African Penguins

The topic of my report is african penguins who are also known as black footed penguins . I chose this topic because through out my life i have seen penguins only in Antarctica which made me wander how can they survive on islands. The main characteristics are that they are 26-27 inches in height and there weight is 4-11 pounds. There back is colored black and there front is colored white which has a black stripe. They have large black beak and feet. They sound like donkeys when they communicate with each other. Another interesting haracteristics is they have pink glands above each eye and their average swimming speed is 4-12 MPH. The African Penguin are found in South Africa which is in the southern hemisphere. After penguin choose their partner for life, breeding occurs throughout the year. Although the main breeding begins in February, Nest are constructed and two eggs are laid and they incubate for 38-42 days. When the eggs hatch the parents care for the baby penguins for 8-18 weeks. African Penguins like to hunt in the nutrient rich cold water and like to eat mainly fish such as squid, anchovies and a few other things The major facts about african penguins are that they are only found in south coast of africa. There is no other place in the world where these penguins are found. There is no fixed breeding season it can happen throughout the year. The enemies of penguins are sharks,killer whales and other dangerous marine creatures. In conclusion i very much enjoyed researching about this animal because they have a lot of interesting facts that the penguins in Antarctica don't have. The most interesting fact i learned was they have pink glands above there eyes.

Counseling Philosophy Essay

â€Å"†¦Counseling children is like working with an array of different gems and stones. Some are perfect as they are. Others need a little polish to shine, and still others need to be examined for preparation before they are shaped to be the most beautiful and functional†¦Each is different, each is beautiful in its own right and, most important, each has value. † ASCA President’s statement, Janice Gallagher, summarizes the foundation of my personal counseling philosophy not only to children but even to adults. In counseling all should be regarded as unique individuals in relation to their strengths, weaknesses, cultures, values, personalities, principles and other dimensions that sum up him as a human being. The approach of counseling to be used should always take into consideration these counselee’s dimensions. Counseling should not repress these aspects of the counselee but rather respect them and if possible use or uphold them in dealing with the conflict he has. Ideally, they should be exploited in solving the current conflict of the person himself. Individual differences exist. Therefore, there’s no way but to deal with it. Everyone has its beauty in its own right. This is what I personally believe and what should transpire during counseling session. Beyond the physical dimensions that the counselee sees to himself, he should discover the beauty he possesses– his character, ability, attitude, values and the likes. He has to be the first one to perceive his own beauty before others would notice it. In this way, he will gain confidence to address the problem on his own even in the long run. During counseling session, more than helping and guiding the counselee to solve his conflict and problem, the most important objective is to be able to make the counselee discover and recognize his worth, his value as a human. He should realize that he’s existence has important purpose and he has a role to accomplish in this world. He has to believe that he’s capable of doing significant things. He has to feel that he belongs to this world that he needs to play his role and function well. He should have positive perception and evaluation about himself, his self-concept. Counseling should be able to address not only the problem of the counselee but also his self-concept which will help him in a long term course. The counselor should be the guide and facilitator in processing, identifying and developing the counselee’s self-concept. With regards with all these things I mentioned above, the counselee is the main character in counseling who will solve his problem, who will make the final decision, and who will be the â€Å"captain of his life†. As a counselor we listen, empathize and guide him towards the solution of its problem. We try our best to let him identify his problem, its roots and its solution. We can only do much . We can’t treat him as worthless and incapable human because he is worthy and very capable. We are not helping him if we regard him as a helpless and incompetent individual who we always give answers to all his problems rather than letting him look for and discover them. The counselor should not only be the active agent in counseling. The counselee must also take an active role in counseling.

Blaming Khrushchev for the Cuban Missile Crisis Is Wrong

Blaming khrushchev for the Cuban missile crisis is wrong, for it is kennedy who precipitated the crisis and no one else. Cuban missile crisis does not consist only the placement of missiles in cuba , but also the things before it, cubas nationalization of industries ,like the bop, the embargoes , the soviet giving of aid to ussr, Subject: outbreak / origins of the Cuban missile crisis Focus: role of superpower involvement Timeframe : 1959 to 1962 Keyterms to note: precipitation of crisis Arguments 1. Khrushchev was to be blamed as well as kennedy 2. Only krushchev should be blamed The personalities of who was to be blamed for the Cuban missile crisis can be traced as one looks at the events in th1950s which led to Cubas deteriorating relations with the USA and its subsequent alignment with the USSR, which led to the placement of missiles in Cuba and the consequent tensions that followed. This relations has its origins in the quest for self interest by newly elected leader, Fido Castro, as while as search for national security by both superpowers from the tension passed down from the cold war in Europe ( qualify). Kennedys search for national security precipitated the crisis when his search translated into actions that directly went against Cuba and pushed Cuba away from the US and into support of the USSR. Kennedy failed to consider that Castros intention to establishing diplomatic relations with the USSR was not to antagonize the US or threaten its national security but mostly for economic benefits. ( the US had earlier refused to grant a loan to Cuba and there were continuing disputes over American property in Cuba). This failure to interpret events correctly led US on its intense quest for national security by instituting economic embargoes on Cuba and direct intervention as seen in the Bay of Pigs invasion. However, such actions were needlessly aggressive for its national security was not threatened in the first place. This however caused a deep rift in the US-soviet relations which was an opportunity for USSR to gain a foothold in the Caribbean ; and thus allowed the opportunity for issiles to be placed on Cuba and arising to the tensions that followed. Khrushchev had a part to play in the Cuba missile crisis as well because his action of giving aid to Cuba, a traditional backyard of the USSR, further fuelled the already intense mistrust the US had of the USSR; eventually cumulating in the Cuban missile crisis, leaving Cuba on the edge of brinkmanship. The role of Castro in starting economic reforms directly affecting American industries also contributed to the US suspicions in the crisis. His actions of turning to the USSR for economic aid ( even though he was not communist) also reinforced US perceptions, and his final agreement for missiles to be placed in Cuba (although he knew the implications of doing so) was the ultimate trigger for USs knee-jerk response and the subsequent tensions that followed. Kennedys misinterpretation of Castros actions ( aligning close to the USSR)-as threatening its national security- stemmed from his perception of monolithic communist aggression and the loss of china to communism. communism expousedeventual showdown and triumph over capitalism. Communism has already extended to parts outside Europe such as China, and as such national insecurity has grown; thus the need to safeguard their national security. This misinterpretation of Castros actions , coupled with Kennedys inexperience in dealing with world affairs, caused the US to embark on its quest for national security through economic embargoes on Cuba the initial bay of pigs as a direct intervention . However, such actions were needlessly aggressive for its national security was not threatened in the first place when castros intentions were for economic benefits rather than to deliberately antagonize the US. Furthermore, due to his inexperience,Instead of turning to diplomatic action, kennedy set on the institution of a military solution (With the aim was to oust Castro from power and to reverse the effects of the reforms) caused Castros fear of more direct American intervention ( demonstrated by the case of Guatamalan) and the desire for military protection in anticipation of it and to seek protection from future efforts to unseat his revolution. This further motivated Castros shift to the USSR and his subsequent nationalizing of American owned industries, banks, etc, which created the conditions for the Cuban missile crisis to happen. Castros shift to the USSR directly coincided with Khrushchevs quest for a successful foreign policy and need to address nuclear strategic imbalance. Khrushchevs search for USSRs national security could be traced from the need to spread the Solidarity movement worldwide, to extend communist zeal into Cuba so that there would be countries supporting USSR and its line of communism. his need aroused due to events like the humiliation of the Berlin wall and the failed ultimatum over berlin, where the credibility of krushchev (in narrow terms) and Khrushchev( in broad terms) was lost. Krushchev also believed that it was right for soviets to extend their influence into the backyard of the us since the US has extended their influence in Europe. khrushchevwas aware of the weakness of Soviet weakness in terms of the number of nuclear warheads and missiles. Given the weakness of Soviet nuclear capability , placing missiles on cuba could be a quick solution to addressing the strategic imbalance. Khrushchev also had an overtly simplistic view that he must return the same medicine the us had been administering in turkey with the jupiter and thor missiles. thus his action of sending missiles to Cuba. However, the US did not see developments in the way that the USSR did. The US saw the placement of missiles as a provocative and aggressive threat to US security, given that the Soviet missiles could reach major US cities on the eastern coast. The fact that the US had seen Soviet tendencies to lead to aggression against the capitalists from the soviet testing of the atomic bomb, the collaboration with stalin during the nazi soviet pact, and the confrontational Berlin Blockade led the US to think that not only was Cuba turning communist ( that the USSR had indeed extended her sphere of influence and Cuba was a breeding ground for states hostile to the US, followed by states within Latin america), but the placement of missiles would mean a high probability of a pre-emptive first strike from the USSR . Put together with the fact that any changes with the political status qup (with US as a leading political power) would severely undermine the credibility of kennedy and america, and how the US was not prepared to forsake economic interests in Latin America where western Europe can overcome its dollar shortage and pursue economic revival, atop of its search for national security, the uss response was to choose a quarantine. alsothey to produce plans for an American invasion of Cuba and put all American bases around the world on high alert with the expectation that an American nvasion of cuba would provoke a soviet response in Europe. This equated to the intensification of the nuclear arms race when clearly it was dangerous; and led the countries to be on the edge of mutually assured destruction. as it reached crisis level It threatened the existence of the entire world. While it is undeniable that the issue that kickstarted the intensification of the nuclear arms was the soviet placem ent of missiles in cuba, it should be noted that both superpowers played a part in their quest for national security and self-interest. Kennedys perception of monolithic communist aggression led it to its attempts to try to cripple Cuba to prevent it from posing any threat to the US national security through the institution of actions that were needlessly hostile towards Cuba, causing it to turn to the USSR. This granted the USSR the opportunity to place its missiles there to address nuclear strategic parity and to spread the zeal of communism to safeguard its national security; which was again viewed as aggression by the US. This led to the oncoming of the Cuban missile crisis, where the nuclear arms race threatened the existence of the entire world.

Who was the historical Jesus What was his message Why is Paul such an Essay

Who was the historical Jesus What was his message Why is Paul such an important figure for early Christianity - Essay Example This has made scholars dedicated to investigate the historical Jesus to come to an agreement regarding those events in his life. Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist and it is this time that he had a vision to start preaching to people around the land. John the Baptist is a recognized figure who oversaw the baptism of people and he actually baptized Jesus. He was crucified under the rule of Pontius Pilate. There remain artifacts that portray how he was crucified.ost of the people who are after facts for the crucifixion of Jesus agree that he was indeed crucified but they differ in the reasons for his crucifixion. The Pontius Pilate who was a roman prefect failed to stop the crucifixion of Jesus on ground s that the will of people prevail- he was accused of falsely claiming to be the son of God and the messiah. Since he started teaching, he gathered disciples and dedicated followers. He moved from town to towns passing the message of reformation. Jesus taught that the earth could be transformed to a kingdom of God. Therefore, he was preaching the need for people to be reformed, follow the ways of God and live in a manner that would please God. He was regarded as a wise teacher and he taught in a manner that would appeal to people. To carry out his message, he used parables that people would relate to. It made it simpler for people to grasp his lessons (Grassi 34). Actually, researchers assert that he was highly regarded as a teacher and also a healer in Judea and Galilee. Through the teachings of Jesus, it is evident that he intended all the people he taught to be part of the â€Å"Kingdom of God†. It was his full time role to teach in different places accompanied by his 12 disciples. Paul is of the greatest contributors to the spread of gospel approved in Christianity. He is credited for spreading Christianity to Rome. He has written a large number of epistles in the New Testament. Paul was particularly important in early Christianity

Managing and Developing the Human Resources Research Paper

Managing and Developing the Human Resources - Research Paper Example Dickens (1994) contends that the business case for managing diversity offers a way to operate equal opportunities as a strategic issue, a core value linked to organisational competitiveness. In order to improve quality and remain competitive a number of organisations have started offering qualification levels required for better acceptability in the industry. For example, McDonald's has been given the authorisation to award their own qualifications equivalent to GCSEs, A levels and degrees, in subjects like fast-food restaurant management (BBC, 2008). Network Rail and Flybe are the other companies which have been granted such permission by Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA), to confer degrees and diplomas for preparing the workforce for a competitive tomorrow (Woolcock and Elliott, 2008). These are some of the pointers towards the increasing realisation that acquiring and upgrading the skills is not only very important for competitive strength of the company, but it is equ ally crucial for the individual to remain relevant to the industry. This study is, therefore, an effort to analyse the HR scenario in general and how the UK is preparing the human resources for a better and competitive tomorrow. Irrespective of the nature and specialisation of the company, it can be said for sure that, 'people' form the core of its activities and therefore, the behaviour and character of these very 'people' will affect the overall character of the organisation. The performance level of this workforce depends upon the types of motivations provided by the organisation. It is therefore quite logical to say that Human Resource Management is a very crucial and an integral part of any organization.  

Key Concepts within poststructuralist feminist analyses Essay

Key Concepts within poststructuralist feminist analyses - Essay Example Feminist activists are constantly looking for way of articulating power inequalities in society especially for those who have been undermined in the past. (Lather, 1991) Post structuralism comes in different forms; consequently, the manner in which the different forms are practiced also varies. However, these forms have three major concepts in common and they include; meaning, subjectivity and language. Besides the latter three elements, post structuralism forms are also related in the manner in which they attempt to deconstruct. There is always an examination into the way society perceives certain realities and then a disruption of these perceptions. In other words, there is always a tendency to disrupt these socially constructed systems. Different forms of post structuralism have challenged social constructs and they have an attribute of controversy about them. One of the forms of post structuralism is feminism post structuralism. This form can be analysed through the following three concepts and then applied in education Through language, feminism post structuralism analyses can be applied in education. This is because one can be able to under social power, social meaning, social organisation and individual consciousness. Language is therefore a site for constructing social meaning. Language is a medium that facilitates the way individuals can live through the way it gives meaning to individual’s social discourses. Language gives meaning to the world and also allows individuals certain forms of subjectivity. In the field of education; especially higher education, one can understand how women use language as method of showing their discontent with society. Subjectivity may be regarded as a site for conflict and disunity as perceived by feminism post structuralists. Humanist subjects differ and are unique in their own identities. Consequently, the notion that human subjects are static, stable or rational is in strong opposition to this feminism

Gharar in Islamic Law Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Gharar in Islamic Law - Assignment Example Finally, even if the relevant agreements amounted to agreements to pay Riba, the principal sums advanced could validly be claimed (Usmani, 2001). Hence, Murabaha Agreements should be in accordance with Islamic law, all that is required is certification by Islamic Bank’s Religious Supervisory Board and the principal amounts are dispensed in accordance with the terms of Murabaha Agreements (Usmani, 2001). The Gharar contains uncertainty in a contract or sale where the goods may or may not be available (the bird in the air or the fish in the water). It shows ambiguity in the consideration or terms of a contract. As such the contract would not be void. An example tainted with Gharar is an agreement to sell goods which have already been sold (Vogel and Samuel, 1998). This paper finds Gharar in depth in three contracts. The three contracts that I have analyzed in this paper are about car, property and stocks. The Bank has followed the methods of Islamic banking while still Gharar ca n be found in them. Elements of Riba and Gharar are present in the contractual documents. The transactions if carried out under the mentioned products (cars, stocks and property) require Murabaha Financing. The important ingredients of the Murabaha Financing Agreement are The Preamble: it is an integral part of the agreement; Definitions: incorporation of the terms: a) Account b) Agency Agreement c) Agreement d) Client Financials e) Declaration f) Due dates g) Goods h) Murabaha Account i) Purchase Price j) Security k) Security Deposits; Purchase and Sale Agreement; Mode of Payment; Representation of the Client; Representation of the Institution; General Covenants of the Client; General Covenants of the Institution; Warranties of the Institution; Security; Risk of Loss; Takafol; Damages; Governing Law and Jurisdiction; Set off; Acceleration; General; Execution of document by the Counterparts ( The Institution and The Client); Dated; Witnesses; Schedule of Documents: a) Agency Agreeme nt b) Declaration c) Promissory Note d) Description of Security (Ghafoor, 1995). Murabaha Finance Agreement for Car The first contract is about Murabaha Finance Agreement for car. The contract is about a client bank agreement on buying a car in instalments but there are several conditions for the client, which he has to adhere in order to get the car. A down payment is given after which, monthly instalments are fixed for the customer. As this is a Murabaha contract, therefore it is essential to know about Murabaha. Murabaha is a term in Islamic Fiqh and it refers to a particular kind of sale having nothing to do with financing in its original sense. If a seller agrees with his purchaser to provide him specific commodity on a certain profit added to his cost it is considered Murabaha transaction. The basic ingredient of Murabaha is that the seller discloses the actual cost he or she has incurred in acquiring the commodity and then adds some profit thereon. This profit may be lump sum or may be in fraction (Al-Qardawi, 2001). In conventional financing, the financier lends money to the client on interest. After giving the interest bearing loan, the financier has nothing to do with its usage. In the case of Murabahah no money is advanced by the financier. Instead the

Is There a Separation of The Professions of Barrister and Solicitor Essay

Is There a Separation of The Professions of Barrister and Solicitor - Essay Example Barristers inform the court of important laws, statutes and precedents, draft legal pleadings, argue or support and provide opinion whichever suits his belief that justice will be served. They may also assist for a party when asked to by a solicitor and serve as intermediaries between clients and counsellors. They are divided into Queen’s Counsel or QC and junior barristers with the QC appointed by the Lord Chancellor. There has been seen a shortage of QC so that they demand â€Å"extremely high fees† making litigations cost high (Legal Directory, 2011, P 5). Solicitors on the other hand deal directly with the clients and are allowed to advertise their service. They conduct and manage daily administration of preparing, reviewing and drafting merits of a legal case and appoint barristers. Reeves (1986) has argued that the separation was necessary to maintain a fresh and objective perspective for client which becomes rare where the professions are merged; judges were appo inted from senior and experienced barristers expected as independent and therefore sustain the role in the judiciary; access of small firms to all specialist barristers allows them to compete with higher chances in any legal proceedings; the barristers are expected to provide a more appropriate advice to client where claims or defence may be conducted improperly. In addition, it was pointed out that the lawyer profession has expanded to being a broker, financier, entrepreneur, accountant, land agent, and others they may so wish, whereas the barrister has been limited to law and advocacy (Cohen, 1988). On the other hand, the proponents to the merge advance legitimate and strong points. The Economist of London observed that â€Å"†¦Some barristers are not specialists, some solicitors are. Some solicitors are better advocates than many barristers,† (1983, p 25). In addition, the Financial Times (1986) also pointed out that there is a much more rigorous training and educatio n requirement for solicitors making them more qualified specialists so that it is expected of them to perform well for the benefit of their clients, which is the main reason why they were chosen and paid for in the first place. The separation has been seen as historical in nature with the notion that the barristers assist generalist solicitors. One historical fact that Cohen (1988) emphasised was that, â€Å"Legal historians do not discuss the question of the solicitor’s part in the denial of the right of audience in the courts to attorneys,† (p 13). But the Financial Times (1986) insisted that, â€Å"It is ridiculous to assert that, after six months’ pupillage, a barrister is better equipped to appear in a court than an experienced solicitor,† (p 20). The absurdity is highlighted further with the fact that solicitors have a right of audience in the European Court of Justice considered as a more senior court than the High Court, Court of Appeal or House o f Lords (Law Society, 1983). Even Sir Gordon Borrie admitted to the difficulty of the situation, himself being a barrister. â€Å"It seems to me that the arguments in favour of the [barristers’ monopoly on pleading in the High Court] are difficult to sustain on their merits,† (Law Society, 1983, p 193). Reeves (1986) also pointed out that that the multiplicity of legal advisers makes litigations costs higher; and that there is the question of objectivity between the solicitor who has referred a barrister to a client and the solicitor who may conduct improper actions.

Socrates and his theories Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Socrates and his theories - Essay Example Contrary to other philosophers, Socrates devoted his life to serve his people without charging fees (Plato 34). Therefore, to state that Socrates had no or little participation of democracy in Athenian government is entirely true. Socrates perceived democratic form of governance as corrupt, unjust, and he profoundly differed with its ideologies. As a philosopher, Socrates believed in practicality and critical thinking in order for one to improve his or her life. He opposed the idea of the majority being in government, which is one of the fundamentals that form a democratic government. According to Pericles, Socrates lack of recognition in equality through participation of the majority makes him less a democratic citizen (Plato 40). Cleon as portrayed by Thucydides was a diligent supporter of the democratic system of government. In his speech Cleon, upholds the negative aspects of the Athenian rules. Cleon strongly believed that anyone who opposed the Athenian government is subject to punishment (Thucydides 25). Cleon delivered his speech opposing the Mytilenian revolt against Athens. In his speech, Cleon emphasized on certain aspects of democracy discussed by Pericles in his famous funeral oration. These aspects include the implementation of the death row sentence. It is my opinion that as much as Cleon convinced Athenians through his speech that democracy is the answer to peace, order and equality. However, it is vital to consider the opinion of the minority for democracy to be effective and sufficient. Socrates did not support Athenian democratic government because of its ignorance of the minority. In fact, he considered it a tool of oppression. Socrates would highly disagree with Cleon’s speech full of egotistical claims in favor of democratic government. This is because in his speech Cleon does not mention the installation of moral values among the citizens to ensure orderliness. Rather, he emphasizes on the execution of the law whether it is just or bias (Thucydides 30). His speech contrasts Socrates belief in the power of knowledge and critical thinking as opposed to following and serving the law blindly (Plato 56). In his speech Diodotus, stressed on the importance of reasoning before implementing a rule. Diodotus urges the Athenian parliament to reason and strategize before passing a judgment on the Mytilenian revolution. Diodotus opposed Cleon who stood by the rules of law. It is my understanding that Diodotus realized that strategy and tact are essential in implementation of power or rules. As in the case of Athens, they faced a challenge in integrating the other states in their system of governance. This was result of lack of strategy and tact (Thucydides 50). Diodotus in his speech argued that by wise reasoning Athenians would subtly subdue the other states without the use of force. Diodotus argument concurs with Socrates principles of governance and power. Just like Diodotus, Socrates believed in rational conflict solv ing methods. Moreover, in his theories Socrates states that, through critical reasoning, a state can achieve anything it intends to acquire without the use of force. Socrates also believed in knowledge as a tool for personal development. However, Diodotus and Socrates differed in terms of participation in politics. Diodotus was an active figure in policy making while Socrates concerned himself with acquisition of knowledge (Kamtekar 80). In the case of the Mytilenian debate, Diodotus

Is College for Everyone Essay Example for Free

Is College for Everyone Essay Going to College is a choice that everyone has. I think that College is for everyone because everyone in this world has a right to a good education. I know that good education will improve my chances of having a good job and a higher wage. But on the other hand, College is not free and mostly it is expensive. We have to pay for every semester, for the books and for some student loans and some students do not want to carry big responsibilities like getting into dept or paying loans so instead of going to College they just seek help from a master craft man. A Master craft man gives you a job and share his knowledge to you straightly to the point and without consuming a lot of time. There is also a chance of being successful like a master craft man even if you don’t go to College especially if you have better learning at a trade. But even though College is not free and it cost a lot, but I think everyone should at least try going to college because everything that you spend for College will get back to you ‘cause College will afford us more opportunity to make money for the reason that most of the highest paying jobs require a college degree. And knowing you earn a degree will undoubtedly give a lifetime of pride to yourself and to the whole world. College will make you an expert at something which you can share with others. Many social service positions like Doctor, Lawyer, Teacher or Scientist require a College degree and being able to help others means you have to educate yourself first through higher education. If you have a College degree, you will be able to support your family with a larger salary. You will be able to help your children with their homework and can give them a better future as a result they will be more likely to attend College. Otherwise, if you think you already have skills and expertise and if you think it is not better to spend half of your life in school then College is not for you. You can just improve your skills and expertise by yourself or by the help of others and you can apply to a job that you are interested in and at the same time to a job that doesn’t require a College degree. Like me, I am good at working with people, I love helping them and socializing with them however, it doesn’t mean that my skills and expertise are enough. I also want to work at the field of medicine so I should go to a University because there, I can get a Doctorate degree and I believe that my skills and expertise are not enough to reach my goals in life. Going to College will more improve our ability, flexibility, skills and expertise and will expand our understanding of the world and what it has to offer. You have more chances and choices at getting a good job by going to college. You will have a better chance to stay employed longer if you have a degree. I believe that College education is extremely necessary in our modern society. Jobs now are becoming increasingly harder to get, and with the increase of the uneducated population, having a College education will allow you to get most any job you apply for. However, people can still earn money even if they won’t go to College through jobs that don’t require a College degree like Web Developer, Medical Secretary, Teacher’s Aide, Hair stylist or House painter. Also, if you join an apprentice program and you are offered full employment when you become a journeyman you will get a good pay or if you already have a secure job and you are contented in the salary, you can survive even if you don’t go to College. But if the reason of not going to College is you can’t afford it, there are solutions; you can get into College through scholarship and student loans, or if the reason is you already have a secure job, then you can go to College at night because they are open about 7 o’clock in the morning to ten o’clock in the evening and also if you lose your job, at lease you still have a choice because you go in College and you got a degree. In reality and in most cases the more education we have, the more careers and jobs we can choose from and the more money we can earn. College is a proven pathway to greater awareness socially and academically. College will expose you to things that you will not find anywhere else. You will meet new people and you get to do amazing and new activities. College will improve your socializing skills because every day you will be able to socialize with different people from different countries with different attitudes and point of views in life. College will help you to be aware in your life and in the surroundings. It will help you realize what kind of society we have in this generation. In our generation, we have a watchful and judgmental society and because of that, College will open up our eyes, it will make us conscious and will make us think what kind of life we want to have in the future with this society, in other words, College is encouraging us to have a good educational background . Yet, Colle e will give us a lot of problems like having many projects, sleeping late because of homework, and dealing with strict professors also, managing schedules but I strongly believe that those problems are helpful to us. Through the problems that we will encounter at College, surely it will make us firm, stronger and will let us stand in our own and at the next time that we will encounter problems, it would be easier for us and more likely we can handle it in a right way. W will also be able to help people to solve their problems with confidence and knowing that through our College experiences, we learned to stand up and don’t easily give up. College will greatly prepare you to create and take the jobs of the future. College prepares you for the career you’re interested at and also it prepares every student in their way of facing life. Your experiences in College education make you stronger and help you grow up maturely and your manner of working is very important because it reflects what kind of educational background you have. Higher Education will increase our knowledge which we can use it if we already got a job. College open doors of opportunity and expands our horizons. I truly believe that education is valuable because education is our passport to the good future and education is the key to success. Everything can be taken away from us but not our knowledge and skills acquire through experience and education and I strongly believe that by going to College we will reach our goals and we will be able to live in a comfortable life.

Organizational Structure of AirAsia

Organizational Structure of AirAsia 1.0 Introduction Nowadays, the use of information technology plays a vital role for businesses to compete and succeed. According to Laudon and Laudon (2010), almost the all firms and organizations use information technology to survive; they invest in information technology and systems because these investments will return a lot of advantages, such as; an increase in productivity, a decrease in costs and an increase in revenue. Information systems provide information for managers which help them to make better decisions and improve operations. This assignment will look at the largest low cost carriers in Asia Pacific region AirAsia Berhad, which is known as AirAsia. In this work we will analyse how organization has successfully used information technology and systems to improve their business. In addition, this paper will look to IT strategies of Air Asia and to some businesses processes within organization where information systems were successfully implemented. Organization background If you want to understand today, you have to search yesterday. (Pearl Buck) Generally, without past, there is no future and everything in our life has his history. Thus, it is brief Air Asias background: First of all, AirAsia was founded in 1993 by Malaysian government as a second airliner to the major national air company MAS (Malaysian Airlines) and AirAsia started operating after three years on 18th November 1996.During the following 5 years, AirAsia failed every year to bring profit, as a result; AirAsia had a great debt of about USD $ 37 million in 2001. However, this time is the time when the real story of the largest low-cost airlines began. In 2001, Dato Sri Dr Tony Fernandes with partners Dato Pahamin Rejab (former chairman of Air Asia), Dato Kamarudin Meranun, and Dato Aziz Bakar purchased the AirAsia from Malaysian owner HICOM Holdings Berhad (now known as DRB-HICOM Berhad), for a symbolic price RM1 (USD 0.25 cents), and agreed to close the debts of the company. (AirAsia Annual Report, 2008, p.3) They started with an innovative goal to make air travel cheaper and more affordable to people that Now Everyone Can Fly. AirAsia was re-branded and re-launched and started new life with two Boeing B737 planes, approximately 250 staffs and had only five destinations to Kota Bahru, Kota Kinabalu, Kuching, Labuan, Langkawi and Penang. According to AirAsia website, today after 10 years Air Asia has around 100 air planes and flies to more than 60 destinations from 23 countries. Additionally, Air Asia operates more than 3,500 flights a week and has around 8,000 staffs. In 2009 AirAsia ferried more than 22 million passengers and AirAsia is ASEAN (Association of South Asia Nations) carrier. (AirAsia Annual Report, 2009, p.4) It can be clearly seen that AirAsia has made a tremendous success in airline industry and it is interesting to know what and how managers of AirAsia use to achieve this fantastic outcome. It will be described later in following chapters. Organization Vision and Mission. Nowadays every organization has mission and vision statements, which show what organization is (mission) and a view of what organization wants to be (vision). (Harrison and John, 2009) In addition, the mission statement of the organization must be broad because it is an umbrella which encompasses organizations programs and services. (Angelica, 2001) 1). AirAsias Vision: Continue to be the lowest cost airline in every market we serve. 2). AirAsias Mission: To be the best company to work for whereby employees are treated as part of a big family Create a globally recognized ASEAN brand To attain the lowest cost so that everyone can fly with AirAsia Maintain the highest quality product, embracing technology to reduce cost and enhance service level (AirAsia website) Business Strategies and Success factors. Without a strategy the organization is like a ship without rudder, going around in circles. (Joel Ross and Michael Kami) Air Asia Success factors. AirAsia has achieved a tremendous success since its renovation. Because of some success factors AirAsia gets some competitive advantages in airline competition. By using it AirAsia is the best lowest cost airline company in South Asia. The key point of Airasias success factors is to deliver low fares is to consistently keep costs low. Providing low costs needs the high efficiency in every part of the business. Thus, every part of organization, every system process, everything must incorporate best industry practices. AirAsiaa success factors can be analyzed in the core values of the organization. AirAsia gets competitive advantages and makes their business successful by using these key strategies: Safety First Safety is the most vital criteria in every part of the organization operations; safety is the area where AirAsia will never compromise on. All conditions, which determine by regulators in the countries where AirAsia operates, are complied by the largest low fare airline. Furthermore, partnering with the worlds most renowned maintenance providers to be ensured that AirAsias airplanes always in the best condition. High Aircraft Utilisation The AirAsia airplane captains ability, to make a fast turnaround of 25 minutes which is the fastest in the region, is more convenient for customers to travel. It has resulted in high aircraft utilisation, better airline and staff productivity and lower costs. Low Fare, No Frills Providing to guests to have the choice of buying exclusively prepared meals, snacks and drinks from in-flight service at an affordable price. Streamlined Operations The important key of the AirAsias success is to make processes are simple as possible. Leans Distribution System Offering a wide and innovative range of distribution channels to make booking and travelling easier. Point to Point Network Applying the point-to-point network keeps operation simple and lower costs. Most of the AirAsias flights are short haul (four-hour flight radius or less) which helps to keep lower costs. Company Business Strategy. The Business Strategy of AirAsia is To continue to be the lowest cost short-haul airline in every market it serves, delivering strong organic growth through offering the lowest airfares at a uprofit. This strategy focusing in six main strategic thrusts: Leanest Cost Structure Efficient and simple point to point operationsÂÂ   Attracting and retaining hardworking and smart peopleÂÂ   Passion for continuous cost reduction Maximise Shareholders Value Resilient profit growth through our lower cost baseÂÂ   Expansion of the AirAsia network in a prudent and disciplined mannerÂÂ   Invest and enhance the AirAsia brand to increase investors returns Safety Comply with the highest International Aviation Safety Standards and practices Keep operations simple and transparentÂÂ   Ensure the security of our People and Guests ÂÂ   Passion for Guests Satisfaction Maintain simplicity in every applicationÂÂ   Practice the unique and friendly AirAsia experience at every opportunityÂÂ   Recognize the linkage between guests satisfaction and long-term success ÂÂ   Transparency Transparency in decision-making and information sharingÂÂ   Optimum disclosure higher than industry normsÂÂ   Timeliness in disclosing information ÂÂ   Human Capital Development Invest in both hard and soft skillsÂÂ   Recognize all our People as contributors to our successÂÂ   Reward excellence and individual contributions Maintaining one brand across the Group Analysis of the current Business Environment. Industry Analysis Porters Five Forces Model. 1. Bargaining Power of Supplier First of all, it can be clearly seen that the main AirAsias supplier is the airplane suppliers. Generally the power of airplane suppliers is very strong because of monopolisation in airplane manufacturers; there are only two types of airplanes Boeing and Airbus. The switching cost for airplane suppliers is very high due to expensive needs to change airplanes, for example: it will be very costly for AirAsia to change airplanes and train employees to be used of new airplanes. To be honest, nowadays, only several airline manufactures exist in airline industry, thus the power of airplane suppliers is very fantastic. If we look to other suppliers, such as, fuel, food and other suppliers, it is clear that their power is not so strong because AirAsia can change them and it will not affect to costs. The increase in price can be risky for these suppliers because AirAsia can quit working with them. 2. Bargaining Power of Buyer Generally, the power of customers is always high because there is no any switching cost for customers to change from one airline company to another, however; in this case, it can be thought that the output of AirAsia is very unique and fantastic in South Asia region. In addition, there will be switching cost for customers who want to change AirAsia to another airline company, as a result; the bargaining power of buyers is low. 3. Threat from Substitutes In South Asia region there are several possible substitutes for airline industry, such as; trains, buses, cars or ships. However, the prices for other substitutes are more expensive or at the same level, comfort, time spending and other factors during the travelling are more worse than in irline travelling. Nowadays, air travelling is faster, cheaper and more comfortable, as a result; threat of substitutes is respectively low. 4. Threat from New Entrants Airline industry is very expensive for new organizations to entrance into this industry. New organizations must have a big capital, strong support from government and must correspond for some requirements for airline organizations. There are difficult barriers for new organizations, for instance; cost advantages of existing airline organizations, brand loyalty of customers, high switching costs for customers and government restrictions. Therefore, the threat from new entrants is low. 5. Rivalry Intensity In general, the competition between airline organizations in Malaysia is not very strong. There is only one competitor for AirAsia in Malaysian airline industry is Malaysian Airlines (MAS) which can be considered as a friendly rival. Thus, the intensity of rival is low in Malaysian airline industry. 3.3 AirAsia Competitive Advantage. The strategic positioning has several ways in which the company can achieve competitive advantage. For instance, offering similar benefits for a lower cost to customers or retain cost but offer greater benefits for customers. In the case of Maybank, the strategy used by the company is to preserve the value of banking products and services, while offering great benefits and value, as well as the good quality of their products and services. Focusing on the variety and quality of their products and services, Maybank exercise their competitive advantage. In particular, through its subsidiaries Maybank provides a wide and diverse range of products and services. That allows its customers to use multiple services in one banking group. By entrusting their money to the time-tested bank, whether it be insurance, private banking or assets management. All this, along with high quality services and highly professional staff of the bank create convenience for customers, thereby increasing competitive advantage. One of the important factors in achieving competitive advantage of Maybank is to improve the quality and speed of services through the introduction of information technology. Maybank since its inception is looking for ways to make life easier for its customers, through improving the quality of its services. Information technologies have played an important role in this. Maybank always has been the first to introduce new technologies, thus providing greater benefits and opportunities for its customers. 4.0 Analysis of the Current IS/IT Strategy Environment and IT solutions of Maybank. Yield Management System (YMS) It is also known as Revenue Management System; it understands, anticipates and reacts to the behavior of customer to maximize revenue for the organization. This takes into account the operating costs and aids AirAsia to optimize prices and allocate capacity to maximize expected revenues. The optimization is done on two levels in AirAsia: Seat (Every seat is considered an opportunity to maximize revenue. Seats are available at various prices in different points of time. A reservation done at a later date will be charged more than the one done earlier for the same seat) Route (By adjusting prices for routes/destinations that have a higher demand when compared to others). The effective method however is to combine these two levels for all flights, all routes so that both the seat and the route are effectively priced for all the flights. AirAsia has realized increased revenue (3-4%) for the same number of aircrafts by taking advantage of the forecast of the high/low demand patterns, effectively shifting the demand from low period to high period and by charging a premium for late bookings. Over the past couple of years, AirAsia have actually lowered prices (essential for LCC) as the YMS has given them the window to increase their revenue by offering higher discounts, more frequently during off-peak times while raising prices only marginally for peak times. (Voneche, n.d). Computer Reservation System (CRS) AirAsias CRS (Open Skies by Navitaire) has helped it to grow at a dramatic pace in the past couple of years Navitaires Open Skies technology has truly enabled Airasias growth from 2 million passengers to 7.7 million passengers in less than two years. Open Skies scaled easily to accommodate our growth. Tony Fernandes CEO AirAsia Source: Navitaire (http://www.navitaire.com/res_and_dist/openskies.asp) It is an integrated web-based reservation and inventory system. It includes Internet, call center, airport departure control and more. It is a direct sales engine that effectively eliminates the middleman (travel agents) and the sales commissions that need to be paid to them. Centralized customer data is also maintained by Open Skies and this helps AirAsia to track booking and schedule flight activities with real-time, on-demand reporting feature. The vast booking information that is provided online to the customers acts as a force that brings more customers to use the website thus reducing the customer support costs. An important feature is that Open Skies seamlessly integrates with the already implemented YMS so that the systems can be used in unison for pricing and revenue maximization (by providing information on bookings, schedules etc) and driving down the costs of operation at the same time. This CRS enabled AirAsia to introduce the first ticket less travel option and also pro vides features such as advanced boarding passes in addition to online booking that enabled the growth of AirAsia as these features attracted customers that did not have the time for purchasing tickets from counters and coming in 1 hour early for securing a seat on the aircraft. AirAsia have proposed to implement a Wireless Delivery System (WDS) to expand its reach via mobile phones. With this, potential customers will be able to book tickets via their mobile phones. This is a strategic move for growth as the Asia-Pacific region has a larger population of mobile phone users rather than internet users. Enterprise Resource Planning System (ERP) AirAsia has recently (May 2005) opted for a full fledged ERP system implemented by Avanade consultants. By implementing this package AirAsia is looking to successfully maintain process integrity, reduce financial month-end closing processing times, and speed up reporting and data retrieval processes. (Microsoft Malaysia) 4.1 IT and IS deployed by Maybank. It can be said that Maybank has been always be on the way to improve quality of their products and services, thereby satisfy all the needs of their customers. In other words Maybank has been always innovated its products and services by implementation of IT. If to look back to the past we can see that Maybank was the leader to introduce new technologies to the market. For instance, Maybank was the first to embark on a computerisation programme, First to implement the use of ATMs and establish a shared ATM network with its subsidiaries, First to introduce Phone banking and First to introduce Internet Banking. In 1981, Maybank was first Malaysian bank to set up Automated Teller Machine (ATM) services.(annual report, 2009). Since that time Maybank increased the number of ATMs, with each year. ATMs give a lot of opportunities and benefits to the customers of the bank. Such as, access to own account 24 hours/7 days a week, fast cash withdrawal, cheque book and statement request, fund transfer between own accounts and funds transfer to third party accounts. Furthermore, Maybank was first domestic bank to implement MAS electronic Ticketing at their ATMs, this enable Maybank customers ticketless air travel in Malaysia on Malaysia Airlines. Later, due to its expansion to the South Asia markets Maybank launch the Maybank RegionLink Service. RegionLink Service allows Maybank customers in Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei and Philippines to access ATM transactions at any Maybank ATM in these four countries. To effectively usage and managing its ATM network as well as to enable their customers to have a be tter service, Maybank uses automated teller machine management software from Diebold Inc. Without a doubt, the Internet is one of the most important technological advances of recent years. The rapid development of information technologies have created vast opportunities for companies to reduce operating costs, increase speed and quality of their services, as well as the creation of additional benefits for their customers. Because of this and to create competitive advantage Maybank launch its Internet Banking. Basically, Maybank launch Internet Banking through its online financial portal maybank2u.com in 2000. This portal bring the convenience of online banking for its customers, who can open an account, check balances, transfer funds, settle bills and shop online via this site, which employs 128-bit SSL security technology. Later in 2001, Maybank launch its E-bills service, which can be used only by their customers. At that time there were 325 business organisations that were able to accept payment through internet banking. Conducting funds transactions over the internet has been convenient and quick. This allowed the company to reach RM 500 million monthly total average transaction. In 2003, Maybank launched Internet Banking Kiosks. It enable their customers to undertake internet banking transactions in provided terminals at its branches. To maintain its leadership position in internet banking services, in 2006, Maybank launch Mobile Banking services in collaboration with Celcom and Maxis. It was the first mobile banking in Malaysia . It allowed Maybank customers to access to the three most popular applications of Maybank2u.com: bill payment balance enquiry and fund transfers. From that time, Maybank customers have the convenience of undertaking selected banking transactions in real time via the mobile phone. In order to improve its efficiency and service MayBank concluded a series of deals with companies such as CSC and Microsoft.The main objective of IT infrastructure outsourcing agreement with CSC was to improve their IT services to position it for global economic growth and, in the case of major disasters, to reduce its recovery time from three days to less than eight hours. The data center was moved from Maybanks headquarter to a secure and modern CSC facility. In addition, CSC set up separate data center for disaster recovery that fully duplicates all of the banks critical data across all platforms. CSC also provide simultaneous connection between bank branches, the main data center and disaster recovery center. This deal allowed the company to reduce response time, to increase productivity and transactional speed. An Enterprise Subscription Agreement with Microsoft Malaysia to adopt a common software toolset for Maybanks desktop applications has given Maybank the ability to promote greater communication among employees and customers and to enhance cost efficiency. One of the results of this agreement was increasing efficiency and productivity of the employees. 4.2 Impact on the usage of IS/IT by Maybank. In general, the use of information technology has a significant impact on the work of the enterprise. Effect of IT can be both at the organization, its efficiency, as well as to clients and their relationship to the company. In the case of Maybank, IT was one of the essential factors of growth and continued leadership of the bank. Maybank always has been a pioneer in the introduction of the use of IT, which allowed the company to achieve certain benefits. These benefits include competitive advantage, achieving the goal of the company, better service for customers and increase profits and market share. Maybank was able to improve their service through the use of information technology and information systems. Provision of banking and financial services through a network of ATMs and internet banking has allowed its customers to access their accounts anytime and anywhere in the world. Also, the IT/IS have an impact on the reduction of transaction costs and the time spending on transaction, that is convenient for customers. Customer relationship management system has been significantly influenced by information technologies. Increasing the ways of interaction between the company and customers, has given Maybank opportunity to increase and improve understanding of the needs and desires of customers. All this resulted in improved service and customer satisfaction, as well as the obvious convenience for customers of Maybank. Paying great attention to the use and implementation of IT, Maybank thus creating conditions for improving efficiency and productivity of their employees, as well as facilitating a repository of knowledge and being able to share this knowledge across the organization. In Maybank firmly believe that effective knowledge sharing is a source of competitive advantage. Also providing new products and services Maybank has a competitive advantage. At the same time, it is a temporary competitive advantage, because competitors can later enter the market with similar products and services. Therefore Maybank is always on the way to improve its service. On the other hand, Maybank as a pioneer in the introduction of the usage of IT has the first-mover advantage. This has a significant impact on enlarging market share. Also, the IT/IS has an impact on the reduction of transaction costs and human capital costs. All this has allowed Maybank to increase profits and market share. Increased profits and market share, competitive advantage and better service has given Maybank an opportunity to achieve its goal. Namely to become a leading banking group in Malaysia, and set the following goal to become a leading regional banking group by 2015. 5.0 Conclusion Technical progress is coming more quickly than ever before, thus, affecting all aspects of a typical company. Today, it is vital to the company to use information technology in order to work. It is become crucial factor for the Maybank to employ IT/IS in order to compete in digital world, where almost everyone use IT. Nevertheless, it is important to remember that the most important factor still is the people and companies such as Maybank also need to invest their money in staff training, in order to be competitive enough or even to create competitive advantage. Because it is the people who create it.

Influence of Nuclear Destruction on the Evolution of Japan Essay

Influence of Nuclear Destruction on the Evolution of Japan â€Å"The strangest thing was the silence. It was one of the most unforgettable impressions I have. You’d think that people would be panic-stricken, running, yelling. Not at Hiroshima. They moved in slow motion, like figures in a silent movie, shuffling through the dust and smoke. I heard thousands of people breathing the words, ‘water, give me water.’ Many simply dropped to the ground and died.† ~Setsuko Thurlow In a flash, 120,000 corporeal humans are destroyed. The bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki remind us of the terrible power humans can unleash, and the horrors of nuclear destruction. So if we as Americans are distressed about this event, imagine what the Japanese think. The bombings are still very present in the minds of Japanese, and one does not have to look very far to see evidence of this. Everyday Japanese remind themselves of the past through popular culture. Japanese animation (usually referred to as anime), manga comics and feature films all heavily rely on nuclear war or apocalyptic weaponry as either the main story or a huge plot device. Such a cataclysmic, culturally altering event is difficult to forget. The memory of the nuclear destruction at the end of WWII is ingrained in Japan’s collective unconscious, as reflected in everyday pieces of Japanese popular culture, especially anime films and manga. Japanese are â€Å"still suffering from the sociological and physiological after-effects† of the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki (Kawasaki 20). The direct victims and survivors of the bombings, called hibakusha, are not the only casualties of this event. Beyond these people, their friends and relatives all share a coll... ...nk heavily about reality, existence, and time. While viewers need not constantly think of the nuclear destruction that brought about this art, it is important to once in awhile reflect on how this reality came to be, and recognize history and the changing face of a nation. Works Cited Akira. Special Edition. Pioneer Entertainment, 2001. Grave of the Fireflies. Cmp/Us Manga Corps, 1988. Kawasaki, Shoichiro. A Call from Hibakusha of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Tokyo: Asahi Evening News, 1978. Linner, Rachelle. City of Silence: Listening to Hiroshima. New York: Orbis Books, 1995. Munroe, Alexandra. Scream Against the Sky: Japanese Art after 1945. New York: Harry N. Abrahms, 1994. Neon Genesis Evangelion. Perfect Collection. A. D. Vision, 2002. Tasker, Peter. The Japanese: A Major Exploration of Modern Japan. New York: Truman Talley Books, 1987.

Voodoo :: Essays Papers

Voodoo It is often presumed that within a slave society everyone has the same deprived status as the "Other" for the colonial masters, but recent studies have begun to examine the power structures within the slave community itself. Herbert Klein, in African Slavery in Latin America and the Caribbean (1986), has pointed out that knowledge was an important granter of status in the slave community. Knowledge of African ways or customs, or even in some cases elite status transferred directly from Africa gave some slaves a leverage in their community in contrast with their official status. The same occurred with many of the male and female Africans who were part-time religious, health and witchcraft specialists, most of whom had a status inside the community completely unrecognised by the master class. The historian John Blassingame, in The Slave Community (1972), has said: Whatever his power, the master was a puny man compared to the supernatural. Often the most powerful and significant individual on the plantation was the conjurer. Voodoo is a syncretic system derived from deeply rooted Africanist beliefs and colonial French Catholicism. African-American religious systems and subcultures can be seen in Haiti, Jamaica, Trinidad, and other Antillean areas. In the Fon language spoken in Benin, vodun means an invisible force, terrible and mysterious, which can meddle in human affairs at any time. As a reaction to being torn violently from their roots, the slaves tried to resume their cultural and religious traditions. Ancestral spirits, forces called supernatural, were invoked and celebrated in secret, far from the master's eyes, yet in the shadow of the Church, as the worship of saints and the Catholic sacraments served as a screen and a support for African beliefs. The creation of a coherent belief system was extremely important in the development of a feeling of cohesion among the slaves which would provide them with a sense of self and community. The process of syncretization among the African religions helps to explain why those cults found it relatively easy to accept and integrate parts of Christian religious belief and practice into the local cult activity. Initially this integration was purely functional, providing a cover of legitimacy for religions that were severely proscribed. But after a few generations a real syncretism became part of the duality of beliefs of the slaves themselves, who soon found it possible to accommodate both religious systems. The conjurer in African-American culture is frequently referred to as a "two-headed doctor," a person of double wisdom who carries power as a result of his or her initiation into the mysteries of the spirit.

Aborted Aspirations in Pat Barkers Regeneration Essay -- Pat Barker R

Aborted Aspirations in Pat Barker's Regeneration Pat Barker's riveting World War I novel Regeneration brilliantly exemplifies the effectiveness of fiction united with historical facts. While men aspired to gain glory from war and become heroes, Regeneration poignantly points out that not all of war was glorious. Rather, young soldiers found their aspirations prematurely aborted due to their bitter war experiences. The horrible mental and physical sicknesses, which plagued a number of soldiers, caused many men to withdraw from the battlefield. Feelings of guilt and shame haunted many soldiers as they found themselves removed from the heat of war. Men, however, were not the only individuals to experience such feelings during a time of historical upheaval. Women, too, found themselves at war at the dawn of a feminine revolution. One of the most contentious topics of the time was the practice of abortion, which comes to attention in chapter 17 on pages 202 and 203 of Barker's novel. Through Baker's ground-breaking novel, we learn how m en and women alike discovered that in life, not all aspirations are realized; in fact, in times of conflict, women and men both face desperate situations, which have no definite solutions. Illustrated in Barker's novel by a young woman named Betty, and many broken soldiers, society's harsh judgments worsen the difficult circumstances already at hand. As men engaged in war overseas, women gained many opportunities in their every day life. New employment opportunities became attainable to women. In women's health, many new medical practices were conventionalized as well. One of the most pivotal medical advancements of the time was the commercialization of birth control ("Marie Stopes"). However, n... ...omen did or did not abort their unborn child varied, it can be inferred that social disgrace would result from whatever choice was made. The decisions we make today, can create life-long repercussions. Regeneration poignantly points out that not all is fair in war, or life. Works Cited "Abortion: In Law, History & Religion." Childbirth By Choice Trust. May 1995. 26 April 2004. <http://www.cbctrust.com/abortion.html> Barker, Pat. Regeneration. New York: Plume, 2003. Horden, Anthony. Legal Abortion: The English Experience. New York: Pergamon Press, 1971. "Marie Stopes." Spartacus. 7 December 2001. 26 April 2004. <http://www.spartacus .schoolnet.co.uk/Wstopes.htm> Raffel, Brian, Monica Borgone, Michael D'Ambrosio and Rebecca Heydon. "Abortion Around the World." 1999. 30 April 2004. <http://apdude0.tripod.com/abortionaroundtheworld/index.html>

Report on Adidas PEST and SWOT Essay

In this report I have tried to sketch a complete organizational picture of the adidas company. This include of current position of the company and its market share though out the world. To explain it the company’s SOWT and PEST analysis is briefly elaborated. A contrast of the Adidas with its competitors is added and the internal structure of the company is tried to shown in graphical snaps. The future strategies of the company are also listed that what kind of strategies formulated for adidas by their top managers. 2. Addias: Adidas is a sportswear manufacturing company that was started by Adolf Dassler. Adidas group has several brands including Adidas, Reebok, Taylor Made-Adidas and the Rockport. The company has spread its wing to incorporate other productions including handbags, shirts, spectacles, watches, balls, and sportswear. It is the largest company that sells footwear in the European market and has gained a significant market share at the global platform. Adidas has had a remarkable sale and has risen to the competition at the global scale with other international footwear companies. McDonald & Milne, (1999) state it in their journal. 2.1 Mission and vision of adidas: As the company is leading the global business of manufacturing and distribution of sports wear and accessories primarily to improve the sportsmen lifestyle. Adidas Group focuses on the objectives and puts total commitment towards strengthening the brand names. That’s why the mission and vision statement of the company is defined according to global context. Lussier & Kimball (2009) have both shown it in their work. 2.1.1 The Mission statement: â€Å"Our mission is to become the best sports brand in the world. To that end, we will never equate quantity with quality. Our founder Adi Dassler was passionate about sports. For Adidas, the athlete came first. He gave those on the field, the court and the track the unexpected and the little differences that made them more comfortable and improved performance. This is our legacy. This is what the brand stands for. This will never change.† 2.1.2 The Vision Statement: â€Å"To make adidas, products as high as sky and as wise as an owl† 2.2 The Functional over view of the company: The company operates in different segments under the executive brand name across the globe. These segments include retail and wholesale. The wholesale segment plays the leading role in the distribution of products from both Adidas and Reebok centers to all retail stores across the globe. On the other hand, the retailers are solely responsible of meeting with the demand of customers at the retail shops across the global market. Plunkett, ( 2008) explain it in his research. The Current Brand Division of Adidas Group: 2.3 The Strategy of Adidias Group: The adidas Group strives to be the global leader in the sportswear industry with brands built upon a passion for sports and a sporting lifestyle. We know that a profound understanding of the consumer and customer is essential to achieving this goal. To anticipate and respond to their needs, they continuously strive to create a culture of innovation, challenging there selves to break with convention and embrace change. By harnessing this culture, they push the boundaries of products, services and processes to strengthen their competitiveness and maximize the Group’s operational and financial performance. This, in turn, will drive long-term value creation for their shareholders. 3. The SWOT Analysis: Following is the brief SWOT analysis of the company in global context. 3.1 Strengths: Adidas is the world’s second largest maker of athletic footwear, apparel and equipment by Sales with revenues of $15,333.30 million Adidas group’s leading market position is built on its portfolio of strong brands, which enhances adidas market position and boosts its top line. Adidas’ portion of own retail has grown substantially giving adidas more brand control. Adidas operates over 2,200 stores for the adidas and Reebok brands worldwide. Adidas own†retail business includes: – e†commerce, – Mono branded stores run by retail partners, – Shop in shops established with key accounts, – Joint ventures with retail partners, – Co branded stores with sports organizations or other brands. 3.2 Weaknesses: China negatively impacted by clearance of high excess inventories following the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games which subdued consumer demand in 2009. Adidas outsources 95% of production to independent third†party suppliers in Asia, including 32% from China. Merchandise procured from foreign manufacturers is a weakness because it gives adidas less control over the product quality. †¢ Concerns over unsafe Chinese consumer products †¢ The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has issued alerts and announced voluntary recalls by US companies on numerous products made in China. Vendor and manufacturer failures to achieve and maintain high manufacturing standards could result in manufacturing errors resulting in: †¢ Product recalls or withdrawals, †¢ Delays or interruptions of production, †¢ Cost overruns 3.3 Opportunities: Adidas has sponsorship agreements for major sports events across the globe †¢ Japan Football Association until March 2015 †¢ Australian Olympic Committee until 2016 †¢ Secured sponsorship rights to the 2014 FIFA World Cup Extended its partnership with: †¢ UEFA for the UEFA EURO 2012 †¢ UEFA EURO 2016 football championships †¢ UEFA Champions League Signed an 11†year global merchandising partnership agreement with the NBA †¢ Makes adidas the official uniform and apparel provider for the NBA, WNBA and the NBA Development League Official Sportswear Partner to 2012 Olympics in London. Sponsorship of major sports events helps the company strengthen its profitability and enhance its brand recall among consumers. 3.4 Threats: Widespread counterfeits deprive revenues for the company and can dilute the adidas brand image. The market for sports apparel and footwear has declined in 2009. †¢ Athletic footwear declined 3.2% in 2008 & 1.4% in 2009 †¢ Decline due to 3% decline in men’s footwear segment †¢ Active apparel declined by 4% †¢ Sports use apparel decreased by 5.5% in 2009. Lussier, R. N , & Kimball, D. C. (2009) explain it in their analysis report . 4. The PEST analysis: The external impact of adidas to worldwide is explained here. 4.1 Political: Adidas generates policies and monitor hazardous substance to protect human health and environment and also it protects the rights of its employees by following labor laws on country specific way. Adidas a multinational company need to consider the global political state as well as domestic political issues. It is important to monitor the government’s laws which affect the business of adidas. Since the political arena has a huge influence upon the regulation of public and private sector businesses, and the spending power of consumers and other businesses it has come necessary for adidas react dynamically and efficiency for these issues. The government enters in to any trade agreements adidas needs to keep it on track since it may affect the business. Government taxation policy plays a major role in company’s profit that’s why the efficient management of the adidas is always emphasizing on it. 4.2 Economical: Adidas as a multinational company maintain its strong economical growth year by year. In 2008, the adidas Group again delivered a strong financial performance. The product sales and the profitability gowned up in line with management’s initial expectations. Currency-neutral sales increased by 9%. And the double digits sales increase in adidas segment had the biggest impact on this development. Adidas managed to reduce its production cost with improving the product quality by locating the factory plants in Asia. 4.3 Social: There are no barriers for Adidas products like raise, age, religion, and lifestyle, it is always in fashion with special design in any product. Adidas focus in people who like sports and athletes, almost everybody beyond the boundaries. 4.4 Technological: Adidas introduces modern approaches to doing new and old things, Adidas join into technology by make up the world’s first â€Å"smart shoe†, adding a microchip inside the shoe and wireless mp3 player. Adidas uses hot melt system of production which is environment friendly. 5. Conclusion: The sportswear industry has developed into being more than just selling sportswear- and equipment. Due to heavy competition, organisations need to differentiate themselves and focus on both product attributes and brand values when creating brand strategies. Therefore, we can finally conclude that adidas brand themselves through personality traits and value propositions. However, the self-expressive, emotional, and functional benefits of the brands are somewhat diverse as they brand themselves through different personalities and therefore have different brand strategies. 6. References: McDonald, M. A., & Milne, G. R. (1999). Cases in sport marketing. London: Jones & Bartlett Learning. Lussier, R. N., & Kimball, D. C. (2009). Applied sport management skills. London: Human Kinetics. (Plunkett Research Ltd & Plunkett,2008). group.com/en/pressroom/assets/Resource_Center/adidas_Group/pdfs/Factsheet_Herzogenaurach_en.pdf Lussier, R. N., & Kimball, D. C. (2009). Applied sport management skills. London: Human Kinetics.

Analytical Reading “The Luncheon” by Somerset Maugham Essay

The text under analysis belongs to the pen of William Somerset Maugham, the one of the best known English writers of the 20th century. He was not only a novelist, but also one of the most successful dramatist and short-story writers. He was born in Paris in 1874. His parents died when he was very young. The boy was taken away from the French school, and went for his lessons daily to the apartment of the English clergyman at the church, then he was sent to England to attend school. In 1890 he went abroad and studied at the University of Heidelberg from which he returned to England in 1892 and became a medical student at St. Thomas’s hospital in London. After that Somerset decided to devote his life to literature. â€Å"I didn’t want to be a doctor. I didn’t want to be anything but a writer†. The technique of the short story had always interested Maugham. Somerset Maugham has written 24 plays, 19 novels and a large number of short stories. At the beginning of the text the narrator, who is the author’s mouthpiece here recognizes a woman with whom he had a lunch several years ago. Then he starts remembering that unforgettable evening: He was a young man, living in Paris and could barely keep body and soul together. She had read his book and wrote a letter to him, expressing her wish to have with him a little luncheon at Foyot’s – a very expensive restaurant. He couldn’t say no to a woman and invited her for lunch. He had only eighty francs to last him the rest of the month. To his horror she ordered one expensive dish after another. He paid the bill and was left with no money at all. However, at the end of the story, the narrator feels that he has finally had his revenge when he sees that the lady has put on a lot of weight. Compositionally the story falls into 3 parts. The story begins with the exposition, which extends over the first several paragraphs. At the beginning of the text the narra tor sees a woman at the theatre in many years since they first met and can hardly recognize her. Then the author presents a flashback to the past which goes to the last paragraph with a help of the sentence â€Å"Did I remember?† which allows us to know what had happened many years ago. Here we learn about the place of action and its time. The reader gets information  about the events, preceding the meeting of the main characters and also understands that the narrator was a very poor man. Then come complications, opened with the sentence: † She was not so young as I expected and in appearance imposing rather than attractive.† The action takes place in the restaurant. Here the reader learns more about the characters. The author describes how this lady enjoys the meal, ordering the most expensive dishes and he is wondering about the bill. The bill was finally paid and the narrator found himself with not a penny left in his pocket for the whole month. After it the author comes back to the present time and here comes the climax. Now, after 20 years had passed by, the narrator has had his revenge at last because â€Å"Today she weighs twenty-one stone†. This story is a first-person narrative. The dialogues are predominant in the complications – the biggest part of the text. The general atmosphere of the text is emotional and ironical (even the title â€Å"The Luncheon† is ironical, because the word â€Å"luncheon† means a â€Å"light snack†, but in fact it turned to be an abundant and very expensive meal), but also strained (â€Å"I watched the abandoned woman thrust them down her throat in large voluptuous mouthfuls, and in my polite way I discoursed on the condition of the drama in the Balkans.†; † Panic seized me. It was not a question now of how much money I should have left over for the rest of the month, but whether I had enough to pay the bill.†). The tone of this story is ironical. The author uses direct (â€Å"But I was flattered, and I was too young to have learned to say no to a woman†; â€Å"I watched the abandoned woman thrust them down her throat†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ) and indirect methods of characterization. The characters are presented through their actions, descriptions of the outward appearance and things that surround the characters. The waiter might be called a minor character. To my mind the woman is smart, gluttonous, selfish, cold, indiscreet. She is a villain who serves a foil to the protagonist. By constantly repeating her ironic expression † I never eat more than one thing † she emphasized the conflict between what she says and what she does. The author – the protagonist, is a poor, kind, honest and sincere man. The author’s style is vivid, clear and emotional. The author uses stylistic devices sparingly. In my opinion there is an external conflict in this story. The theme of this story is appearance against reality. Everything in the  story is not really what it seems to be. The narrator expected to have a little luncheon with a beautiful lady. But it turned to be an expensive meal with an unattractive woman. This woman repeats â€Å"I never eat anything for luncheon†, but eats everything she can. I think that the author’s message â€Å"the appearance is not yet the reality† is very important and relevant today.

Hinduism and Christianity

There are many known religions of the world and all of them have their own uniqueness about them. Some people are born into their religious faith and some are converts to their perspective religion. I have chosen Hinduism to compare and contrast with my religion Christianity. I found Hinduism to be an interesting religion to research because of the myths about idol worship and the Hindu place of worship, the temple. Through my research of references, material, an interview, a face to face visit, and common knowledge I will convey the history, provide an overview, and clarify some of the myths of Hinduism and Christianity.Both religions have some differences but they also have some commonalities among them. Hinduism and Christianity are distinctly different religions; however, they do posses some similarities between them such as, God the Holy Trinity, The Holy Book, and different denominations within the religion. [Well developed introduction] Hinduism is one of the oldest religions, originating over six thousand years ago in India, of the world and one of which that does not have no one founder. The root word of Hinduism, Hindu, derived from the name of River Indus.This river flows through the northern region of India and in early times the river was called Sindhu. The Persians that migrated to India called the river the Hindu, the land Hindustan, its inhabitants Hindus. The religion soon followed and came to be known as Hinduism. Hinduism is both monotheistic and henotheistic or having belief in only one God. â€Å"Hindus all believe in one Supreme God who created the universe. He is all-pervasive. He created many Gods, highly advanced spiritual beings, to be His helpers† (Kauai’s Hindu Monastery, 2007).There is a misconception that Hindus are worshipers of idol Gods; this misconception comes from lack of knowledge and understanding. Hindus worship the Supreme Being, God, but through different names. This was done due to the people of earlier In dia having different languages and cultures. They came to understand the one God in their own distinct way. So there came to be three representations of God or Brahman and they are: Brahma-the Creator, Vishnu- the Sustainer, and Siva or Shiva- the Destroyer. These Gods can be referred to as 3-in-1 or the Trinity and they all have a multitude of spiritual beings which are a reflection of the one God.From these Gods arose four denominations or sects of Hinduism and they are Saivism, Vaishnavism, Shaktism, and Smartism. In Saivism the worshipers are called Saivites and God is Siva; in Vaishnavism they are called Vaishnavites and Lord Vishu is God; in Shaktism worshipers are called Shaktas and Goddess Shakti is Supreme; and Smartism they are called Smartas and all deities are seen and worshiped as the one God. In Hinduism it is believed that when God created the universe that he divinely set in place order and laws to preside over His creation. God’s divine law in Hinduism is cal led dharma.Dharma is the inner spirit of man or God within the person. Dharma aides one to discern what is morally right and wrong, disciplines, instills good order, spiritual truth and growth, and salvation. Dharma is not only connected spiritually and religiously but it is also associated with man’s law as well. According to Paul Hacker, â€Å"†¦the entire realm of civil law, criminal law, and state craft-royal law form part of dharma† (Hacker, P. , 2006, p. 483). Now that we have divine law there must be something to support the law, so do Hindus have a Bible? Yes, they do have a Bible. â€Å"Our â€Å"Bible† is called the Veda.The Veda, which means â€Å"wisdom,† is comprised of four ancient and holy scriptures which all Hindus revere as the revealed word of God† (Hacker, P. , 2006, p. 483). The Veda is the Hindu holy book and it is comprised of four books, Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharva, which include over 100,000 verses (Hacker, P. , 2006, p. 483). Reincarnation is another belief of Hindus and the term carnate means in the flesh and reincarnate means to reenter the flesh. â€Å"Yes, we believe the soul is immortal and takes birth time and time again. Through this process, we have experiences, learn lessons, and evolve spiritually.Finally we graduated from physical birth† (Kauai’s Hindu Monastery, 2007). The graduation from the physical birth is the result of maturing in love, wisdom, and knowledge of God through following dharma. Hindus also believe that everything in nature is reincarnated, nature’s life cycle, not just the human soul. The term Karma is used quite often in the American society and it has come to mean that you are receiving that which you deserve. In most cases the American society equate karma to be negative; meaning that you have done something bad or wrong and you are now receiving its results.However Hindus take the whole spectrum of karma positive and negative; good and bad. The Hindus take the meaning and explanation of karma to be, â€Å"†¦the universal principle of cause and effect. Our actions, both good and bad, come back to us in the future, helping us to learn from life’s lessons and become better people† (Kauai’s Hindu Monastery, 2007). In Hinduism all living creatures are regarded as sacred with a special affection toward the cow. So the question arises, do Hindus worship the cow? â€Å"Hindus don’t worship cows. We respect, honor and adore the cow.By honoring this gentle animal, who gives more than she takes, we honor all creatures† (Kauai’s Hindu Monastery, 2007). Cows are known for yielding milk, its meat and its hide and all of these things are used to produce a multitude of everyday products that we have become to love, need, and enjoy. Hindus believe in non-violence in regards to all forms of life, therefore, most Hindus are vegetarians. There aren’t laws that forbid the consumption o f meat but through wisdom Hindus determine what they will put into their own body.However, â€Å"Hindus teach vegetarianism as a way to live with a minimum of hurt to other beings. But in today’s world not all Hindus are vegetarians† (Kauai’s Hindu Monastery, 2007). It is common to see Hindus wearing a red dot on the middle of their forehead and most people will identify Indians, native of India, with wearing the dot. The meaning of the wearing of the dot, â€Å"†¦is a religious symbol. It represents divine sight and shows that one is a Hindu. For women, it is also a beauty mark† (Kauai’s Hindu Monastery, 2007).This dot is called a bindi and many, many years ago both men and women wore a bindi but today it is most common for women to faithfully wear them. Finally the Hindus have a caste system which consists of different levels within the Indian society. â€Å"Caste is the hereditary divisions of Indian society based on occupation. The lowest class, deemed untouchables, suffer from discrimination and mistreatment. It is illegal in India to discriminate against, abuse or insult anyone on the basis of caste† (Kauai’s Hindu Monastery, 2007). The caste system is broken down into four categories or varnas.The varnas are comprised of the worker, businessman, general, and priest. The beliefs and teachings of Hinduism are the belief in one God with different names; there is only one Supreme God or Brahman but He has many reflections. Hindus believe the divine law or dharma and the holy books of Veda are used to support the law. They also believe the soul is immortal and birth takes place many times otherwise known as reincarnation. Hindus are firm believers in karma and that your past words, deeds, or actions will return to you in the future.They regard all living creatures as sacred but they revere the cow as a symbol for all living creatures. Hindus are taught to be non-harming toward any living being. The teachi ng of vegetarianism is taught to minimize harm toward other beings. Although it is taught vegetarianism is not practiced by all Hindus. There is one distinct religious symbol that is worn on the forehead by some Hindus called a bindi, a red dot, and it is commonly worn by the Hindu women. There are four classes of people which are known as the caste system in the Indian Society.Hinduism is a very unique religion and it is very similar to other religions, however, without a clear understanding of Hinduism one might misinterpret and relay incorrect information about the religion. Knowing the beliefs and teachings with the reasoning behind them provides a clear understanding of Hinduism. The Hindu temple I chose to visit is in Riverdale, Georgia which is located approximately 15 miles south of downtown Atlanta. The temple is sculptured in design with a majestic appearance; it is white in color and it situated atop of a hill. The temple permits entrance to anyone as long as you abide by the rules.One of the rules is to remove your shoes prior to entering the temple. This is not a religious practice but cultural, Indians do this because it is dirty outside and it is clean inside, therefore shoes should be removed before entering a temple or home. Another rule is there are to be no loud noises because this is a time of worship. Inside the temple there are sanctums situated around the temple with the various deities inside them. The priest stands at the entrance of the sanctum of the main God Lord Vishnu and the worshipers walk around to the different deities submitting their prayers.There is no set order for mass worship but it is up to the individual as to what prayers they will submit and to what deity. After touring and witnessing the worship taking place I am glad to say that I was able to experience Hindu worship and to clear up any myths I may have had prior to my visit. While at the temple I was given the opportunity to interview the President of the Temple, Mr. Ravi Sarma. He was very welcoming and pleased that I wanted to know more about his religion. Mr. Sarma grew up as a liberal Hindu not having any strict rules enforced.As an adult he transitioned to the orthodox side of Hinduism, which is very traditional and strict. It was from Mr. Sarma that I received a better understanding of the Gods in Hinduism; after he explained that Hindus belief in one God but with different symbols or expressions. Mr. Sarma went in to detail about the Trinity of Hinduism and how it works as a cycle or reincarnation. The Cycle of Hinduism begins life with Brahma the Creator, life is sustained through Vishnu the Sustainer, and Siva the Destroyer into whom everything goes; the cycle then repeats itself.Even though most of the deities are in the feminine aspect referred to as Durgar; God is neutral being neither male nor female. Mr. Sarma went over the following holidays: Diwali-a festival of lights, Pongal / Sankranti- a harvest festival, Holi- a spring f estival, Ugadi-New Years (comes in spring), and Navratri (Dasara)- a nine day fall festival. Speaking one-on-one with Mr. Sarma I gained a valid knowledge about Hinduism and it also brought a clearer understanding of the course text, references, and materials.My religious faith is that of Christianity, which began some two thousand years ago. The faith of Christianity is predicated upon the life, teachings, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ (Fisher, 2005, p. 284). In Hinduism the term The Trinity is used but is most commonly used in Christianity. Some Christians refer to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit as the Trinity. All of these names are known as God the one and only. God the Father is the creator of all things. God the Son is Jesus, the son of God and savior to all. The Holy Spirit is the spirit of God and the comforter to all.There are two branches or denominations of Christianity and they are Roman Catholicism and Protestantism. The Roman Catholic Church is the first church of Christianity and the largest Christian denomination. Protestantism is the second major branch of Christianity, which, broke off from The Roman Catholic Church. My denomination Baptist falls within Protestantism. The term Baptist describes individuals belonging to a Baptist church. The name comes from the conviction that followers of Jesus Christ are commanded to be baptized or immersed in water as a public display of their faith.To live eternally is believed that through baptism and according to scripture, â€Å"If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. † (Romans 10:9). It does not stop here; we must also be led by the Holy Spirit to do what is right. Therefore we have the Golden rule as it relates to karma is to treat others as you would want to be treated. The holy book that is used in Christianity is called the Holy Bible. The Holy Bible is comprised of the Old and New T estament.The Old Testament consists of 39 books and the New Testament consists of 27 books. As with most religions there are different levels of leadership within Christianity to provide purpose, direction, and teachings such as a Bishop, Pastor, ministers, and deacons. Christianity is based upon the life, teachings, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ (Fisher, 2005, p. 284). The belief in the Holy Trinity, eternal life through baptism, treating all beings as you want to be treated, and the Holy Bible are beliefs of Christianity.There are also two major branches of Christianity, Roman Catholicism and Protestantism, with Baptist being one within Protestantism. Within the various denominations there are different levels of leadership. In comparing Hinduism with Christianity I realized that there are some similar terms used but they mean something different for each religion. Both religions are monotheistic and they both have their own representation of the Holy Trinity. As Hindus believe in reincarnation Christians believe in eternal life of the soul. In Hinduism there are only four denominations where as in Christianity there are many.Lastly they both have a sacred book; in Hinduism the Veda is used and in Christianity the Holy Bible is used. I found Hinduism to be a very interesting religion and I was surprised to find out there were some commonalities between Christianity and Hinduism. By Hinduism having some of the same similarities as Christianity and with the reinforcement from my interview helped me to better understand Hinduism. Hinduism and Christianity are distinctly different religions; however, they do posses some similarities between them such as, God the Holy Trinity, The Holy Book, and different denominations within the religion.

The Outbreak of the HIV Virus

Who would have ever thought that a disease, possibly brought to America by infected African monkeys, would affect the country forever? This is exactly what happened in the late nineteenth century when the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) was introduced to America. The unpredictable epidemic caused a huge outrage for years to come. The outbreak of the HIV virus, AIDS, in the early 1980†³s resulted in medical research, public misconceptions, and ultimately growing awareness. Appearing first only in homosexual men, AIDS was an unfamiliar virus to the entire United States. Reports of unknown and unexplainable symptoms caused much confusion among patients and even doctors. In 1981, the first reports explained that 41 homosexual men in the San Fransisco area had â€Å"†¦ a rare and often rapidly fatal form of cancer† (Altman n. p. ). After years of researching these cases and millions of others appearing later in the decade, scientists discovered that it was not cancer they were dealing with. They called it HIV (Human Immune Virus) which leads to AIDS (Acquired Immune deficiency Syndrome) that â€Å"†¦ rogressively destroys the body†s ability to fight infections and certain cancers† (ARIC n. p. ). With minimal research there was nothing to initially â€Å"combat† the virus; but, thanks to time and funding, there were some drugs that seemed to help stop the spread of the virus in ones body. These anti-retroviral drugs still don't constitute as cures ! for the virus, but have definitely helped and continue to help patients live longer (ARIC n. p. ). Since a vaccine to â€Å"†¦ evoke an immune system response that will prevent infection or disease development† still has not been found, other treatments have been tested. Accupuncture, stress management, hypnosis, exercise, good nutrition, and an overall positive attitude all seem to alleviate symptoms even if they are not proven cures of the virus (Packer 78-88). Although AIDS is a life threatening disease, there were many people living with it by keeping healthy and staying safe. Scott Fried had not tried any of the aniviral drugs; however, practices such as taking 80 herbs and vitamins a day, staying physically fit, visiting the doctor every three months, and being happy have kept him alive with the virus for thirteen years (Fried speach). Most victims have not lived as long as he which is why AIDS has lead to some extensive research. Investigators supported by private and public funds continued to search for a cure or even an explanation of HIV/AIDS for two decades because like the â€Å"b! lack plague†, AIDS has killed off millions of people in a short time. Also like the black plague did, AIDS carried with it a long string of misconceptions. In the Middle Ages anyone carrying the â€Å"black plague† was to be avoided. Similarly, the public would often avoid people with AIDS. There were fabrications that AIDS could be caught by another human being from sneezing, coughing, hugging, kissing or even any â€Å"casual contact† ; so, people stayed away from those who were infected by AIDS. Another lie was that AIDS was caused by something magical or mystical (Taylor 23-24). Though some were overly careful of â€Å"catching† the virus, others were not careful enough. Since the initial outbreak was among gay men it was simply assumed that only gay men could be affected. Then reports of IV drug users having the disease still seemed to eliminate the chance of the common person being infected. Next, hemophiliacs and people who had had blood transfusions were reported followed by blacks, Hispanics, lesbians, straight women and finally white, heterosexual, males. Still everyone said â€Å"It can†t happen to me,† until it did (Fried speech). This assumption that AIDS only affected few amounts of people and only minorities was the basis of all misconceptions about that virus. People did not believe the virus could have any impact on their lives; but, it did impact everyones lives directly and or indirectly. Now that â€Å"AIDS is the second leading cause of death in the United States among people aged 25 to 44†³ (ARIC n. p. ), the misconceptions have been proven to be false. Although it was statistically correct that 66% of people infected by AIDS were homosexual males, 24% were IV drug users, and only 4% were heterosexual males or females (Packer 17) it was still a fact that AIDS can affect anyone. After years of research and statistical reports there were finally people relaying these messages to the public. Motivational speakers, like Scott Fried, continue to reach out to teens and adults about AIDS and sex. Information about these subjects can also be found easily, not only at hospitals or doctors† offices; but in books, magazines, pamphlets, and even on the internet. Conducting a simple search on http://www. yahoo. com came up with 164 â€Å"category matches,† 1,206 â€Å"web site matches,† and 237,000 web page matches. This means that HIV/AIDS appears at least 238,370 times on th! e world wide web and it shows that AIDS in an important component of modern life. Not only are people becoming aware of the AIDS epidemic, but they are becoming aware of sexuality through learning about AIDS. Before the outbreak of this fatal virus sex was only spoken about discretely. Now even kids are being made aware of the dangers of sex and spreading HIV. In this way HIV/AIDS had a positive affect on the country. People are aware of the facts and probably make better decisions. Some experts have said that AIDS will remain the way it is now and others predict it growing into a â€Å"huge epidemic† (Taylor 28). Hopefully due to this expansion of knowledge and recognition, he AIDS virus will not spread as quickly and infect as many people as it has in the past. HIV positive, homosexual, male, Scott Fried, said, â€Å"Ironically one of the blessings that HIV/AIDS has brought me is the abundance of love. . . † and perhaps that is true. Pertaining to the eighties and the early onset of the virus, AIDS caused much more commotion than love. However, every cloud has a silver lining and the hysteria has finally cleared up some myths. It has opened up the public to not only HIV/AIDS awareness, but sexual cognizance as well.