Rhetorical Analysis Of A Modest Proposal By Jonathan Swift

A Modest Proposal† is an essay by Jonathan Swift that gives some type of a solution to the hunger problem in Ireland. Swift espouse an ironic approach that guarantee a surprise ending. At the beginning of the essay, he cornerstones his proposal that will be good for the public and diminish economic troubles. The proposal that Swift advances concerns the selling of poor Irish children to the rich, so that they could suffice as food. In addition, he points out that this will ease the pressures on the poor population as it will earn them sustenance. However, in the end of the essay, Swift adopts a pliable tone, which contrasts significantly with the one he uses at the beginning. This emanates from his indication that he is open to more†¦show more content†¦The poor in the country comprise of beggars and their children, and cottagers and laborers; if the government decides to provide for them, it will result in a serious debt spanning myriad years. Swift’s indicatio n that his proposal is rather cheap, innocent, effectual and easy to adopt is also an indication that the end of the story will be different from what the readers expect. Swift asserts that even the parents of the children who have developed to adolescence would have seconded his idea to solve the problems that they have faced trying to provide for them. In comparison to how the essay concludes, this is an indication that Swift (2007) was also speaking for himself as at the end of the essay he regrets not having children whom he could sell for benefit. The author is successful in his conviction at the end of the essay through offering several reasons for the adoption of his plan. Firstly, he indicates that before any other writers present their proposals concerning the matter, they should spare a moment and consider his ideas that are uniformly cheap, effectual, easy, and innocent. This observation by Swift is to lure opinionated readers to reconsider their position and try to reason in the same line as Swift. Secondly, Swift (2007) provides two reasons which, as he indicates, are the proof that his proposal is viable; they include the factShow MoreRelatedEssay on Rhetorical Analysis of a Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift639 Words   |  3 PagesJohnathan Swift wrote Modest Proposal with the idea to better humanity.. When you first read it you miss what the true message is. You think â€Å"Man this guy is a monster!† or â€Å"He’s sick!†, but once you reach the end the true meaning of the proposal hits you. Wh en Jonathan Swift wrote a Modest Proposal he tried to get his audience to see the problem by taking it and providing an unethical and inhumane solution then using rhetorical devices to bring out people’s emotions. 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Swift goes on to offer statistical support for his proposal and specific data about the number of children to be sold, their weight and price- â€Å"I have reckoned upon a mediumRead MoreRhetorical Analysis Of A Modest Proposal 1863 Words   |  8 PagesRhetorical Analysis: A Modest Proposal In â€Å"A Modest Proposal,† Jonathan Swift provides a satirical exploration of the attitudes of the wealthy people towards the underprivileged and poor children in the society. Laymen and intellectuals during the late seventeenth century distributed political pamphlets containing different ideas throughout Ireland. In his essay, Swift utilizes some of the overlooked pamphlets during this period and develops an ironic proposal. As a colony of the British, IrelandRead MoreEssay on Silent Spring - Rachel Carson30092 Words   |  121 Pagesplease visit: http://www.bookrags.com/studyguide-silentspring/ Copyright Information  ©2000-2007 BookRags, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. The following sections of this BookRags Premium Study Guide is offprint from Gales For Students Series: Presenting Analysis, Context, and Criticism on Commonly Studied Works: Introduction, Author Biography, Plot Summary, Characters, Themes, Style, Historical Context, Critical Overview, Criticism and Critical Essays, Media Adaptations, Topics for Further Study, Compare

The Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory IIi - 1875 Words

The Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory III (MCMI-III) was first presented in 1994 during a meeting of the American Psychological Association (Retziaff, 1996). This edition of the assessment along with the MCMI and the MCMI-II editions were developed by Theodore Millon, his daughter C. Millon and colleagues R. Davis and S. Grossman. However, the first edition (the MCMI) was developed in the late 1970s as it used the criteria on different disorders from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III). Since then, two other editions have been published by NCS Pearson Inc., one in 1987 which used the DSM-R, and the current edition of the assessment, the MCMI-III was published in 1994 which uses the criteria established by†¦show more content†¦(n.d.). In the second phase, the administrator will â€Å"determine the presence of Axis I or Axis II disorders† (Millon ® Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-III. (n.d.). Meanwhile, in the third phase the administr ator will â€Å"identify the pervasive personality characteristics of an individual† (Pearson 2015), lastly, in the last phase, the administrator’s main focus or goal is to â€Å"gain an integrated understanding of the relationship between personality characteristics and clinical syndromes† (Millon ® Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-III. (n.d.). Uses According to Retzlarff, (1996) there are several potential uses for the MCMI-III. In his article MCMI-III Diagnostic Validity: Bad test or bad validity study, Retzlarff described one of the uses as â€Å"attempts to predict the dichotomous presence or absence of a clinical disorder through the use of base rate scores†. Even though Millon constructed this assessment to evaluate and individuals’ personality, it has been known to facilitate in many different scenarios in which a psychological evaluation or consultation is needed. Some of the scenarios as described by the original manual include forensic settings, neuropsychology, substance abuse, PTSD, correctional settings, marital counseling, treatment planning, and psychotherapy (Millon, 1997). Characteristics of examinees Furthermore, when it comes to the administration of a psychological test, it is important to provide specific

Concepts of Sustainability and Environment

Question: Discuss about the Concepts of Sustainability and Environment. Answer: Introduction The concept of sustainability and environment is not new in todays society. Sustainability is the ability to endure. As such, the concepts of sustainability and environment of the human ways of life refers to the ability of the environment to endure those ways of life. It is an obvious fact that the global population is in a consistent increase especially now that technology developments have reduced mortality rates and increased the average life span of humans. In line with this context, the idea of urban planning and policy has been to create and assist in the definition of a location within an urban environment. In so doing, urban policy can influence the decisions to craft and construct urban sites through the spatial construct mechanism and a manipulation of the existent activities within the space. The contemporary urban policy has to provide advanced mechanisms that allow individuals, policymakers and planners to fully explore the possible ways of planning and developing commu nities capable of meeting the long-term needs of people and those of the environment within the human society (Wheeler, and Beatley, 2014). This is what is known as the idea to deliver sustainable cities- that is, an urban environment that is capable of providing todays resources without compromising the availability of resources for future generations (WCED1987 in Williams, 2013). Achieving the idea of sustainable cities in urban policy and planning developments is a complex endeavour. The idea of sustainability consists of a wide variety of interrelated issues that are challenging to the ingrained beliefs concerning the interaction between governance, nature and cultures (Spaargaren, 2011). As such this study reviews Ebenezer Howards Garden City vision of an ideal city in his book Garden Cities of To-morrow which looks at how sustainable urban policy can be achieved. Howards work remains an important reference tool for modern policy decisions. However, the compact design is in critic of Howards ideas and is representation of modern ideas to sustainable urban policy and planning. Still, Howard is revolutionary icon whose utopia in urban planning is still evident in many of the worlds cities. Discussion Though Howard pioneered modern urban development planning contemporary urban policy continues to shift more compact approach. Garden Cities of Tomorrow Ebenezer Howard developed the Garden Cities of Tomorrow in 1898. Therefore, the idea of sustainable urban policy and planning is not a new concept; however, it still attracts growing importance in contemporary societies the world over. This is because Howards work is one of the most visionary and influential exploration of urban planning. The vision of Garden Cities detailed an approach to address the issues of the industrial city in fashion that had no prior execution before it. This work was so influential that it inspired the construction of eleven satellite cities around London through the British New Town Programme and two garden cities, Welwyn and Letchworth, in the early years of the twentieth century (Wheeler, and Beatley, 2014). Howards book was revolutionary as a breakthrough in the planning of urban settings, as it delivered the earliest record of ideas attempting to balance rural and urban developments. This vision can be utilized in evaluation of modern urban policy atte mpting to develop sustainable cities on a global scale (Wheeler, and Beatley, 2014). Garden City Origins A rapid growth in urban areas was being experienced as a result of the industrial revolution, posing major problems to British country planners. With the overwhelming movement of people to urban areas in search of employment, the urban population grew fast and resources were strained. City resources like housing and infrastructure quickly became unsanitary, polluted and expensive because of overcrowding. At the same time, there was a decline in wages for the farming community hindering developments in rural areas. These circumstances led to an uncontrollable migration of people from rural to urban areas, leaving many to question their decisions on whether to live in isolated rural areas or to move to a city (Hall, 2014). Consequently, the industrial cities of the nineteenth century continued to be congested and polluted with unplanned slum areas of impoverished proletariat (Culpin, 2015). This fashion continued to characterize British urban areas changing the face of its landscape. Contemporary Urban Growth Patterns Growth patterns seen during the industrial revolution are today mirrored in developing countries that are continuously emerging on global markets. There has been more than a double increment in the global population since 1950 and the United Nations Population Division indicates that approximately two-thirds of the total human population will be living in urban areas by 2030 (LeGates, and Stout, 2015; Heilig, 2012). These growth patterns are very similar to those of the industrial revolution and similar problems in urban policy can be expected with continued straining on urban resources. Developing countries are already showing similar symptoms with the observed growth of slums (Kabisch, and Haase, 2011). Slum areas are typically characterized by the common lack of basic services, overcrowding, unsafe living environments, and poor sanitation. Therefore, it is necessary that urban policy consider alternatives to turn observed urban growth patterns into plans that can become sustainabl e environments while ensuring that the needs of the society are met. Sustainability of the Garden City Design Garden cities have been identified as appropriate examples of sustainable urban developments with vital lessons for contemporary urban planning and policy. For a city to be termed a sustainable urban environment, its structure must be able to create an environment thats friendly and resourceful in terms of form, energy efficiency and general life activities (Goldewijk, Beusen, and Janssen, 2010). More, sustainable urban environments need to achieve aspiration concerns of retaining a buffer stock of its basic resource within regenerative capacity (Ignatieva, Stewart, and Meurk, 2011). In line with this findings, Hartig et al. (2015) reports that sustainable urban principles should entail: acknowledgement of the idea of environmental thresholds; develop social justice and equity; forming inclusive decision making approaches. Howard was able to see the intense overcrowding during industrial revolution, and the problems that came with it such as pollution, sanitation, public health, and services. His concept of Garden Cities was responding to this, planning communities to ease the congestion in the city and the declining numbers in the rural areas. Together with the various founders, Garden City was an effort at creating a modern day utopia in urban planning (Echenique et al., 2012). Evaluating Howards design in relation to contemporary urban policy design reveals the origin of the idea of sustainability. His idea includes a wide space of green areas-for agriculture as well as recreation practices. These green areas are advantageous in terms of social advantage and carbon sinks in the journey towards sustainable urban planning. Sustainable Development in Contemporary Urban Environment Modern sustainable development aims at public policy and urban planning. Until the 1970s, modern city plans and designs focused on future developments. Focus was on fresh start- new cities built in a manner free of the provincialism and commotions of the nineteenth century cities associated with Howards Garden City development (Ahern, 2011). The characteristic of Garden Cities was a pattern of spatial zoning with different land uses being given to different areas (see figure 1). However, current patterns of urban planning seem to be shifting away from this approach since it has been considered that the new compact city idea is a better way of creating a more sustainable urban plan. Compact city suggests the use of high density wholly integrated mixed-use urban forms. The preference of this urban form by many planners can be attributed to the perceived pros of mixed-use planning like commuter distances reduction and the associated impact of reduced emissions, conservation of the green belts, more efficient provision and use of public infrastructure, as well as the rejuvenation and revitalization of inner urban areas (Dempsey, et al., 2011). Essentially, more and more urban planners create and adopt mixed-use developments so as to achieve sustainable economic stability and improve the vibrancy and vitality of areas that would probably not be achieved through spatial development. Figure 1: Garden Cities pattern of spatial zoning Evaluating this approach against the Garden City idea reveals several advantages. First, the brownfield development is better utilized through the preservation and protection of Greenfield locations from associated urban development threats. Because of the increased need for urban policy to employee a sustainable approach, brownfield sites have continued to be important strategic targets for the achievement of housing needs and development across urban regions through the reuse of lands previously developed. The Planning and Policy Guidance Note 3 (2010) further emphasized these, advocating for planners to build 60% of new housings on brownfield locations (Spaargaren, 2011). New communities developed on Greenfield are lesser concern to the long-term environmental effects. The effects of land loss to urban development are typically not thoroughly developed into the cost of the natural environment. However, the idea of urban forms is more than simply the density and green/brown choices - the main concern is on spatial forms of human activities (Berardi, 2013). Future Urban Policies Howard designed the Garden City structure in a pragmatic and cautious manner that appeared reasonable to the common citizen (Hall, and Pfeiffer, 2013). Even though Howards approach to balance rural and urban development is still widely important to the development of sustainable communities, developed countries seem to have taken a shift. Rather than the intense dense city of the nineteenth century characterized by a shortage of decent housing, basic sanitation, and clean water, there are now relatively low density cities with suburbs that are heavily dependent on automobiles, infrastructure and quality housing but with a lot more other problems (Barthel, and Isendahl, 2013). The pragmatic application of the Garden City in developing countries needs to put to question since Howards settlements were basically designed for development of extremely low density housing. Howard cites in his work that the ideal population size for the garden City is 32,000 people on a 6,000 acres site of t he cheap rural lands. This land would be divided into 1,000 acres for the city surrounded by 5,000 acres of farmland (green-belt) (Li, et al., 2012). Clearly, this figures are not sustainable in modern times within, still many dont take note of Howards social cities vision of a multi-centred Garden City with green space. Figure 2 shows the illustration to this approach for a 58,000 central town surrounded by six garden cities around its perimeter, each with a population of 32,000 (19). Figure2: Design of the Garden Cities Conclusion The experiments of the British Garden City were largely influential policy-expression during the industrial revolution era, concerning the immediate problem of large cities (Spaargaren, 2011). The growth of highly populated and unsanitary urban environments was a great concern to urban planners who sank themselves into developing alternatives to make urban development sustainable. This revolutionary idea put Ebenezer Howard on the map of sustainability and environment. Howard envisioned Garden Cities that were humane, social and surrounded by farmlands, thereby developing an idea with a new balance between the natural environment and the cities. Utopian or visionary writings of this nature give more than just help in the expansion of the framework of probable ideas for a generation of urban planners. Though literatures tend to be scornful of idealism of every nature, it has often proved to be vitally influential and successful (Wheeler, and Beatley, 2014). Howards ideas on Garden Cit ies were so successful that he actually witnessed several of this cities built before his demise. Though his ideas were not practical beyond his vision, his ideas on the development of sustainable communities are to be considered the foundation of modern urban policy and planning. Howards vision might have failed to materialise as a whole but influenced the development of modern cities, and the twentieth century city life (LeGates, and Stout, 2015). This study recommends that further studies should be conducted to establish a way to integrate the Garden City model in the modern context as it could go a long way to assisting policy makers achieve sustainability goals. Recommendations The study is in agreement with LeGates, and Stout (2015), that Howards ideas are of paramount importance in urban planning. Therefore, contemporary urban planners need to consider Howards visions in urban policy for city developments. As such, further studies need to be done to integrate modern ideas of compact urban policy with Ebenezer Howards ideas for a more sustainable development. References Ahern, J. (2011). From fail-safe to safe-to-fail: Sustainability and resilience in the new urban world. Landscape and Urban Planning, 100(4), 341-343. Barthel, S., Isendahl, C. (2013). Urban gardens, agriculture, and water management: Sources of resilience for long-term food security in cities. Ecological Economics, 86, 224-234. Berardi, U. (2013). Clarifying the new interpretations of the concept of sustainable building. Sustainable Cities and Society, 8, 72-78. Culpin, E. G. (2015). The Garden city movement up-to-date. Routledge. Dempsey, N., Bramley, G., Power, S., Brown, C. (2011). The social dimension of sustainable development: Defining urban social sustainability. Sustainable development, 19(5), 289-300. Echenique, M. H., Hargreaves, A. J., Mitchell, G., Namdeo, A. (2012). Growing cities sustainably: does urban form really matter?. Journal of the American Planning Association, 78(2), 121-137. Goldewijk, K. K., Beusen, A., Janssen, P. (2010). Long-term dynamic modeling of global population and built-up area in a spatially explicit way: HYDE 3.1. The Holocene. Hall, P. (2014). Cities of tomorrow: An intellectual history of urban planning and design since 1880. John Wiley Sons. Hall, P., Pfeiffer, U. (2013). Urban future 21: a global agenda for twenty-first century cities. Routledge. Hartig, T., van den Berg, A. E., Hagerhall, C. M., Tomalak, M., Bauer, N., Hansmann, R., ... Bell, S. (2011). Health benefits of nature experience: Psychological, social and cultural processes. In Forests, trees and human health (pp. 127-168). Springer Netherlands. Heilig, G. K. (2012). World urbanization prospects the 2011 revision. United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), Population Division, Population Estimates and Projections Section, New York. Ignatieva, M., Stewart, G. H., Meurk, C. (2011). Planning and design of ecological networks in urban areas. Landscape and ecological engineering, 7(1), 17-25. Kabisch, N., Haase, D. (2011). Diversifying European agglomerations: evidence of urban population trends for the 21st century. Population, space and place, 17(3), 236-253. LeGates, R. T., Stout, F. (Eds.). (2015). The city reader. Routledge. Li, Y., Li, Y., Zhou, Y., Shi, Y., Zhu, X. (2012). Investigation of a coupling model of coordination between urbanization and the environment. Journal of Environmental Management, 98, 127-133. Planning and Policy Guidance Note 3 (2010) Spaargaren, G. (2011). Theories of practices: Agency, technology, and culture: Exploring the relevance of practice theories for the governance of sustainable consumption practices in the new world-order. Global Environmental Change, 21(3), 813-822. Wheeler, S. M., Beatley, T. (2014). Sustainable Urban Development Reader. Routledge.

Master Harold Differing Influences On Fugard Essays -

Master Harold: Differing Influences on Fugard Athol Fugard's drama, "Master Harold" . . . And The Boys, was written during a time of great conflict in South Africa, where he was raised. Fugard was torn between his mother, who was "Afrikaaner," (1291) and his father, who was "of English decent" (1291). These differing influences caused Fugard to use the discussions between Sam and Hally to demonstrate the religious, racial, and political tensions of his lifetime in South Africa. The discussion between Sam and Hally about who was "a man of magnitude" (1300) represents the religious tensions of Fugard's lifetime in South Africa between the growing belief in evolution and Jesus Christ's teaching of Creation. Hally says that Charles Darwin was "a man of magnitude," (1300) because he was "somebody who benefited all mankind" (1301). He admires Darwin "for his Theory of Evolution" (1301), which according to Hally, proves "where we come from and what it all means" (1301). Sam totally disagrees with Darwin's "Theory of Evolution" (1301) because evolution is in contrast to the Bible's teaching on Creationism, and he says that just because it is in a book it "does not mean [he's] got to believe it" (1301). Sam believes that "Jesus Christ" (1302) was "a man of magnitude" (1300). Hally is obviously against Sam's suggestion of Jesus Christ, because Hally makes it clear that he is "an atheist" (1303). This disagreement between Sam and Hally is really just an example of the religious tensions in South Africa during Fugard's lifetime between the "Theory of Evolution," (1301) which was becoming more accepted, and Christianity, which was taught by Jesus Christ. A second discussion between Sam and Hally that occurs after Hally learns that his father has gone home demonstrates the racial tensions of Fugard's lifetime in South Africa. When Sam starts lecturing Hally about how he treats his father, Hally becomes angry and tells Sam that he is "treading on dangerous ground" (1321). Hally also tells Sam that his "mother is right"(1322) about "warning [him] about allowing you to get to familiar" (1322). The climax of the argument is when Hally tells Sam that he is "only a servant" (1322). This is the first noticeable statement that Hally makes that demonstrates the racial tensions experienced in South Africa. The next racial statement Hally makes is when he tells Sam that his father is his boss because "he's a white man and that's good enough for [him]" (1322). Hally then takes things even further by commanding Sam to "start calling [him] Master Harold" (1323). Hally tells Sam that if he doesn't follow this command that he "might just lose [his] job" (1323). Hally really makes matters worse when he tells Sam his father's favorite joke. His father would ask Hally, "It's not fair, is it, Hally" (1323)? Then Hally would ask, "What, chum" (1323)? Then his father would say, "A nigger's arse" (1323). Another example of the racial tensions during the argument is made when Sam points out that when Hally's father got drunk at a bar, that Hally had to go "in first . . . to ask permission" (1325) for Sam to be able to go in to get his father. A final and the most noticeable example of the racial tensions in South Africa is made by Sam when he informs Hally about the reason why he didn't stay with him the day they flew the kite. Sam tells Hally that the bench he had sat on was a "Whites Only" (1325) bench and Sam wasn't allowed to sit on it. All of these examples are used to represent the racial tensions that were present in Fugard's lifetime in South Africa. The final discussion between Sam and Hally about their experiences during the day and the dance championship that Sam and Willie are going to participate in demonstrates the political tensions in the world during Fugard's lifetime. Sam points out to Hally that people are "bumping into each other all the time" (1317) and nobody "knows the steps and there's no music playing" (1317). Sam said, "I've bumped into Willie, the two of us have bumped into you, you've bumped into your mother, she bumping into your Dad_(1317). Sam is using their experiences that day to represent how countries are in constant conflict. He points out to Hally that "America has bumped into Russia, England is bumping into India, rich man bumps into poor man" (1317). Sam says that at the dance, they're "going to see six couples get it right, the way we want life to be" (1317-1318). Sam uses the dance to represent the hope that was held

There Is No Frigate Like a Book Essay Example

There Is No Frigate Like a Book Essay Example There Is No Frigate Like a Book Essay There Is No Frigate Like a Book Essay In the poem â€Å"There is no Frigate like a Book†, Emily Dickinson uses words with particular connotations to give her poem a more rich and meaningful aspect. Her belief that literature is powerful enough to allow one’s mind to distance itself from reality and its immediate surroundings is enforced in the poem throughout her use of words like â€Å"frigate† â€Å"traverse† which connate a sense of journey or adventure. Dickinson compares books to means of transportation to emphasize this idea of the power of imagination. â€Å"There is no Frigate like a Book; To take us Lands away† Here the word â€Å"frigate† though its literal meaning is a warship, is used to connote a sense of adventure and exploration while â€Å"land† gives off an intriguing idea of exotic and unknown. By selecting these words and comparing them to books Dickinson expresses how powerful literature is over one’s mind for it to can take us to distant places. The poem follows by expressing the spirituality and joyfulness that can be found in literature â€Å"Nor any Coursers like a Page; Of prancing poetry† Dickinson substitutes â€Å"coursers† for horses in this passage to conveys a stronger emphasize of majestic, beautiful and elegant also describing poetry as â€Å"prancing† thus giving it a sense of spiritual, harmony and energetic. The connotations implied by these words and their comparison to poetry in this line help imply the beauty that Dickinson beliefs to find in literature In the following line Dickinson reminds us how books are able to touch anyone no matter from what stratus they come from. â€Å"This Traverse may the oppress may the poorest take; Without oppress of Toll† Here â€Å"traverse† which literal term means to travel through is used to express a sense of danger and mystery, while â€Å"oppress† connotes a sense of a powerlessness, something that holds us back or keeps us down and â€Å"toll† suggest a meaning of a limit or burden that one must suffer through. The words in this passage work together to give the idea off the idea of the troubles that goes with traveling by comparing it to books, Dickinson is able to show how literature can do take us away without any of these burdens. In the last lines Dickinson again reinstates her idea how powerful books are, in that they can take us away. â€Å"How Frugal is the Chariot; That bears the Human soul. † By comparing books to a chariot she gives books a more magical, romanticizes tone for â€Å"chariot† connotes a sense of fantasy and fairytale, Dickinson uses â€Å"frugal† to describe the how economical book are while implying a aspect of moral goodness to them. Her use of â€Å"bear† in this passage also suggests the importance of the human soul for bearing something connotes an idea of carrying something with great significance or meaning this works with the final word â€Å"soul† for soul connotes an idea of beauty and one’s whole self by using soul instead of mind Dickinson emphasizes how literature is able to take its readers and transport them not just mentally but also emotionally and spiritually into a completely different world. Dickinson uses connotation powerfully in her poem to give it a more elegant and magical feel to it, by carefully selecting her words Dickinson’s focuses more on their connotations than their denotations to give the poem the sense of power and adventure she wants to express about literature.

The future of warfare essays

The future of warfare essays Nuclear Deterrence and The Future of Warfare Throughout my life and in all of my history classes, I have heard about the Cold War. I would hear people talk of it on the news or would watch movies that took place in that specific era. I never had a course that was aimed to specifically teach national security or give organized lectures about the Cold War. Generally speaking, all I knew up to this course, was that the Cold War was a time when the United States and USSR were threatening each other by the action of using nuclear weapons. I was aware that there was much tension and citizens in this country were preparing for the worst. Not until I took this course did I learn about how much nuclear capability there was between the two countries and how close we actually came to a nuclear holocaust. The concept of deterrence is the most impacting and significantly interesting concept I have learned in this course. To say it was an effective defense policy is an understatement. The fact is, deterrence was the most effective a nd successful way to deter the use of nuclear weapons to this date. This paper will go in depth to explain the concept of nuclear deterrence; its effect in the Cold War and in the future, will it still work against the threats of today? The first nuclear explosion and the dawn of the nuclear age was born on July 16, 1945 in New Mexico when the Manhattan Project (name for atom bomb development) was tested. General Lesley Grove, commander of the Manhattan Project, was heard to say, This is the end of traditional warfare. This statement is false because traditional warfare still continued even after the new destructive capability was introduced. What did come about from the birth of the atom bomb was that this technology was going to dictate all wars in the future. The clear difference however, is that wars are now conducted under the shadow of the mushroom-shaped cloud, especially ...

Analytical Character comparison using epic similies Essay

Analytical Character comparison using epic similies - Essay Example Thesis Statement: The brilliance regarding the use of epic simile has emerged in the hands of Homer as an effective instrument though which he captured a complete impression of a situation, churned out the contrast among characters and finally led the audience to the layers of emotions dimensions of the character. The Use of Epic Simile to understand Ulysses’ character: The instances of Homer’s poetic magnificence regarding the use of simile to analyze the character, physical stature and emotional status of Ulysses are abundant throughout the Odyssey. However, in the book XI â€Å"The Descent into Hell† his craftsmanship has reached to its culmination. The character of Ulysses, in the Odyssey, has been presented by Homer in a unique way because the character, compared to the other epic heroes, does not appear to be invincible. While the humane side of his character has been presented through the shades of fear, deprivation, and agony, on the other hand, the stren gth of him has been projected through his courage, ruthlessness and anger. During his journey though the Hell, Ulysses has experienced several traumatic visions that evoked a sense of tremendous. However, the spontaneity of human morality and aspiration to overcome all the obstacles makes him a human being. Irrespective of the fact that he witnessed a fierce scene of human suffering in the Hell, however, the same could not stop him from rejuvenating his insatiable source of courage: â€Å"Now I the strength of Hercules behold, / A towering spectre of gigantic mould, / A shadowy form! for high in heaven’s abodes / Himself resides, a god among the gods;† (11. 741-11. 744). He feels himself in the same state like that of the great Greek God who is surrounded by â€Å"fowl†, â€Å"hovering ghosts† (11, 747). However, the prevailing evil though shrouded the divine glory but that could not stop him from fighting. The same courage that lurked in Hercules’ s heart, in the gloomy surrounding of the Hell Ulysses can feel the same: â€Å"Around his breast a wondrous zone is roll’d, / Where woodland monsters grin in fretted gold: / There sullen lions sternly seem to roar† (11. 751-11. 753). With the use of images from an array of references the poet has provided such an impression about Ulysses’ character that is empathetic in nature, gets troubled by the human angst and is ready to empathize with such situations. However, the moral strength of the character can be realized through his readiness to encounter all odds and through his confidence that with the traits of divine courage that every man possesses, he will be able to emerge as a triumphant against all evils; consequently he will be able to retain his dignity as a human being. Use of Epic Simile to understand Penelope’s character: Penelope, the wife of Ulysses, exists quite at a diametrically opposite pole compared to the features of her husband’ s nature as projected in the epic. Though the sings of respecting her self-dignity and empathy for other cannot be missed, however, Penelope seems to appear as a manifestation of traditional womanhood. Irrespective of

Alkali flies in the Mono Basin (Mono Lake) Article

Alkali flies in the Mono Basin (Mono Lake) - Article Example Alkali flies also known as brine flies or Ephydra hians are a very rare species to find (Eagen 29). This is attributable to the fact that the species breeds well only in certain habitats, especially in alkaline waters. This probably explains why the insect is called the alkali fly. Found in Mono Lake, California, the fly breeds well on the surface, shorelines, as well as beneath the lake. Most of these species of fly are dark brown in color with an adult measuring between 4 to 7 mm long (Carle, and Banta 25). The fly has segmented thorax, which is bluish in color, while the wings are brownish in color. Unlike the ordinary flies, alkali flies normally spend most of their life circles entirely beneath the water surface. This makes the fly unique in addition to the fact that it breeds well in alkaline environment. Mono Lake is one of the most dominant lakes in California. Circular in shape, Mono Lake draws most of its waters from the surrounding streams. However, since the lake has no outlet, the lake is highly alkaline (Eagen 29; Jiang, Steward, Jellison, Chu, Choi 19). This is attributable to the continuous accumulation of salt in the lake. A research conducted more than three decades ago indicated a correlation between the alkalinity of Mono Lake and the availability of alkali flies. According to the research, the alkalinity of Mono Lake provides a suitable breeding ground for alkali flies (Tierney 15). Other researchers have also demonstrated that salinity and alkalinity of Mono Lake has a huge impact on the algae found on the lake. The presence of these algae on the lake also influences the growth and development of alkali-fly. According to Wiens, Patten and Botkin (595), the salinity of the lake makes it difficult for algae to thrive. This leads to a reduction in the number of algae in Mono Lake, thereby compelling larvae to utilize high amount of energy to rummage. This normally leaves very little osmoregualation to take

Improving ones own performance Essay Example for Free

Improving ones own performance Essay Every fortnight on a Friday morning my line manager and I have a meeting to discuss my progress. This meeting is also for her feed back so she can see if there is anything I am struggling with, anything I need help with or I am not happy about. To the right is a picture of the scheduled meetings. This is on our Microsoft outlook account. The reason for this is so that if there are areas I am slipping with, for example my time keeping, we can discuss these issues comfortably and resolve them before they become an occurring issue. The need for these meetings is very important. They help monitor my progress by reflecting to my manager what I’ve been working on and how fast/slow I’ve been completing them. By doing these meetings it improves my performance by clearly showing my improvements giving me job satisfaction. I can also gain benefits from theses meetings too as I am improving my performance I may be more likely to be put forwards for a promotion because when my manager sees my hard work, she will inform the managing director and update him upon my progress. She gives me feedback on how I’ve been working and encourages me to do the same as without this I wouldn’t know what to improve or keep the same. Its adds value to my work as I am continuously improving, it also strengthens our relationship as I know what to do next time. During these meeting I have been asked to keep a record of achievement. I have also been asked to evaluate my own performance with a SWOT analysis every six months, so we can compare if there are any changes or areas of improvement. At times she suggest ways of possibly improving my work this helps me greatly as I may not have thought of the idea myself or even have tried it as I am not used to the method. It sometimes saves me a lot of time; this benefits my team and I as I can take on new tasks as I have spare time. Throughout my work I am constantly improving as I am learning new things all the time. As discussed by my manager and me, I have picked up a lot of important information just being in the office. When I am continuously learning it is helping me as when I learn something new I can apply it to situations, where needed. When I am enhancing my skills this helps me too as I know and understand more making my more aware. With my knowledge that has grown I will, in the future, apply it to other companies/organisations. This will benefit my career as I will know crucial information needed, not only to help me with an interview but help me secure another job. In my later life I would like to either study more business administration at university or possibly stay in the world of work and work my way up to become a manager in an office environment. At the end of my contract with Medilink I hope they would keep me on as I could grow my skills to adapt to learning about the other opportunities such as finance or even international work. Throughout my working life I use a PDP to show my achievement that aren’t actually a credited for. This adds great value to me as when I am going for an interview I can show this to my possible new employer. When Sarah and I have our fortnightly meeting I ask for feedback and on the occasion I write this down in my note book as I can reflect on it at a later date. This is because I won’t forget what she has said. I accept it with open arms as this will help me and is not said in a spiteful manor to upset me. It is constructive criticism, this is being assertive. If she wasn’t being assertive then it wouldn’t be good within our working environment. The benefit to this is that she can put her point across without sounding nasty and putting her point across in a respectful manor. I myself also have to be assertive too, for example if I get given a task and I have too much on I simply have say no as I would miss my deadline from taking over someone else job. I will offer an alternative if I can help as we work as a team and if I can save time for someone else I will. Plus when someone one is helping me and I do not agree with a certain way I voice my opinion and suggest to improve their performance, like when Tina was helping me with finding contacts on our database I suggested to sure the search bar rather than looking under the subheadings and finding them by trial and error. When having this meeting sometimes my manager, Sarah and I discus targets for when work needs to be completed. The reason for this is so that I get used to deadlines and can work to realistic target as my input is as important in these discussions as hers. It benefits me as I know I can structure myself to meet these target and they are within my reach. For example: I was given a task to go through the international managers, charlottes, mailing list in correspond to the members list, and our data base to update all three and ensure they are all up to date. We decided because there was 217 contacts on charlottes list that I would be given 22 working days to complete as this allows me to complete 10 a day so I could pick it up and put down the task in hand here and there amongst other tasks. With these discussions about targets we also discus the quality of my work. I set high standards as there are always room for improvements and if I am constantly aiming for the highest possible standard then overtime I should up the bar of my skills. This resulting in be being more knowledgeable. During day to day work there are setbacks that I may come across to overcome these and move forwards I first must accept these otherwise I can’t overcome them. When dealing with them there is one major benefit, it makes me a stronger worker as I know how to tackle them if they occur in the future. Everyday at work there are new challenges and the reason why I adapt the taking them on is because it will be a learning curve and will benefit my future. By adapting to change I grow my personality and move with the time, I am constantly growing my knowledge base and understanding what I need to take in. Treating others with respect honesty and consideration add to the business environment it ensure that the atmosphere we working in is enjoyable. When it is comfortable it promotes more effective working. When helping and supporting others at work, it saves them time as they don’t need to look for the answers and it add to the relationship within the working environment. To do this it is useful and very helpful. To show my targets in order of priority for my own work; is attached a sheet, listed in a random order but there is a coloured key to follow on the back. As you can see I have highlighted them corresponding to the coloured priority. In one of our meetings with Sarah I renegotiated the dead line of the previously mentioned task, the mailing list for Charlotte, in conjunction with the members list and our database. The reason for this was because we had a lot on for the awards event and I slipped behind due to bad time management therefore not being able to complete my task. On a weekly basis I like to achieve the highest possible outcome I can, to do this I set myself high standards. Such as: exceeding my targets. When helping Paul with his signs I completed them up to a brilliant aesthetic look and before my deadline. I laminated each one and got them all ready before he needed them. I was so committed that I stayed behind on one of the days to finish them off before my deadline. This demonstrated my passion for my work. I use my own needs to complete a task and it is my own right to use my own time during work to finish what I have been given. Like last week for example, I used my time during work to start a task I have been given by one of our members of the PR team, Martin. I treat all of my colleagues with respect, as I speak to them all with the right tone. Like in our weekly team briefing, I talk with politeness and do not use harsh tones.

Foul Play :: essays research papers

Foul Play Dear Members of the Board of the National Collegiate Association of America:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Since the beginning of collegiate athletics, there have been student-athletes whose actions are considered disproportionately deviant. College athletes have defied the rules and regulations set forth by the National Collegiate Association of America by such acts as accepting stipends, committing date rape, abusing drugs, and even committing homicide. For some reason, college athletes believe they are above the law and should not have to abide by the same set of rules as a normal student, because of their athletic talent. As a former NCAA Division II football player, I can attest to the feeling athletes have that they deserve special treatment because of their status. There are some people who believe that college athletics is above reproach, but the purpose of this essay is to assert the statement that college athletics is corrupt.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Year after year, college athletes make the headlines of newspapers and magazines across the country, not only for their accomplishments on the field, but more for their antics off the field. College athletes sacrifice their bodies, integrity, and character to gain an advantage over their opponent. Athletes give up the very things that make them who they are to feel appreciated by their coaches, teammates, and fans. Players cheat by taking anabolic steroids and other banned substances that give them a chemically induced physical advantage (Eitzen 3). Athletes desire to be identified with a team that works and sacrifices together to reach a common goal. The guestion we should ask ourselves is: Why? Why do individuals give up so much to be a part of a team? The answer lies within the organization of how big-time college sport exists. Fans are drawn to big sporting events such as the Super Bowl and the World Series. College athletes want to be in that spotlight, and t hey sacrifice everything to gain that status. Fans are consumed by sports. USA Today, the most widely read newspaper in the United States, devotes one-fourth of its space to sport (14). Fans know every detail about their beloved sports team. Not only the latest box scores, but also the win-loss record, point spread, current statistics, play-off probabilities, and biographical information about athletes and coaches (16). College sports appeal to the general public, young and old.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  At a very young age, aspiring college athletes are taught the principles of sport and how much winning really means.

Bus405 Final Project

Final Project Ashford University Trena Mealor Dr. James Prentice August 27, 2012 ? Final Project Investing in the total stock market allows an investor to capture the return of the stock market while at the same time diversifying an investment portfolio. The easiest way to build a total stock market portfolio is with a mutual fund or an exchange traded fund. This particular portfolio is diversified with Vanguard ETF’s that were carefully chosen to seek the highest return with moderately aggressive to aggressive risk strategy.The investment strategy associated with this portfolio is short-term with an aggressive attitude of â€Å"more risk more reward†. 7/24 priceInvestment Amount# of Shares8/13 priceValue Vanguard Consumer Discretionary ETF – (VCR)67. 8910000147. 2970971. 7410567. 0932 Vanguard Financial ETF – (VFH)30. 2510000330. 578531. 5810439. 6690 Vanguard Growth ETF – (VUG)66. 9110000149. 454570. 4810533. 5531 Vanguard Information Technology E TF – (VGT)66. 9310000149. 409871. 7710723. 1413 Vanguard Intermediate-Term Corporate Bond ETF – (VGIT)86. 9410000115. 154386. 579968. 9077 50,00052232. 36Exchange Traded Funds, also known as ETFs, are mini-portfolios of securities and derivatives that track an asset like an index and/or commodity. When creating a portfolio, it is important to note that there is a difference between diversifiable risk and market risk. According to Elton (1977), diversifiable risk may be caused by random events that are particular to an individual firm. Since these events are random, the influence of events, such as a lawsuit or strike can be almost eliminated via diversification. However, diversification cannot entirely eliminate market risk. Market risk ffects most firms. Examples of market risk include war, recessions and high interest rates. By researching the portfolio funds, the investor can gain an understanding of risk and how it fits into diversification. A single stock has more risk of not creating a positive return than a stock portfolio. In a market dominated by risk-averse investors, riskier securities must have higher expected returns Ross, Westerfield & Jordan (1993) indicates, the principle of diversification tells us that the spreading of an investment across a number of assets will eliminate some but not all the risk.Unsystematic risk is essentially eliminated by diversification, so a relatively large portfolio has almost no unsystematic risk. Ong (1982) mentions that diversification can reduce the overall portfolio risk. However, the possibility for the risk reduction depends on the correlation coefficient and the proportion of the total funds invested in each. According to Jordan, etal (2012), the benchmark for a well-diversified portfolio would be a portfolio of all stocks in the market. Relevant market risk of the stocks within the portfolio is calculated using a beta coefficient.Accordingly, a stock with a high beta will bring a lot of risk t o the portfolio. The authors further explain, as you calculate the beta for various stocks, you may begin to see groupings of low, average and high beta risk. Beta measures the stock’s risk relative to the stock market average. Calculate the weighted average of these groupings, and you will discover the market risk for the entire portfolio. A â€Å"low† beta is generally 1. 0 or below. The average beta is 1. 00 and assets with a beta greater than 1. 00 have more than average systematic risk.Rosenberg and Guy (1995) further explain the importance of beta as the value of beta measures the expected response to market returns and because the vast majority of returns in diversified portfolios can be explained by their response to the market, an accurate prediction of beta is the most important single element in predicting the future behavior of a portfolio. To the degree that one believes that one can forecast the future direction of market movement, a forecast of beta, by predicting the degree of response to that movement, provides a prediction of the resultant portfolio return.To the degree that one is uncertain about the future movement of the market, the forecast of beta, by determining one's exposure to that uncertainty, provides a prediction of portfolio risk. We begin with the first description of the portfolio. Unlike mutual funds or index baskets, the investor does not have to make multiple transactions in order to achieve a market price. With ETFs it's one trade, one price. The first fund in this portfolio is Vanguard Consumer Discretionary ETF. From July 24, 2012 to August 13, 2012 the value has risen from $67. 9 to $71. 14. The annual investment returns of this ETF are: Annual investment returns as of 12/31/2011 (Vanguard, 2012) Year EndedVanguard Consumer Discretionary ETFSpliced US IMI Consumer Discr 25/50* Capital Return by NAVIncome Return by NAVTotal Return by NAVTotal Return by Market PriceTotal Return 20112. 28%1. 42%3. 71%3. 70%3. 83% 201029. 30%1. 27%30. 57%30. 62%30. 87% The Vanguard Consumer Discretionary ETF is generating 0. 16% of daily returns assuming volatility of 0. 71% on return distribution over 30 days investment horizon.MERGENT online indicates, the one month beta on this investment is 1. 03. This EFT includes stocks of companies that manufacture products and provide services that consumers purchase on a discretionary basis. The following risks are associated with this type of ETF: Stock market risk, Sector risk, Non-diversification and Investment style risk (Vanguard, 2012). Vanguard Consumer Discretionary ETF fund’s manufacturing segment includes the following industries: automotive, household durable goods, textiles and apparel, and leisure equipment.The services segment includes hotels, restaurants and other leisure facilities, media production and services, and consumer retailing. The next fund in this portfolio is Vanguard Financial ETF, which includes stocks of companies that provid e financial services. The investment has a one month beta of 0. 73 which indicates that the investment is 73% less risky than the average. This ETF fund is classified as aggressive is subject to extremely wide fluctuations in share prices.The unusually high volatility associated with these funds may stem from one or more of the following strategies: a concentration of fund holdings in a relatively low number of individual stocks, or in a particular sector of the stock market, or in a particular geographical region of the world; a heavy emphasis on small-capitalization stocks or growth stocks with relatively high market valuations; holdings of international stocks or bonds, which are subject to price declines caused by changes in the value of the U. S. ollar against foreign currencies; or investments in bonds that have exceptionally long average durations, whose prices are highly sensitive to changes in interest rates. According to the Wall Street Journal online, the annual investmen t returns of this ETF: Annual investment returns as of 12/31/2011 (Vanguard, 2012): Year EndedVanguard Financials ETFSpliced US IMI Consumer Discr 25/50* Capital Return by NAVIncome Return by NAVTotal Return by NAVTotal Return by Market PriceTotal Return 2011-16. 04%1. 69%-14. 35%-14. 35%-14. 24% 201013. 15%1. 58%14. 74%14. 77%14. 7% Vanguard Financials ETF seeks to track the investment performance of the MSCI US Investable Market Financials 25/50 Index, a benchmark of large-, mid-, and small-cap U. S. stocks in the financials sector, as classified under the Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS). This GICS sector is made up of companies involved in activities such as banking, mortgage finance, consumer finance, specialized finance, investment banking and brokerage, asset management and custody, corporate lending, insurance, financial investment, and real estate (including REITs).The next ETF in this portfolio is the Moderately-Aggressive Vanguard Growth ETF with a closing p rice of $66. 91 on July 24, 2012 and an ending close of $70. 48 on August 13, 2012. The one month beta on this investment is 0. 99 with a positive strong direction. Annual investment returns as of 12/31/2011 (Vanguard, 2012): Year EndedVanguard Growth ETFMSCI US Prime Market Growth Index* Capital Return by NAVIncome Return by NAVTotal Return by NAVTotal Return by Market PriceTotal Return 20110. 0%1. 27%1. 87%1. 84%1. 96% 201015. 66%1. 46%17. 11%17. 15%17. 23% An investment in this the fund could lose money over short or even long periods. The investor should expect the fund’s share price and total return to fluctuate within a wide range, like the fluctuations of the overall stock market. Vanguard funds classified as moderate to aggressive are broadly diversified but are subject to wide fluctuations in share price because they hold virtually all of their assets in common stocks.In general, such funds are appropriate for investors who have a long-term investment horizon (ten ye ars or longer), who are seeking growth in capital as a primary objective, and who are prepared to endure the sharp and sometimes prolonged declines in share prices that occur from time to time in the stock market. This price volatility is the trade-off for the potentially high returns that common stocks can provide. The level of current income produced by funds in this category ranges from moderate to very low.The type of risks associated with this investment is: stock market risk and investment style risk. The chance that stock prices overall will decline. Stock markets tend to move in cycles, with periods of rising stock prices and periods of falling stock prices. The fund’s target index may, at times, become focused in stocks of a particular sector, category, or group of companies. Because the fund seeks to track its target index, the fund may underperform the overall stock market. The chance that returns from large-capitalization growth stocks will trail returns from the overall stock market.Large-cap stocks tend to go through cycles of doing better—or worse—than other segments of the stock market or the stock market in general. These periods have, in the past, lasted for as long as several years. The next investment in the portfolio is Vanguard information technology ETF. This ETF seeks to track the performance of a benchmark index that measures the investment return of stocks in the information technology sector. With a one month beta of 1. 1, this fund is passively managed, using a full-replication strategy when possible and a sampling strategy if regulatory constraints dictate.Includes stocks of companies that serve the electronics and computer industries or that manufacture products based on the latest applied science. The risk potential for this fund is aggressive, more risk more reward. Annual investment returns as of 12/31/2011 (Vanguard, 2012) Year EndedVanguard Information Technology ETFMSCI US Prime Market Growth Index* Capi tal Return by NAVIncome Return by NAVTotal Return by NAVTotal Return by Market PriceTotal Return 2011-0. 28%0. 80%0. 52%0. 53%0. 66% 201012. 08%0. 66%12. 74%12. 67%12. 99%Vanguard Information Technology ETF is made up of companies in the following three general areas: technology software and services, including companies that primarily develop software in various fields (such as the Internet, applications, systems, databases, management, and/or home entertainment), and companies that provide information technology consulting and services, data processing, and outsourced services; technology hardware and equipment, including manufacturers and distributors of communications equipment, computers and peripherals, electronic equipment, and related instruments; and semiconductors and semiconductor equipment manufacturers.Vanguard Intermediate-Term Corporate Bond ETF which seeks to provide a moderate and sustainable level of current income. Invests primarily in high-quality (investment-gra de) corporate bonds. Moderate interest rate risk, with a dollar-weighted average maturity of 5 to 10 years. Vanguard Intermediate-Term Corporate Bond ETF seeks to track the performance of a market-weighted corporate bond index with an intermediate-term dollar-weighted average maturity. The fund invests by sampling the index, meaning that it holds a range of securities that, in the aggregate, approximates the full index in terms of key risk factors and other characteristics. Annual investment returns as of 12/31/2011 (Vanguard, 2012)Year EndedVanguard Intermediate-Term Corporate Bond ETFMSCI US Prime Market Growth Index* Capital Return by NAVIncome Return by NAVTotal Return by NAVTotal Return by Market PriceTotal Return 20113. 77%4. 17%7. 94%8. 97%8. 03% 20106. 16%4. 48%10. 65%9. 88%10. 80% All of the fund’s investments will be selected through the sampling process and at least 80% of the fund’s assets will be invested in bonds included in the index. The fund maintains a dollar-weighted average maturity consistent with that of the index. An investment in the fund could lose money over short or even long periods. The fund’s performance could be hurt by: Interest rate risk: The chance that bond prices overall will decline because of rising interest rates.Interest rate risk should be moderate for the fund because it invests primarily in intermediate-term bonds, whose prices are less sensitive to interest rate changes than are the prices of long-term bonds. Income risk: The chance that the fund’s income will decline because of falling interest rates. Credit risk: The chance that a bond issuer will fail to pay interest and principal in a timely manner, or that negative perceptions of the issuer’s ability to make such payments will cause the price of that bond to decline. Index sampling risk: The chance that the securities selected for the fund, in the aggregate, will not provide investment performance matching that of the index. In dex sampling risk for the fund should be low. Annual investment returns as of 12/31/2011 (Vanguard, 2012)Year EndedVanguard Intermediate-Term Corporate Bond ETFMSCI US Prime Market Growth Index* Capital Return by NAVIncome Return by NAVTotal Return by NAVTotal Return by Market PriceTotal Return 20113. 77%4. 17%7. 94%8. 97%8. 03% 20106. 16%4. 48%10. 65%9. 88%10. 80% ETFs combine the advantages of both index funds and stocks. They are liquid, easy to use and can be traded in any quantity just like stocks. At the same time an ETF provides the diversification, market coverage and low expenses of an index fund. These characteristics combine to create an investment tool that provides investors with the broad exposure they require, at the level they want; at the moment they need it.As such, they are fast gaining a reputation as an innovative investment solution – a claim greatly supported by the accelerated growth in ETFs. Reference Elton, E, & Gruber, M. (1977), Risk, reduction and portfolio size: an analytical solution. Journal of Business. Vol. 50, 415-437. Hope-Bell, E. (2008). Focus on: Index investing – exchange traded funds – an innovative investment solution. Professional Wealth Management, , 1-n/a. Retrieved from http://search. proquest. com/docview/205081570? accountid=32521 Jordan, B. , Miller, T. , & Dolvin, S. (2012). Fundamentals of investments, valuation andmanagement (6th ed. ). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. MERGENT Online. Retrieved from http://www. mergentonline. com/companydetail. php? pagetype=highlights&compnumber=116548 Ong, Poh Wah (1982).Measuring the expected return and risk of combining several shares in an investment portfolio. Securities Industry Review. Vol. 8, No I, 6-16. Rosenberg, B. , & Guy, J. (1995). Prediction of beta from investment fundamentals. Financial Analysts Journal, 51(1), 101-101. Retrieved from http://search. proquest. com/docview/219118485? accountid=32521 Ross, S. , Westerfield, W. , & Jordan, B. (199 3). Fundamentals of corporate finance, 2nd ed. , Richard D. Irwin, Inc. https://personal. vanguard. com/us/home Vanguard (2012). Retrieved from https://personal. vanguard. com/us/home Wall Street Journal online. (2012). Retrieved from http://online. wsj. com/home-page

Global Project Management

Similarities and Differences between Domestic and Global Project Management. Global business practices are becoming increasingly common both for large multi-national organizations as well as small domestic businesses. Many businesses outsource work to other countries or contract people of organizations globally to complete project work or provide offshore services (Eberlein, 2008, p. 27). A better understanding of how to manage global projects is important to the body of knowledge about project management. The purpose of this study is to explore the similarities and differences between domestic and global project management. The research questions used to guide this study are 1. In what ways are domestic and global projects similar and different? 2. What are some mediating variables that contribute to global project failure or success? Domestic Project Management In the United States the Project Management Institute (PMI) project management body of knowledge (PMBOK) and the Association of Project Manager’s (APM) body of knowledge (bok) are used as guides for planning and controlling projects (Burke, 2001). According to the PMBOK a project is â€Å"a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product or service. Temporary means that every project has a definite end. Unique means that the product or service is different in some distinguishing way from all similar products or services† (PMBOK as cited in Burke, 2001, p. ). All projects share the same basic components: (a) a project manager or single individual responsible for the outcome of the project, (b) a beginning and an end, (c) distinct phases, budget of allocated financial and physical resources, (d) unique set of activities specific to the project, (e) fast tracking to getting product or process completed before the competition, and (f) identification of team member roles and responsibilities (Burke, 2001). The role of the project manager is â€Å"to set up a management structure which not only meets the needs of the project, but the needs of the organization, the needs of the stakeholders and the needs of the individuals working on the project† (Burke, 2001, p. 1). Projects range in size and scope from small domestic projects to large multi-national global projects. The first, and often critical task of the project manager is to identify the stakeholders of the project and what their needs and expectations are in relation to the urpose and the scope of the project (Kerzner, 2003). According to the PMBOK, there are nine components that the project manager must consider: (a) integration, (b) time, (c) quality, (d) scope, (e) cost, (f) human resource management, (g) communication, (h) procurement, and (i) risk. This involves the project manager articulating what has to be completed in order for the project to be a success. This includes outlining how long the project will take, how much it will cost, what resources are needed, and what technical or subject matter experts are needed. Prior to implementation, the project manager works with others on the project team to develop a plan and how it will be implemented. Throughout the planning, implementation, and completion phases, the project manager is responsible for managing techniques and tools used as well as integrating, monitoring and maintaining the process and personnel from concept to completion of project objectives (Burke, 2001). Project integration involves the planning, execution, and control of the project and how the inputs from different knowledge and technical experts will be coordinated (Kerzner, 2003). Project scope management involves ensuring that all the tasks required for the project are defined, the resources required are identified, and controlling processes are in place (DeLone et al. , 2005). Project cost management includes understanding budget allocation and restrictions and planning how resources will be used, cost estimates and budgeting, cash-flow and control. Project quality management involves indentifying and maintaining the necessary conditions to ensure quality assurance and control during all phases of the project life cycle. Management of project personnel is also an important responsibility of the project manager. Project human resource management involves identifying, recruiting, and maintaining a project team with the right mix of technical and knowledge experts (Kerzner, 2003). Project communication management involves creating a work environment that facilitates the proper communication channels for the collection and dissemination of information related to planning, implementation, and completion of the project. Project risk management involves identifying risks and incorporating processes and procedures to mitigate against risks to the completion of the project. Finally project procurement management involves identification and implementation of processes that facilitate the planning and procurement of resources and necessary documentation for completion of the project (Burke, 2001, pp. 8-9). During the project life-cycle, project managers are responsible for oversight of such tasks or processes as work breakdown structure, critical path methods (calculation of all the activities from start to finish to determine the duration of the project), resource smoothing, earned value, and configuration control (Burke, 2001). Many organizations are turning to management-by-projects approach because it provides flexibility, decentralized management responsibility, a more holistic or global way of conceptualizing problems and solutions, and problem solution processes that are goal oriented (Burke, 2001, p. ). One benefit of management by project is that it allows for the inclusion of temporary, part-time or full-time workers as team members. Another is that this approach has been endorsed by the International Project Management Assoc iation (IPMA) (Burke, 2001). This is important for global project management scenarios. Global Project Management Global project management often involv es program management in which a project office is designated to mange a large capital project that is subdivided into smaller project teams each with a specific goal to achieve as part of a larger plan. Often the project manager will be involved with one or more of the following, either personally or through designated representatives: (a) recruitment of project team personnel, (b) human resources and personnel issues, (c) identification of economic factors related to the project, (d) computer or other technical systems to be used, (e) legal contracts or other required documentations, (f) sales and marketing issues if applicable, (g) and costs (purchasing, sales, and employee) (Burke, 2001, p. 5). Finally, the project manager either serves as the technical expert or identifies and includes on the project team the necessary technical and knowledge experts required to complete the project. The project manager is key to the success of any project. The project manager sets the overall tone and creates the environment in which the work is to be completed (Delone et al. , 2005). The project manager must contend with and integrate the different expectations of outside forces that influence the project development, implementation, and completion. This includes stakeholder goals and expectations as well as the immediate client or sponsor requirements for the project (Delone et al. , 2005). It also includes understanding how the project fits within the economic cycle, market requirement, and the competition. In addition, the project manager must complete the project within the culture and structure of the organization or organizations while adhering to any rules and regulations governing the industry (Espinosa et al. , 2003). Finally, and sometimes neglected, the project manager must be mindful of the political forces that can affect the completion of the project, both internal to the organization as well as the external environment (Burke, 2001, p. 6). These factors are static and the manager must be able to deal with uncertainty, change, and risk within the project environment. In a growing global business environment, projects often involve international partner and project teams composed of members from different geographical and cultural areas (Eberlein. 008). Global project managers are faced with a different set of challenges than faced by the domestic project manager. â€Å"Conducting projects in different countries, with their unique legal and political environment, security issues, economic factors, and infrastructure limitations and requirements, increases complexity far beyond that of projects executed in domestic settings† (Freedman & Katz, 2007, p. 1). Many of the issues discussed in relation to domestic project management are applicable to global project management. However, in addition to the PMI and PMBOK in the United States, there are others organizations that provide project management guidelines such as the Association of Project Managers (AMP bok) in the United Kingdom, The AIPM Competency Standards for Project Management in Australia, the ISO 10006 Guideline to Quality in Project Management, South African unit standards, and the International Association of Project Managers (IPMA’s BOK) (Burke, 2001, p. ). The purpose of these resources is to provide a body of common knowledge that can be used in domestic as well as international projects Compared to the PMBOK used in the United States, the APM bok from the United Kingdom employs a broader approach to project management, utilizing 55 knowledge areas compared to the nine knowledge areas of PMBOK. The APM bok: Incorporates not only inward focused project management topics (such as planning and control techniques), but also broader topics in which the project is being managed (such as social and ecological environment), as well as specific areas (such as technology, economics, finance, organization, procurement and people as well as general management). (Burke, 2001, p. 8) Global project management involves an understanding of the industries and types of projects that are used in the countries involved in the project (Burke, 2001). When involved in global project management, a key issue is ensuring a common understanding and competence of project managers who come from different project management certification of licensure programs Delone et al. , 2005). Project managers and team members will have to work out a common business language and set of common practices and procedures that will be adhered to during the planning, implementation, and completion of the project. This is especially important when dealing with different legal systems and requirements of the countries involved in the project (Burke, 2001, p. 10). The Influence of Culture to the Success of a Project Global project managers must effectively deal with differences in language that could be barriers to communication and understanding. Cross-cultural differences can also pose challenges when cultural conventions are violated. This lack of attention to language and cultural will show up at any point in the life cycle from planning to the completion stage in the form of differences in quality standards adhered to by technical and knowledge experts as well as misunderstandings over goals and task requirements (Henri & Sousa-Poza, 2005). Differences in labor relations, governmental agency involvement must also be addressed when forming a project team and setting the project deadline (Freedman & Katz, 2007). A critical mistake a project manager can make in working with an international team is neglecting cultural variables than can pose a risk to planning and execution. For example, assigning a high-risk project to a team composed of members from a risk-averse culture (e. g. Germany, Japan, and China) may result in excessive time spent in the planning and risk assessment phase of the project life cycle, changing processes, procedures, and performance aspects to mitigate against low probability risks that results the wasting of time and resources, and negative attitudes about the success of the project (Freedman & Katz, 2007, p. 2). In countries such as Indonesia, Thailand, and some African nations, the successful completion of time-intensive and time critical projects can be jeopardized by a culture that places an emp hasis on being patient and bending to the will of fate. It is therefore vital to review such cultural characteristics in the context of a project’s priorities, considering alternatives where appropriate† (Freedman & Katz, 2007, p. 2). Who the stakeholders are in a global project are also important considerations. While this is often neglected in domestic projects, the negative repercussions pose a greater threat to global projects (Freedman & Katz, 2007). To mitigate against the negative risks associated with a global partnership, it is important to establish shared goals and objectives from the start. This is often a difficult process because of cultural differences between the countries involved. While all cultural differences cannot be eliminated, identifying and mutually acknowledging these differences can help decrease misunderstandings and insults that could threatened the completion of the project (Freedman & Katz, 2007). Therefore, a project manager involved in any international partnership would take into consideration several factors that start with an assessment of the cultural values of the country and organization from which some of the team members would be recruited. Questions that the project manager would ask include: 1. How complex is the project? 2. How complex is the project infrastructure? 3. What are the key risk areas of the project? 4. How time-critical is the project? 5. What are your long-term objectives? 6. Which cultural barriers will you have to address? (Freedman & Katz, 2007, p. 3) Once the team has been established, time should be taken to clarify and align the technical and knowledge competencies required by team members as well as the intentions and expectations from both the domestic and globally based team members for how the project will proceed. Since communication may be more difficult when working with a global partner, it is incumbent on the project manager to take the extra time to clarify and confirm information shared between project team members and key stakeholders in the project (Delone, 2005). This process will help the project manager identify and deal with differences in values that might threatened effective collaboration (Freedman & Katz, 2007). Project team leadership can be influenced differently in domestic and global project management. Approaches to leadership that work well in domestic projects may fail when working with culturally diverse team. For example, there is a hierarchy of communication between workers, supervisors, and leadership that are strictly adhered to in some countries (e. g. , India and Japan) that is not a part of the organizational culture in the U. S. Ignoring these cultural conventions could lead to project delay or even failure (Freedman & Katz, 2007). In addition, some cultures are highly authoritarian, group-oriented, and use indirect communication; these cultural practices are different from U. S. practices that tend to be more egalitarian, individualist, and use direction communication. This can result in situations where project team members are confused about how to interact with others and how to approach project tasks, often leading to delay or project failure (Freedman & Katz, 2007). If problems or conflict does occur, a project manager who understands the cultural differences at play, can work with team members to develop strategies that help adapting behaviors to accommodate differences in expectations about leadership, decision-making procedures, work styles, and rule/tactics of negotiation (Freedman & Katz, 2007). Some cultures expect their leaders to be more egalitarian than is common among US leaders (e. g. , Scandanavia, Israel, Australia, and New Zealand). When leaders are perceived as too autocratic, team members often will resent the leader’s actions and ignore a leader they consider arrogant and overbearing. On the other hand, some cultures expect the leader to be more directive and autocratic (e. g. , most countries south of the US, Russia, China, India, Mid East, and Far Eastern countries) (Freedman & Katz, 2007, p. ). When a leader is perceived to be too friendly or casual with subordinates, team members will react to the project manager with confusion and distrust (Freedman & Katz, 2007). It cannot be understated the importance of project managers to accommodate their behaviors to the cultural and organizational expectations. â€Å"It is entirely possible to behave in a way that will be viewed as weak and ineffective in one culture and viewed as boorish and ineffective in an other† (Freedman & Katz, 2007, p. 4). Palvia and Vemuri (2002) stress the key role that trust plays in the successful completion of a project. This is especially relevant to global project management were trust is built and strengthened by a project manager who recognizes the language, culture, local customs of the international partners and teams members in addition to knowledge about legal or regulatory requirements (Kliem, 2004). Project managers also must be prepared to work with leaders in other countries who are not familiar with working in cross-cultural teams and are unaware of how to interact in these situations. Project managers facile at â€Å"influencing, negotiating, and adapting their behavior to different people and contexts† (Freedman & Katz, 2007, p. 5) are best suited from global projects. These managers are able to build relationships and understand the important role that these relationship are to the success of a global project. These managers are able to tap into relationships formed with partner organizations to help resolve issues or expedite solutions. Project managers who have difficulty in the following areas would be poor choices for leading a global project: (a) building relationships, (c) knowingly or unknowingly ignores or insults foreign team members, (d) have poor communication skills, (e) views foreigners as lazy, stupid, or unable/unwilling to adapt, (f) unwilling to adapt his/her own behaviors, (g) takes for granted the importance of coming to consensus on issues related to project tasks, times, and quality (Freedman & Katz, 2007, p. 6). On the other hand, Freedman and Katz (2007) outlined several behaviors of the â€Å"uninformed† superior working for a foreign company that could threaten the collaboration, functioning, and success of a project. These disruptive behaviors include: ? Delegates completely, doesn’t see any reason to get involved. ?â€Å"They work for us—you make that clear to them! † ?Asks if the project manager is keeping â€Å"banker’s hours† when he/she comes in later after being on the phone from 11-3 the night before. ?Sees no reason to be selective (except technically) in placing people on an international project. Selects high risk/high collaboration projects for international work. ?Assumes the time required is the same for international and domestic projects. ?Is unwilling or unable to change leadership style to meet cultural expectations. (Freedman & Katz, 2007, p. 5) Another factor that is different from domestic projects is that members on a global project team often are geographically and sometimes organizationally dispersed (Orlikowski, 2002). It is not uncommon for these project members to meet in â€Å"virtual teams† using telecommunications and information technology (Eberlein, 2008, p. 9). Bell and Kozlowski (2002) point out that the use of virtual teams add an additional layer of complexity to any program. The lack of personal contact hinders team development and constrains performance management. At present, â€Å"there have been few efforts to include the culture variable in the theoretical frameworks† (Gurung & Prater, 2006, p. 24). Conclusion Being the manager of a globally based project can be exciting and rewarding with the project manager has the knowledge and skills to deal with culturally diverse work situations. In order to increase leadership effectiveness and the management of risk, uncertainty, and complexity, the project manager must become familiar with the guidelines for the project process that is common in the country where the project will be completed. In addition, cultural awareness and the ability to engage members of the team in effective communication that considers and respects cultural customs of the hosting country is critical to project success. Different countries respond differently to peers and those in positions of authority. A little â€Å"homework† about the culture and customs of the host country will serve the project manager well. References Bell, B. S. , & Kozlowski, S. W. J. (2002). A typology of virtual teams: Implications for effective leadership. New York: Cornell University, Faculty Publications: Human Resource Studies Burke, R. (2001). Project management: Planning and control techniques (3rd ed. ). New York: John Wiley & Sons. DeLone, W. , Espinosa, J. A. , Lee, G. , & Carmel, E. (2005). Bridging global boundaries for IS project success. Proceedings of the 38th Hawaii International Conference on Systems Science, Big Island Hawaii, IEEE. Eberlein, M. (2008). Culture as a critical success factor for successful global project management in multi-national IT service projects. Journal of Information Technology Management, 19(3), 27-42. Espinosa, J. A. , Cummings, J. N. , Wilson, J. M. , and Pearce, B. M. (2003). Team boundary issues across multiple global firms. Journal of Management Information Systems, 19(4), 157-190) Freedman, S. , & Katz, L. (2007). Critical success factors for international projects. PM World Today, 9(10), 1-8. Retrieved April 18, 2010 from http://www. pmworldtoday. net Gurung, A. , & Prater, E. (2006). A research framework for the impact of cultural differences on IT outsourcing. Journal of Global Information Technology Management, 9(1), 24-43. Henri, M. , & Sousa-Poza, A. (2005). Project management: A cultural literary review. Project Management Journal, 36(1), 5-14. Kerzner, H. (2003). Project management: A systems approach to planning, scheduling and controlling. New York: John Wiley & Sons. Kliem, R. L. (2004). Managing the risks of offshore IT development projects. Information Systems Management Journal, Summer, 22-28. Orlikowski,, W. (2002). Knowing in practice: Enacting a collective capability in distributed organizing. Organization Science, 13, 249-273. Palvia, S. C. , & Vemuri, V. K. (2002). Global e-commerce: An examination of issues related to advertising and intermediation in Palvia, P. C. , Palvia, S. C. J. , & Roche, E. M. (eds. ) Global information technology and electronic commerce: Issues for the new millennium. New York: Ivey League Publishing.

Colonist unity on eve of revolution essays

Colonist unity on eve of revolution essays To an extant the colonists developed a sense of their identity and unity as Americans by the eve of the Revolution. This unity and identity by no means came instantaneously, but came as a slow trickle and even on the eve of the revolution was still not complete. This sense of unity and identity came through change over time and helped shape the American spirit on the eve of the Revolution. At first the colonists thought of themselves to be British settlers. But as time progressed, and many colonists in the colonies were born in America, and began to intermingle with other cultures, they began to develop an identity that they were their won people. This point is shown well in Hector St. John Crevecoeur, Letters from an American Farmer. The colonist that now lived in America had less and les ties ethnically to the British and became moreover products of the melting pot affect, a person created from the many cultures from all over tie globe. An example of the identity shared by the colonists as one people is shown by the manifest of the Contributors of Donations for the Relief of Boston, 1774-1775. The colonists came together on as Americans to help other Americans who were in need when the British government closed Bostons ports in 1773, as a result of the Boston tea party. The colonist of the states that donated items or money saw that fellow colonists were in need and did not perceive them as settlers in another As time progressed and the colonist began to become threaten by the British taking away their rights, they joined together as colonist supporting the same cause and also willing to die for the same cause. As shown in the Declaration for the Causes of Taking Up Arms, issued by the Continental Congress on July 6,1775, the colonists show that they are wiling to stand up against their enemies for the rights they as Americans have. The Continent...

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