE Publications. Beck, J. (2014). Whats new in the ASX Principles? Adelaide: Effective Governance. Botha, M. (2015). Responsibilities of companies towards employees. Potchefstroom: Potchefstroomse Elektroniese Regsblad. Clara, S. (2012). A Framework for Ethical Decision Making. Paris: Markulla center of advance ethics. Ctaeges, B. (2013). Corporate Social Responsibility: Trends, Threats and Opportunities. Nottingham: The University of Nottingham. Eliot Metzger, S. P. (2013). sswot a sustainability swot. Houston: World Resource Institute. Gibson, J. (2012). A Practitioner's Guide to Ethical Decision Making. Prague: Counselling organization. Hayes, M. (2012). Corporate Social Responsibility, Corporate Governance and Corporate Regulation. New York: Springer Publications. Howell, R. (2012). The Shareholder's Rights in a Corporate Governance. London: Chron Publications. (2015). Why Corporate Governance. New York: Interntional Finance Corporation. James, T. (2010). ASX Principles compliance checklist 2010 . Canberra: Westernpower. Kramer, C. (2013). Responsibities towards mine workers. Beijing: Elseiver Publications. (2015). Accountability of Directors and Corporate Governance. Manchaster: Law Quest. (2010). CORPORATE GOVERNANCE GUIDELINES. Paris: HST Publications. (2013). Improving Business Behaviour: Why we need Corporate Governance. Manchaster: OECD Publications. Siddle, P. (2010). Ethical decision Making in corporate. Beijing: Ethical Society Publication. Swinton, L. (2012). Ethical Decision Making: How to Make Ethical Decisions in 5 Steps. Boston: MFTROU Publications. Tony, C. (2014). corporate governance. Lisbon: Business Disctionary. Woodward, V. a. (2012). CSR reactions to image threats. London: Exceter Publications.

Thursday, November 28, 2019

How to Write a Narrative Essay about Yourself

How to Write a Narrative Essay about Yourself When writing a narrative essay, you should have some essential writing skills since it involves telling a story about your own experience. However; one does not have to create a fiction story about his or her life. You can actually write a story about your everyday experiences to make it more like a writing inspiration. Narrative essays are written in the first person but the story should be told in past tense. Let’s look at how to write a narrative essay about yourself; Stuck on Your Narrative Essay? Check out these example narrative essays. Yes! Show me examples Choose a good topic The writing guide involves coming up with a story and analyzing it. In fact, narrative essays are about testing your creativity. Since storytelling is one of the important aspects ingredients for a narrative essay, the  writer  should ensure the story is interesting using the right essay ideas. In addition, it should not involve outside research .You must do careful thinking to ensure you come up with the best story. The details of the story should resemble reality by expressing dynamism, strong emotions and your writing inspiration. Use simple language One should not use too much vocabulary.Y ou should use simple essay hacks like staring with a good quote for inspiration. The writing process should involve use of simple language that is easy to read and understand. When you use large vocabulary to express your essay ideas, the reader may lose interest in your essay. Use the right words that are easy to understand and clear grammar. The story should fit the assignment Since narrative essays are school assignments, they should be written based on the prompt given by the teacher. Even if you have an eye-catching story, it must fit the assignment. Some essay hook examples include; writing how your personality was transformed, how you were able to overcome a situation, how you failed and you had to deal with the failure etc. However, the writing hooks should make sense. One should also note that there is no situation without a lesson learnt. The story should have a qualitative plot One should be able to answer questions like; Where does your story start or end? Apart from yourself, who else is important to the story? Who affected the outcome of the story? What are the specific details you can remember about the story? The story should be concise, vibrant and specific to the point. It should have a start, climax and an essay conclusion. You should ensure the readers taste every moment of the story. Further, the last sentences should point out the main idea of your story. The narrative essays should not be too broad hence one should limit the plot, characters and the setting. Likewise, you can include other characters who play an important role. You don’t have to write a formal essay outline unless otherwise advised. The basic essay form should identify the antagonist and protagonist. A protagonist is the person who is struggling with something while the antagonist is the person who is prevents the protagonist from getting what they actually want. Revising your essay This involves essay editing after you have written your rough draft. This is the most important part of your writing. First, ensure the main points are clear. The purpose of the story needs to come out very clearly. The scenes and summaries should also be well done. Likewise, your writing styles and format should be checked. In addition, the words that are spoken by characters should be in quotation. Further,  check your  essay punctuation and spelling mistakes. In a nut shell; when you are faced with the task of essay writing, you should create the correct atmosphere by writing about something that matters to you. In fact, you should put yourself in the readers’ place by making the events in the story real. Once you follow the above tips on how to write a narrative essay about yourself, you will be able to turn your real life into a beautiful essay.

Monday, November 25, 2019

Reconstruction essays

Reconstruction essays Reconstruction It was 1865, the Civil War had ended and President Abraham Lincoln has been assassinated. Lincoln had been the moderator between the extreme beliefs of the Republican majority in Congress and the liberal ideas of the Democrats or Confederate sympathizers. None the less Reconstruction needed to begin as soon as possible. The South needed to be rebuilt, economically as well as geographically; the Union would have to readmit all former Confederate states in order for the reconstruction to begin. Lincolns point of view had been that the South deserved to be readmitted. Others, such as Congress, felt like the South should pay for their rebellious behavior. They felt this way because they were afraid that the South would rebel again. There were many different ideas on how the Reconstruction for the South was to be dealt with, but the most important were Lincolns Plan, Johnson Plans of Reconstruction, and the Radical Republican Reconstruction. Lincolns Plan consisted of two major points: the Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction, which included the Ten Percent Plan and the acceptance of the Thirteenth Amendment. The Proclamation of Amnesty stated that before returning to the Union, the Confederates would take an oath to support the Constitution of the United States of America and the Union of the states there under. Lincoln's plan for Reconstruction was to readmit Southern States on liberal terms, and offered a 10% plan. This plan allowed southern states to reenter the union and develop a state government as soon as 10% of the state's population signed a loyalty pledge however Congress wished to be more severe. Lincoln might have been able to carry his plan through but he was killed shortly after the beginning of his second term in office. Andrew Johnson, the successor to Lincoln, initially showed views on Reconstruc...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Identify, explain and evaluate any problems you can foresee upon the Case Study

Identify, explain and evaluate any problems you can foresee upon the death, disability or retirement of Jessica - Case Study Example In the case of retirement, obviously if she had secured a permanent job. Walter will most likely switch to a better paying job, in order to cushion the family from any event that might have affected Jessica. Or based on his assumption of a current employment, he will ask for a salary increase. Their house, based on their current valuation indicates that it appreciates at approximately $9000 each year. If she is to retire at the age of 60 and the rate of inflation stayed fixed, it will be valued at $478000.Within this time, their 15-year mortgage plan will have been fully cleared. Other joint investments will with BMO, will stay the same, while one of the cars, preferably Jessica’s, and will be sold off to keep family finances afloat. The expenses will be borne heavily by Walter, since Jessica will have less to deduct from. The insurance premiums and other deductions will likely continue especially the monthly taxes as well as household needs. Whether the weight will be borne by the two entirely depends on the presence and ability of Jessica. In case of death, her tax deductions as well as her car benefits will be cut short, while the weight will shift to Walter, who is likely to start cutting down on the expense. The will they made, even though not up to date, encompasses what makes up their life. As a result, it will come into operation in the case of her death, with Walter and the kids taking full shares in the marital property. In such a situation, Walter is likely to revise the will and entitle the kids to full administration of estate in case of his unavailability too. Assuming Jessica too plans to retire at 60 and things remain the same, she won’t be entitled to any benefits, since she is not in any pension plan. In case of her demise, the spousal plan currently being paid for her by her husband will stop. The available group health insurance policy will cover Jessica, unless she is dead. The

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Systems - Essay Example (Wikipedia, n.d., para.1) A typical manufacturing organization is a system, because it has a structure. Usually an organization consists of parts, which also consist of parts. These parts of the organization are called subsystems. Equipment consists of lathes, production lines, computers, printers, scanners, coffee-machine and so on. Each piece of the equipment in its turn is a complex mechanism that consists of parts, so it also is a system. Buildings in a typical manufacturing organization consist of workshops, floors, windows and elevators, so they are systems also. Every room inside every building can be broken by parts also, so it also is a system. An organizational workflow is also a system, because it consists of such parts as time and financial indicators and appointed resources. Moreover, each workflow has one more division: by inception phase, elaboration phase, construction phase and transition phase. (Kroll and Kruchten, 2003, p.8) So the workflow as a system can be described in two dimensions. An open system can be influenced by events outside of the declared boundaries of a system. A closed system is self-contained: outside events can have no influence upon the system.

Monday, November 18, 2019

Debate Topic Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Debate Topic - Research Paper Example Many developing countries had not covered medicines and pharmaceutical products, because of its disadvantages to generic drug research and production. Multinational Corporations (MNCs) should manufacture cheap generic life saving drugs for poor countries or give up their patents to others who want to make generic drugs, because it will save millions of lives, allow development of generic and patent-less drugs, and breed innovation. The poor have the right to free or cheaper generic drugs and MNCs should not hinder them from getting the pharmaceutical products they need. The pros of cheap generic life saving drugs or giving up drug patents are: 1) Millions of lives are saved, 2) Other drug companies can develop cheaper drugs or patent-less drugs that will benefit the public, and 3) Large companies will benefit from innovation, because they will no longer have to depend on their blockbuster products for revenues, and instead, they will be pushed to develop generic life saving drugs. Bo seley reports about Glaxo which stopped Africans from buying a cheaper version of its AIDS Drugs. It is an inhumane act, because South Africa only wants to do something right- to help its own people, which large drug MNCs are not looking after.

Friday, November 15, 2019

Should Combat Sports be Banned?

Should Combat Sports be Banned? 1. Should physical combat sports be banned? Ans: Introduction: Combat sports have been in existence in different forms for more than 2000 years. With high risks prevailing is such sports and the nature of aggression demonstrated on the sporting arena, ethical issues have come up whether in a modern civilized society there is a place of such activities. Measures have been adopted to minimise the risks to participants yet the demonstration of skills in such thrilling fashion has been under criticism. There are both bright and dark sides of these sports but whether to eliminate them or not is the major debate. Definition of Combat Sports: Combat sports may be defined as sports wherein two individual combatants fight each other using fighting techniques according to a set of prearranged rules. Competitors use different techniques in different forms of Combat Sports, but the objective of any contest is to subdue the opponent. The question arises here that is it ethical to allow such a sport where the main intension is to harm your opponent. The Dark Side of Combat Sports: The first thing that strikes into ones mind while saying about the dark sides of such sports is morality. 1. Morality: As said earlier, is it morally correct for one human being to attempt intentionally to harm the brain of the other as in boxing. It might be true that reckless tackles are made in sports like American football, Soccer, ice hockey etc and also body line bowling prevails in cricket which sometimes result in serious injuries but one does not win the game by doing so. Where as in physical combat sports one can win only by hurting the opponent and that too so seriously that the opponent cannot continue to take part in the game anymore. 2. Impact on society: The impact of such sports on the society can be viewed in two different ways. Combat sports practice: Evidence of unlicensed boxing events exist where violence has reached its extremities but it may be argued that a sport, which is explicitly a stimulation of actual combat and which has clearly defined boundaries is less of a threat to the social order than such evidences. Another issue evolved which argued if participation in a combat sport results in increase of violence and aggression in a human being. But different researches have shown increase in social and emotional awareness among the participants. Viewing Combat sports: The effect of excessive media exposure of combat sports does have a positive impulse of violence in some people but for the vast majority of the population exposure to aggression and violence as a passive spectator is considered to have negligible impact on peoples social behaviour. The Value of Combat Sports: Notwithstanding the violent nature of combat sports, â€Å"good† can be found in them just like any other sport. Any form of combat sport has the potential to improve physical health and well being. Higher physical competence and ability to defend ones own self can be considered as the positive side of combat sports. Combat sports can also acts as a medium of self-expression and human bonding. Contrary to popular belief, winning is not the sole objective of fighting contests. Value is given to what can be learnt from the opponent, be it in victory or defeat. Conclusion: Considering the fact that sport where the principal intent is to harm your opponent and with the high risk of fatalities and serious disabling injuries involved, the question arises both from the ethical and safety point of view as to whether or not combat sports be legally banned. In my opinion, before considering a legal ban and forcing the sport underground, each combat sport should be given the opportunity to review its rules for competition. For example, fighting within predetermined weight class, only one fight per night etc.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Dehydration Effect On Human Tissue :: essays research papers

The human body consists of massive amounts of different tissues and oranges, all doing different things. It’s inevitable that these tissues need a large amount of energy to maintain health and to stay productive. When the body encounters a famine, it reacts to the lack of food by many different starvation endorse tactics. When the body enters into a lack of water, there is very little it can do but stop the production of urine and sweat.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The human body consists a mass of eighty percent water plus or minus five percent. Water is in many forms of nature. There are three forms of water as the forms of water, ice and heated vapor in the air. Water also known as H2 O acts as a major component in plasma, liver function, and the aid of the lymphatic system of the human body.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When the body does not eat, many things go into affect to help you stay alive during a famine. They are: your hormones; blood sugar decreases to make you tired while conserving energy and your metabolism process decreases to make your retain fat from the food you do eat. It will take about three weeks to die from starvation when not consuming food. The average person should consume around 1800 calories a day.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When the human body goes with out water the whole system will start to shutdown. Without water the liver will stop filtering blood and cause kidney’s to fail. Also cell activities will stop because the water acts as a transition stage for nutrients going in and out of the cell. After the water is gone, cells can not survive for more then three days.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The cell during a lack of water goes in to a state of â€Å"suspended animation† which is when all cell processes slow down. The mitochondria slow down and reduce the production of energy forming materials. In plant cells the chloroplast stops responding to light and the energy of the cell then slows down and goes dominant. Dehydration Effect On Human Tissue :: essays research papers The human body consists of massive amounts of different tissues and oranges, all doing different things. It’s inevitable that these tissues need a large amount of energy to maintain health and to stay productive. When the body encounters a famine, it reacts to the lack of food by many different starvation endorse tactics. When the body enters into a lack of water, there is very little it can do but stop the production of urine and sweat.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The human body consists a mass of eighty percent water plus or minus five percent. Water is in many forms of nature. There are three forms of water as the forms of water, ice and heated vapor in the air. Water also known as H2 O acts as a major component in plasma, liver function, and the aid of the lymphatic system of the human body.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When the body does not eat, many things go into affect to help you stay alive during a famine. They are: your hormones; blood sugar decreases to make you tired while conserving energy and your metabolism process decreases to make your retain fat from the food you do eat. It will take about three weeks to die from starvation when not consuming food. The average person should consume around 1800 calories a day.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When the human body goes with out water the whole system will start to shutdown. Without water the liver will stop filtering blood and cause kidney’s to fail. Also cell activities will stop because the water acts as a transition stage for nutrients going in and out of the cell. After the water is gone, cells can not survive for more then three days.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The cell during a lack of water goes in to a state of â€Å"suspended animation† which is when all cell processes slow down. The mitochondria slow down and reduce the production of energy forming materials. In plant cells the chloroplast stops responding to light and the energy of the cell then slows down and goes dominant.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Dreschler Hotel Consultation

I have reviewed the trend analysis for the Dreschler Hotel and competing hotels and find that in comparison to the competing market, Dreschler is well within the numbers on average. Occupancy rate as compared with like hotels appears to be almost par with an average of 99. 3 index for the last six month period of 2005. This is stating that on average Dreschler is almost at the same rate of occupancy as other competing hotels. The average daily room rate comes out to a 100. 8 index which is stating that the rate being charged daily is at or above what other hotels in this competing industry are charging. The same with the revenue per available rooms, the 6 month average comes out to an index of 99. 9 compared with like hotels. In review of this trend analysis, I believe the occupancy rate can be improved during the summer months because of the location and activities offered by this lodging facility. But, after reviewing Santa Cruz County for the year 2005, average occupancy rate for hotels was at 64. 7% and for the whole state of Arizona the annual average was only 65. 8%. Dreschler appears to be on the upper end of these averages at 72. 6% average for the last 6 months of the year. This figure could obviously be higher or lower because of the figures for the first 6 months of the year. Based on the figures of having approximately 8 rooms on average per day available out of 30 is not all that bad, nor is it good. When the ADR is at $103. 71 on average for Dreschler while the average ADR statewide is only $90. 39, it could be possible to offer discounts during slower seasons in order to fill the rooms. Another option would be to offer specials to with surrounding businesses such as wine tasting events, art and museum events, cultural events, bird watching events, and even biking or hiking outings. Potential Improvements Dreschler has quite a bit to offer as far as amenities in whole and the amount of rooms available. I would start with making changes in the rooms, amount of rooms, and types of rooms. For starters, let us cut back on the amount of rooms that are sharing bathrooms and create more privacy for the guest. I would ensure that all rooms and suites have their own lavoratory at minimum. Single rooms with only bedroom setting and sitting nook should have a bathroom with toilet, sink, and shower. There should be a choice of which type of single room a guest would want by changing up the beds. Offer some with two twins, or single twin and hide-a-bed sofa and of course the queen. Next room style would be more like a mini apartment suite. This would have a sitting area separate from the bedroom and bathroom. Also offer the choices of bed set-ups in the larger suites such as double twins, queen, and king. The bathroom would be the same as with the single rooms as well. There has to be a deluxe suite of some sort, a couple would be good like a Honeymoon suite or an Executive suite, or maybe both. The honeymoon suite would be approximately 800 square feet of luxury. The bedroom would be separate from the sitting room, breakfast nook just inside the balcony doors; the bathroom would be private with a bath as well as the toilet, sink, and shower. I would probably suggest this room be on the second floor with a balcony overlooking the garden and possible put a Jacuzzi on this deck. The Executive suite would be geared for business personnel that may be in town or nearby for a convention or meeting of some sort. This room would offer two separate sleeping quarters, sitting area, breakfast nook, full bathroom with toilet, sink, and shower, and a deck as well, that overlooks the garden area. All rooms will be equipped with satellite television, a sound system that is controlled by the guest, alarm clocks, Wi-Fi connection, and air conditioning. Other amenities will include coffee, tea, and hot chocolate in rooms with mini fridges, microwaves, a desk area, literature regarding the history of the surrounding area, community features, events, and activities, and of course for the bathroom we would offer a hair dryer, ironing board that folds up in the wall, and hand lotions, soaps, and shampoos. Other areas of the establishment could be opened up more for private sitting time or just admiring the beauty surrounding the lodge. Breakfast is served at the door of all rooms by 7 a. m. every morning, and consists of cheeses, fresh fruits, juices, yogurts, and fresh baked pastries. I would like to see a public dining area in the garden for those who wish to dine on their morning pastry and coffee in the comfort of the morning sun. Funding Options There are several funding options available since we have no working capital. We could go public and offer shares to raise money to invest into the modifications, but the problem with this is that as a business owner you will not get to keep 100% of the profits; you will be paying your shareholders a dividend. Equity investors will require a percentage of ownership as well as the return on their investment. This can also wind up being costly down the road. Another option is to acquire a loan, but most lending institutes will only lend 60%-70% of the requested amount leaving the borrower having to raise the other 30%-40% in equity. This may not be a bad deal if the equity investor does not demand a large portion of ownership and is patient on returns. Another option is a 7(a) loan since they are the simplest and most common loan type from the Small Business Association. The financing of a 7(a) loan can be guaranteed for a variety of general business purposes such as working capital, machinery and equipment, furniture and fixtures, and debt refinancing (under special conditions). Loan maturity is up to 10 years for working capital and generally up to 25 years for fixed assets (http://www. sba. gov). These types of loans are easily obtained since many banks in America participate in SBA’s program and structure the loans according the requirements of this program. The SBA shares the risk with the bank if the borrower defaults. The eligibility requirements are fairly broad to accommodate the most diverse variety of small business financing needs (http://www. sba. gov). To Convert or Not to Convert A couple of benefits to converting this property to either a timeshare, condominium, or mixed-use property would be a) the immediate cash flow available up front from the rooms being purchased by timeshare holders; and b) therefore the owner does not have to wait for the project to generate a return on investment. Timeshare would be nice in that all rooms would hopefully be sold and utilized throughout the year. The length of time that someone holds a share for can be up to 30 years. The condominium aspect is slightly different in that the investor does not actually use the room but hopes to make an return on his investment in that room. This can pose a problem if there is not much activity in that investor’s room. A mixed use set-up would probably be the most beneficial of the three since it would offer the owner a diverse source of income from a variety of shops and businesses within the hotel. Although, I do not see this being a possibility here since this is a bed and breakfast establishment with over 90 shops within walking distance. You also have the issues of trying to attract high quality brand name partners to work with you, and selling the idea to other investors and possibly lending institutions could pose a real problem if you do not have a complete understanding of the market demands. I think that keeping this bed and breakfast as is would be the most beneficial but the modifications and room upgrades need to be more accommodating to a variety of guests in order to achieve the higher revenues possible. New Name Coming up with a new name for the establishment can be a challenge since I am suggesting the modifications that I am. There is no significant â€Å"one† type of person that I am trying to attract to this establishment, but more of a variety in order to fill all the rooms on a regular basis. I would like to offer up the name of Santa Cruz Country Inn since this is in the heart of Santa Cruz County and offers up the scenic picturesque country side that it does. All of the features of this establishment speak country to me. The bird watching, hiking, natural beauty of the landscape surrounding the inn, the state parks, proximity of the Santa Cruz river, and just the all around peaceful feeling one has when here. I would like to offer a bed and breakfast that makes all who stay desire to return because of the comfort and relaxation that they feel while visiting this fine establishment.Reference http://www.tubaccountryinn.com/accommodations.html

Friday, November 8, 2019

Childrens Right essays

Children's Right essays Can you believe that million of children under 14 work as full time labor while million of others were killed by conflict and disease? I can not believe it, but it is the fact. Armed children, disabled children, refugee children ¡Ã‚ ­ as many as million of million. Report from Child Rights Information Network: about 250 million children between the ages of 5 and 14 work. Of these, 120 million work full time and some 50-60 million work in hazardous circumstances. In India, at least 18 million children live or work on the streets, laboring as porters in railway stations or bus terminals, as ragpickers, and as vendors of food, tea, or handmade articles. These street children routinely subjected to arbitrary and illegal detention, torture, and extortion, and on occasion, murder at the hands of police. In Manila, 13- and 14-year-old girls work 17-hour days at their sewing machines in sweatshops. The pay: 13 cents an hour. That ¡Ã‚ ¯s better than the one cent a day earned by 5-year-olds who weed the tea plantations in Sri Lanka (Michele Landsberg). In the Ashanti Goldfields (jointly owned by the Government of Ghana and a company called Lonrho International), 11-year-old boys labor naked in pools of cyanide to extract gold from rock (Michele Landsberg). Report from Human Rights Watch: two million children were killed in the last decade in armed conflict. Three times as many have been serious injured or permanently disabled while million of others have become refugees. Child soldiers were used in more than thirty countries around the world. Angola, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Lebanon, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka, Sudan, and Uganda. Some 300,000 serve in current armed conflicts. These young combatants participated in all aspects of contemporary warfare. They wielded AK-47s and M-16s on front lines of combat, served as human mine detectors, participated in suicide missions, carried supplies, and acted as spies, mes...

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

The Fascinating History of Drone Warfare

The Fascinating History of Drone Warfare Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have allowed U.S. military forces to turn the tide in numerous overseas conflicts as well as in the fight against terrorism without risking military personnel. They have a storied past that dates back centuries. While the history of drones is fascinating, not everyone is a fan of these stealthy, unmanned aircraft. While drones are a big hit among hobbyists, providing a wonderful vantage point from which to capture breathtaking aerial video footage, some people are understandably worried about the invasion of privacy as the craft sail over private property. Not only that, as evolving technology becomes increasingly sophisticated, lethal, and accessible to the masses theres a rising concern that drones can and will be used against us by our enemies. Tesla’s Vision Inventor Nikola Telsa was the first to foresee the coming of militarized unmanned vehicles. In fact, they were just one of several predictions he made while speculating on potential uses for a remote control system he was developing. In the 1898 patent â€Å"Method of and Apparatus for Controlling Mechanism of Moving Vessels or Vehicles† (No. 613,809), Telsa described, with remarkable prescience, the wide range of possibilities for his new radio-control technology: The invention which I have described will prove useful in many ways. Vessels or vehicles of any suitable kind may be used, as life, despatch, or pilot boats or the like, or for carrying letters packages, provisions, instruments, objects†¦ but the greatest value of my invention will result from its effect upon warfare and armaments, for by reason of its certain and unlimited destructiveness it will tend to bring about and maintain permanent peace among nations. About three months after filing his patent, Tesla gave the world a glimpse of the possibilities of radio wave technology at the annual Electrical Exhibition held at Madison Square Garden. Before a stunned audience, Tesla demonstrated a control box that transmitted radio signals used to maneuver a toy boat through a pool of water. Outside of a handful of inventors whod already been experimenting with them, few people even knew about the existence of radio waves at the time.   The Miltary Enlists Unmanned Aircraft   Drones have been used in a variety of military capacities: early efforts at eye-in-the-sky reconnaissance, â€Å"aerial torpedoes† during World War II, and as armed aircraft in the war in Afghanistan. Even as far back as Teslas time, his contemporaries in the armed forces were beginning to see how remotely-controlled vehicles might be used to gain certain strategic advantages. For example, during the Spanish-American War of 1898, the U.S. military was able to deploy camera-equipped kites to take some of the first aerial surveillance photographs of enemy fortifications. (An even earlier example of military use of unmanned aircraft- albeit not radio-controlled- took place during an 1849 attack on Venice by Austrian forces using balloons packed with explosives.) Improving the Prototype: Directive Gyroscopes While the idea of unmanned craft showed definite promise for combat applications, it wasn’t until around World War I that military forces began to experiment with ways to further Tesla’s initial vision and attempt to integrate radio-controlled systems into various types of unmanned aircraft. One of the earliest efforts was the 1917 Hewitt-Sperry Automatic Airplane, a costly and elaborate collaboration between the U.S. Navy and inventors Elmer Sperry and Peter Hewitt to develop a radio-controlled airplane that could be used as a pilotless bomber or flying torpedo. Perfecting a gyroscope system that could automatically keep the aircraft stabilized became crucial. The auto-pilot system that Hewitt and Sperry eventually came up with featured a gyroscopic stabilizer, a directive gyroscope, a barometer for altitude control, radio-controlled wing and tail features, and a gearing device to measure the distance flown. Theoretically, these improvements would enable the aircraft to fly a pre-set course to a target where it would then either drop a bomb or simply crash, exploding its payload. The Automatic Airplane designs were encouraging enough that the Navy supplied seven Curtiss N-9 seaplanes to be outfitted with the technology and poured an additional $200,000 into research and development. Ultimately, after several failed launches and wrecked prototypes, the project was scrapped but not before completing one successful flying bomb launch that proved the concept was at least plausible. The Kettering Bug While the Navy teamed up with Hewitt and Sperry, the U.S. Army commissioned another inventor, General Motor’s head of research Charles Kettering, to work on a separate â€Å"aerial torpedo† project. They also tapped Sperry to develop the torpedo’s control and guidance system and even brought in Orville Wright as an aviation consultant. That collaboration resulted in the Kettering Bug, an auto-piloted biplane programmed to carry a bomb directly to a pre-determined target.   The Bug had a range of about 40 miles, flew at a top speed nearing 50 mph, and held a payload of 82 kilograms (180  pounds) of explosives. It was also equipped with a counter programmed to count the total number of engine revolutions necessary for the craft to reach its predetermined target (allowing for variables of wind speed and direction that were figured into the calculation when the counter was set). Once the requisite number of engine revolutions was reached, two things happened: a cam fell into place shutting down the engine and the wing bolts retracted, causing the wings to fall off. This sent the Bug into its final trajectory, where it detonated on impact.   In 1918, the Kettering Bug completed a successful test flight, prompting the Army to place a large order for their production. However, the Kettering Bug suffered a similar fate to the Navys Automatic Airplane and was never used in combat, partly due to concerns that the system might malfunction and detonate a payload prior to reaching its target in hostile territory. While both projects were scrapped for their initial purpose, in retrospect, the Automatic Airplane and Kettering Bug played significant roles in the development of modern-day cruise missiles. From Target Practice to Spy in the Sky The post-World War I period saw the British Royal Navy take the early lead in the development of radio-controlled unmanned aircraft. These British UAVs (target drones) were programmed to mimic the movements of enemy aircraft and were employed during anti-aircraft training for target practice. One drone often employed for this purpose- a radio-controlled version of the de Havilland Tiger Moth airplane known as the DH.82B Queen Bee- is thought to be the source from which the term â€Å"drone† hatched.   The initial headstart the British enjoyed was relatively short-lived. In 1919, Reginald Denny, a serviceman late of the British Royal Flying Corps, emigrated to the United States, where he opened a model plane shop. Dennys enterprise went on to become the Radioplane Company, the first large-scale producer of drones. After having demonstrated a number of prototypes to the U.S. Army, in 1940, Denny got a huge break, procuring a contract for the manufacture of Radioplane OQ-2 drones. By the end of World War II, the company had supplied the Army and Navy with 15,000 drone craft. A Hollywood Sidenote In addition to drones, the Radioplane Company had the distinction of launching the career of one of Hollywoods most legendary starlets. In 1945, Denny’s friend (film star and future President of the United States) Ronald Reagan sent military photographer David Conover to capture snapshots of factory workers assembling Radioplanes for the Army’s weekly magazine. One of the employees he photographed was a young woman named Norma Jean Baker. Baker later quit her assembly job and went on to model for Conover at other photoshoots. Eventually, after changing her name to Marilyn Monroe, her career really took off.   Combat Drones The World War II era also marked the introduction of drones in combat operations. In fact, the conflict between the Allied and Axis powers revitalized the development of aerial torpedoes, which could now be made to be more accurate and destructive. One particularly devastating weapon was Nazi Germany’s V-1 rocket, a.k.a, the Buzz Bomb. This flying bomb, the brainchild of brilliant German rocket engineer Wernher von Braun, was designed to hit urban targets and incur civilian casualties. It was guided by a gyroscopic autopilot system that helped carry a 2,000-pound warhead upward of 150 miles. As the first wartime cruise missile, the Buzz Bomb was responsible for killing 10,000 civilians and injuring around 28,000 more. After World War II, the U.S. military started repurposing target drones for reconnaissance missions. The first unmanned aircraft to undergo such a conversion was the Ryan Firebee I, which in 1951 demonstrated the ability to stay aloft for two hours while reaching an altitude of 60,000 feet. Converting the Ryan Firebee into a reconnaissance platform led to the development of the Model 147 FireFly and Lightning Bug series, both of which were used extensively during the Vietnam War. During the height of the Cold War, the U.S. military turned its focus toward stealthier spy aircraft, a notable example being the Mach 4 Lockheed D-21. Attack of the Armed Drone The notion of armed drones (as opposed to guided missiles) being used for battle purposes didnt really come into play until the 21st century. The most suitable candidate was the Predator RQ-1 manufactured by General Atomics. First tested and put into service in 1994 as a surveillance drone, the Predator RQ-1 was capable of traveling a distance of 400 nautical miles and could remain airborne for 14 hours straight. Its most significant advantage, however, was that it could be controlled from a distance of thousands of miles via satellite link. On October 7, 2001, armed with laser-guided Hellfire missiles, a Predator drone launched the first-ever combat strike by a remotely piloted aircraft in Kandahar, Afghanistan in an effort to neutralize suspected Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar. While the mission failed to take out its intended target, the event marked the dawn of a new era of militarized drones. Since then, unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs) such as the Predator and General Atomics’ larger and more capable MQ-9 Reaper have completed thousands of missions, sometimes with unintentional consequences. While  2016 statistics released by President Obama revealed that 473 strikes had accounted for between 2,372 and 2,581 combatant deaths since 2009, according to a 2014 report in The Guardian, the civilian death toll resulting from drone strikes was, at the time, in the neighborhood of 6,000. Sources Ackermann, Spencer. 41 Men Targeted but 1,147 People Killed: US Drone Strikes- the facts on the Ground. The Guardian, November 24, 2014Shane, Scott. Drone Strike Statistics Answer Few Questions and Raise Many. The New York Times, July 3, 2016Evans, Nicholas D. â€Å"Military Gadgets: How Advanced Technology Is Transforming Todays Battlefield...and Tomorrows.† Prentiss Hall, 2003

Monday, November 4, 2019

Case Study of Patient presenting with flu-like illness 2500 words Essay

Case Study of Patient presenting with flu-like illness 2500 words - Essay Example Patient satisfaction evaluated using typical patient questionnaires is said to be higher after advanced nurse consultations for flu-like illnesses and minor illnesses. It is from such data that it is discovered that advanced nurses give longer consultations and necessary information as compared to general practitioners. However, some patients who have ever visited a nurse practitioner for insignificant illness care have recorded a preference to seeing practitioners next time, regardless of the fact that they were satisfied with the consultants with the advanced nurse. Patients may not anticipate their general practitioner to create time and listen to hem but they may have much confidence that an advanced nurse would do so (Moulton, 2007). The aim of this evaluation is to determine how the consultation process is carried out by an advanced nurse, inclusive of the methods used in the context of general practice. The method used Subjects were interviewed before and up to one week follow ing their consultation with an advanced nurse. Constant comparative methods and semi-structured interviews were utilized to explore the matter from the patients’ point of view. ... Therefore, a specified 1-year practice-based training program was initiated. It was comprised of the Higher Professional Education Masters Degree in Advanced Nursing Practice (MANP), inclusive of training on managing common complaints. As the program went on, the advanced nurses were employed, educated, and facilitated with general practices. Common complaints associated with the flu-like illness was compiled for which the participants seek he nurses’ medical attention. According to Keenan, J, 1999, such common problems will always result in minor health issues. The role of the advanced nurse in this study was to assess symptoms like physical examinations, and diagnose or make decisions where appropriate. However, the advanced nurses were not permitted to prescribe any medications, meaning that the general practitioners were frequently available for consultations and validations on referrals and prescriptions. The process required that patients who had appointments for the stu dy be assessed for inclusion. Patients aged over 18 years and had come for the first consultation were welcomed to take part in the study if they requested for an appointment on a day when the advanced nurse was around and had time availed to him or her in the schedule. There was random choice of patients to be allocated in either the reference group or the intervention group. Assignments were given at random by an independent individual and he codes generated. In each project, a research assistant gave an explanation of the research to the patients as they came in and informed consent was achieved. Collection of data and the analysis Before the consultation in the general practice same day consultancy room, the first interview was performed, and the

Friday, November 1, 2019

Reflection on my internship Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Reflection on my internship - Research Paper Example One of the most important parts of my first day as a practicumer was learning about how hospital policies were made and why it was of the utmost importance that the employees follow the policies. I was quite excited to be a part of the policy creation instead of implementation group. Learning how policy was developed and created really helped me gain a better understanding of the administrative work that goes behind running a successful health care facility. By the end of the day, I already had a different perspective of the administrative side of nursing. Although I had some questions about the hospital policies and related fields, my preceptor was quite patient in explaining the confusing parts to me. She never let me feel like I was getting in the way or preventing actual work from getting done. It was a truly enlightening and engaging first day for me. Although I sometimes felt overwhelmed, I still ended the day feeling that I had learned so much in a single day. That is why I am looking forward to going back for more practicum training with my preceptor in the

Thursday, October 31, 2019

Case study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 7

Case study - Essay Example ically Questionable Behavior in Sales Representatives-An Example from the Taiwanese Pharmaceutical Industry" by Ya-Hui Hsu, Wenchang Fang and Yuanchung Lee the idea of ethical behavior with salesmen in pharmaceutical companies is explored. The reason this was explored is because they saw "recent corporate disgraces and corruption" in business and they wanted to see whether this affected pharmaceutical sales. Unethical behavior in the pharmaceutical industry is something that has happened for many years. MedZilla Staff report that pharmaceutical companies are using a variety of "questionable" tactics to approach doctors and "lure" them into prescribing certain drugs to their patients. Some companies have taken steps to stop the larger perks like tickets to ballgames or financial incentives. As an example, PhrMA is one of the leading companies in the business and they sell 90% of the pharmaceuticals in the United States. In 2002, they chose to change their marketing approach and educate their customers instead of spending so much time trying to lure doctors (MedZilla Staff). This article also states that the best way to make sure you are behaving ethically is to sell the doctor on the positive aspects of the drug and give information about clinical trials. Although many people believe that their primary care physician gets "perks" and "financial incentives" to prescribe certain drugs, the y do not want to totally believe this because it makes them feel that they are vulnerable. Hsu, Fang and Lee studied this practice to find out exactly what makes this necessary for salesmen to create unethical behaviors in order to make the sales team look good. The researchers used four variables from human resource management in order to "explain the ethically questionable behavioral of sales representatives in the pharmaceutical industry" (155) Although unethical behavior exists it is an area where management studies have not been done extensively particularly in the areas of

Monday, October 28, 2019

Human Resources Management Essay Example for Free

Human Resources Management Essay The present state of recession in the IT Industry as a Human Resource Manager how are you going to undertake Human Resource Planning at Macro Level to tide over this crisis? Human capital formation is acknowledged as one of the most potent sources in contributing directly and significantly to economic growth. As a result even the objectives of economic planning and priorities thereof, began to be shifted away from purely growth oriented development strategies to those that recognize and partly remedy the past neglect of such social sectors like population, planning, health, education, housing, social security and other social services. The objectives of HRP at macro level are to ensure that the organisation: a) Obtains and retains the quality and quantity of human resources it needs at the right time and place; and b) Makes optimal utilisation of these resources. Human resource planning is the formal process of linking organizational strategy with human resource practices. It is about perceiving organizational practices as a whole and not piecemeal. In a competitive climate, organizations need to use models and approaches that secure uniqueness of operations along with enhancing organizational capability. Today, the world is going through, a global economic turmoil. This recession affects almost all the fields especially IT field. To overcome the adverse effect of the economic slowdown, we should plan an effective human resource policy at macro level. Human resource plan is designed to pay attention to shaping the priorities of the H R function than on supporting activities relating to the organizations functioning as a whole. The economic crisis of 2008/2009 has touched every industry and profession,  radically altering the hiring landscape. Major layoffs, rising unemployment, and lowered profits have reshaped the way workers are hired and fired, and dramatically highlighted the need to rethink workforce planning. Now, the question lingering over the heads of business leaders everywhere is: What will the successful post-recession business look like? Here, we wanted to find out how what steps they are taking in response to the crisis, how their priorities and practices have changed, and what they predict the HR landscape will look like as the economy recovers. This study is focus on the following objectives: 1.How HR Processes got affected by Recession? 2. What was the Reactions of Recession? 3. What HR steps Companies are taking to prepare for Recovery from Recession? 4. What are the Envision on post-recovery staffing model? 5. What are the Roles of Temporary Workforce? 6. What are Managed Serviced Program its Benefit? First let us brief about Recession. A recession is a contraction phase of the business cycle where significant decline in economic activity lasts more than a few months, which is normally visible in real GDP real income, employment, industrial production, and wholesale-retail sales. The current economic recession has hardly spared any country on earth. Rich countries like USA, UK, Germany, Australia, Japan, and Canada almost all the rich countries have got badly hurt from the recession. So, there is no reason to be surprised to know that Indian economy is also getting hurt from the global economic recession. As a Human resource manager planning is one of the most important sources in contributing the economic growth. To overcome from the recession in IT industry I would like to retain and obtain pure quality of human resources all ways at the right time and at the right place. I ensure that all the resources are utilized properly .I as a human resource manager responsible  for corporate plan along with organizations purpose as the top most priority. The KRA at macro level are: 1- Determine the requirement level in the organization keeping recession in mind. 2- To get the best from the resources available within the organization. 3- Assist productivity bargaining. 4- Evaluate cost of man power in any upcoming new projects coming. 5- Analyze the cost of all the overhead and value associated with it with the function 6- Need to decide whether certain activities need to be sub contracted. 7- Need to provide best training in order to retain talent. 8- Anticipate redundancies. 9- Need to forecast future requirement. 10- Serve as a basis of management development programme The human resource planning is one of the most crucial, complex and continuing managerial function. It is a multi step function with various issues. The issue which needed to cater first are 1- Deciding objective and goal.2- Estimating future organizational structure ,3- Auditing human resources,4-Planning job requirement and job description.5- development of human resource plan. In the recession time in the IT industry it is very important to relate future human resources to future enterprise need so that the return on investment on human gets maximized. The companys human resources mamager is as much an advocate for the organization as it is for the employees. The responsibility to serve the interests and needs of both can be challenging, especially during a recession when it could difficult to sustain both the company and its workforce. The HR issues during a recession demand an even greater commitment to achieving stability for the company and assuring employees that they wont endure the harsh effects of a recession. Strategy Strategic direction is an ongoing discussion between HR and companys  leadership. During a recession, HR Managers involvement in developing the companys strategy should be a priority. Workforce planning, compensation structure and employee satisfaction arent just HR goals theyre organizational goals because the workforce is companys most valuable resource. Sustaining company’s operations and its profitability largely depends on employee productivity. The communication between HR Manager and the companys leadership should be candid, frequent and must include communication with employees about the companys direction. Company Status If the company is recession-proof, meaning it provides necessary products or services, the role of HR manager is to remind employees that the company is forging ahead despite an economic meltdown. As the saying goes, the only sure things in life are death and taxes; therefore, the most recession-proof businesses are likely mortuaries and accounting firms. On the other hand, if the company will be affected by a recession, HR managers role is to assist company leaders in describing the business strategy for staying afloat and keeping employees apprised of the companys status and direction. Employee Communication The employee turnover during a recession could be minimal simply because companies that arent recession-proof are closing, which means there are fewer job market opportunities. Leaving a job with a company that is surviving the recession for another one that might not survive could be a bad decision. Therefore, HRs primary job includes communicating with employees about the companys status, what its doing to be profitable and what it needs the employees to do to ensure the companys survival. This conveys two important messages. It says you care enough about your workforce to keep them informed and you value their contributions in helping the company make it through the recession. Job Security If I am in a position where I need to hire additional staff, ensure that I am not making any cuts to current employees wages. That is likely to make employees wonder if their livelihood is a priority or if the company places more value on input from outsiders. Provide training for employees to take on new responsibilities instead of recruiting an external candidate to do the job. Effective crisis management doesnt mean eliminating training for employees, according to The Boston Consulting Group 2009 survey of HR measures. In fact, the joint survey conducted with the European Association for People Management revealed that more than 30 percent of the companies that scaled back training individual and special training was less effective and demonstrated lower commitment levels during a crisis, such as a recession. Training also conveys the important message that youre investing in your existing staff, training them to work cross-functionally and thereby preparing them for continued e mployment in case their current jobs are eliminated because of the recession. Layoffs If HR must lay off workers, establish a communication strategy that gives employees plenty of notice before the actual layoff. Consult the U.S. Department of Labor Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, WARN, to determine if you meet the criteria for complying with WARN regulations. Ease the blow of unemployment by scheduling the layoff so it doesnt coincide untimely with periods such as the year-end holiday season. HR should offer outplacement services to employees who are forced to seek employment elsewhere. Outplacement services can range from career counseling sessions with experts to resume-writing services or time off from work for interviews. Compensation and Benefits HR might not be able to guarantee that employees will get year-end bonuses or even a wage increase, but HR can help employees figure out ways to increase their take-home pay. When employees have questions about their wages, tax withholding and liability or the cost of benefits, such as health insurance premiums and retirement savings ensure the company can provide answers. An HR benefits specialist can guide employees through the decision-making process by advising them to cut back on, say, charitable contributions that are being deducted from their net pay. The benefits specialist also can  refer employees to resources for managing their finances, such as an employee-assistance program. Summary HR managers reported opting for a wide range of practices to respond to the severe pressures presented by the recession. These practices range from changes to pay and pensions, staffing and HR systems, to changes in working time arrangements. While pay freezes for some or all employees were common, pay cuts too operated in a substantial number of firms. Other pay-related measures adopted include lower pay or salary scales for new entrants, bonus cuts and changes in pension arrangements. In terms of headcount and staffing arrangements, changes were also pronounced in that most firms in the survey experienced redundancy (compulsory and voluntary) for some employees. Freezes on recruitment were also commonly instituted. The effects of the recession on a wide range of business and the subsequent pressures experienced by HR managers, was examined next in chapter four. The HR managers present at the focus groups outlined in detail the ways in which they were required to cut and control employee costs in response to deep and acute commercial pressures. Where participants had been taken up for much of the previous boom years with recruiting and retaining staff, the main hub of activity now for most of the participants was on finding ways to control and reduce pay and headcount. Relative to the difficulties of doing this, other areas of HR practice received less attention, although some firms reported continued recruitment efforts for specific positions or new skills sets. Some firms also took measures such as selective pay rises or promotions to retain valued staff. Others operated formal talent management programmes, though these generally predated the recession. Staff redeployment was presented as a routine measure in responding to the recession in non-union firms, but appeared to be more problematic in unionized firms, where it sometimes cut acros s agreements with unions or lines of demarcation between different jobs.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Santeria Is A Syncretism Religion From West Africa Religion Essay

Santeria Is A Syncretism Religion From West Africa Religion Essay Santeria is an integrated system of beliefs from the Yoruba religion, Roman Catholic and Native American traditions. The elements of Yoruba religion were imported to the new world in the Caribbean by the slaves from Nigeria (People form Nigeria, West African country) who were ferried to Caribbean to work in the sugarcane plantations. As these slaves were being transported to their new destination, they carried out with them their traditional religion. These traditions included the manner of praying to their ancestors and other many deities. Given their religious and ritual nature of their religion, Santeria is fully infested with animal sacrifice and sacred drumming just the same way its mother Yoruba religion does though Santeria shares in other doctrines of the Catholic, and Native American traditions. The incorporation of the three religions has evolved over time and today it has taken a form called Santeria as it is today in Cuba. However, it is noted that the religion continues to extend to other parts of the world for instance United Sates of America given the migration of the believers from areas it is dominantly practiced like Cuba. As reported today, the followers of this faith are not only Africans of West Africa origin but large numbers are of Hispanic and Caribbean descent. In United States of America, increasing number of African- American and European-American heritage has been recorded so far. Ritual Performance Traditions of Santeria: Ascension, Divination and Sacrifice This research paper attempts to put into focus the ritual performance of Santeria in the light of Ascension, Divination and Sacrifice. These three are the major pillars of the Santerian traditional ritual performance. Unlike other world religions of Western origin, Santeria lacks an organized central creed for its religious practices. It is best known for its unique rituals and ceremonies. Most remarkably, these rituals and ceremonies are conducted within the house temple also known in Cuba as the casa de santos translated in English as the house of saints. The house temple is also called ile from the Yoruba dialect. It is a common observation that ile are located in the homes of the initiated priests and priestesses (Mason, p. 123). In addition, ile shrines are strictly constructed by the consecrated priests and priestesses themselves. Different orishas are assigned different ile shrines depending on their commands of their deity. The shrine creates a space for worship referred to as igbodu otherwise an equivalent of alter in Catholic religion. Every igbodu (alter) is characterized by the display of three distinct thrones marked by royal blue, white and red satin. The three thrones represent that of the queen, kings and the warriors deified. The composition of ile is made up of the following: Individuals seeking guidance from the orishas. Followers who are awaiting consecration to become priests. In the history of Santerian, cabildos and casas constructed between the 19th and the 20th centuries provides fond memories of the contemporary priests and the priestesses who are the key pillars of the origins and strongholds of Cuban Lucumi culture and religion. Rituals: The first ritual is Santera is the acquisition of elekes (beaded necklaces). The colour patterns of the beads on the elekes will be similar to those of orisha that primarily serves as the iyawos (bride) ruling head and the guardian angel (Brown, p. 35). The acquisition of the elekes mustbe done by babalawo, the divine fortune teller, during the divination ritual called bajar a Orunla translated as to bring down Onrula. During this rite, the elekes is soaked in a mixture of herbs, a sacrificial blood and other substances given to the initiated. In ordinary circumstances, the initiates are required to receive elekes of the five most powerful and influential orishas. These particular elekes given to the initiates have multicolored beads on the elekes patterned to represent all the five primary orishas: Ellegua, Obatala, Yemaya, Chango, and OShun. The beads act as the sacred points of contact with the named orishas. From there on, the initiate will now be consecrated to handle the divina tion of the Orishas through the elekes. During the reception of the elekes, the initiate bows over a bathtub and then his head get washed with the mixture of herbs by the Orisha himself. This is a sign of submission to the high powers of the orishas and other deities y the initiate. Throughout the life of the initiate (now a follower), the elekes will act as the holy banner for the orishas, and a sign for the mighty presence of orishas. In the Santera, elekes play a very significant role because it is perceived as the sole provider of mighty protection to the followers in the event of any looming misfortune therefore it must be worn at all times. According to Oguta, elekes is considered one of the holiest tools in the said religion. Therefore it must never be worn by a menstruating woman during her periods. Medio asiento: This is the second ritual in command in the religion of Santera. It involves the creation of an image of the Eleggua, a powerful orisha who keeps evil away from the life of every believer. During the creation of this image, a person consults with a Santero and his life is reviewed afresh including the past, present and the future. The Santero then dictates the 21 paths of Eleggua the recipient will receive and he also choose the materials to be used in the making of the image of Eleggua. The sculpture is purposed to keep away evil spirits from the initiators home, family and life. The ritual is panned by the Santera and the orishas only comes in to preside over the process. The third ritual is called receiving of the warrior. Here, the initiates receive objects from the babalawo, an orisha that represents the warriors. Iron tools and weapons are used to represent Oggun, the Lord of Iron; iron bow and arrow represent Ochosh, the divine hunter; Osun the messenger of Obatala is represented by nairon chalice with a little rooster at the tip. This particular ritual marks the beginning of a formalized life-ling relationship between the initiate and the orishas. Similarly, the orishas declare their full time protection and provision on the initiates path. The ritual raises the level of commitment between the Santeria/initiate and the orishas whereby he is officially inducted into the religion because this ritual is binding and is life-long in nature. Asiento: Asiento is the last ritual in Santeria. It is translated as ascending to the throne. This is the most crucial and secretive ritual of all and it occupies the highest level of ritual in the spiritual realms in the religion of Senteria. During the ceremony, the iyamo (bride) confess his submission into the faith and this point he is declared born again. This particular ritual culminates all the previously conducted rituals, in this way it cannot be conducted unless the prior rituals have all been conducted. Right before the ritual is performed, an individual is regarded as impure and unholy thus it is recommended that he dies from his old personality. This is the ritual that significantly marks the process of purification and divination (Houk, p. 145). The new convert or rather the initiate becomes born again in the faith, young and ready to begin a new life of growing deeper in the faith. This is the most meaningful and mature stage of faith that every initiate in expected to reach. At this stage, an initiate can graduate into priesthood upon their consecration by other senior and prominent orishas. Sacrifice: The Santeria is dominated by the offering of sacrifices especially during the ritual ceremonies. It widely believed in the faith. Every time a ritual is done, an animal must be killed to shed some blood which is used for cleansing purposes. Most if the concoctions used by the orishas during these rituals contain some percentage of blood from the slaughtered animals purely for cleansing purposes. Conclusion: Santeria being a religion whose roots are deeply rooted in Africa and Caribbean cultures thought with negligible percentages of western religious cultures, rituals plays significant religious and cultural roles in the lives of its believers all over the world. Though it lacks organized creeds of faith like the western religions, its members find due fulfillment in accomplishing the series of it rituals stipulated in the traditions of faith. Most notably, Santeria is not a lesser religion among its believers given its ritual nature and it is increasingly becoming popular in the world. Real religion for sure.