How Media Affects People Essay

My opinion on this topic argues both sides, I have opinions for either side of the debate. I think that games are good to keep peoples mind working and a lot of them improve the way people think. Games can stimulate your mind and thought process. As long as games do not take over your life they are perfectly fine. Young children have to be guided no matter what it is that they do. Teaching children to manage time wisely will eliminate most of the issues adults have with gamers. Having self control is another big one. If you cannot do the necessary things in your life and give yourself time to play or watch TV then in that case it turns into something bad. Children strive to play these games, often used as rewards for accomplishing something they were asked to do. Situations as these teach life skills. One skill it can teach is being responsible and doing your necessary work before treating yourself. Another one I thought of is using your time wisely so that you can do the extra things that you want to. Television is good for some people; it’s good to spread news and ads for products. Negative ways it affects people is that a lot of people sit on the couch and snack all evening. People stop caring about homework, exercising, and quality time with family. TV gives a lot of people an excuse to make unwise decisions. Television sometimes teaches children things that they should not yet know about. All in all it truly depends on yourself, weather you can control how you use technology in your everyday life. It is not that TV is harmful, the way we use it can be. Video games used at moderation are good for us.

Optimization of portfolio risk Essay

This paper is a critique one the article entitled â€Å"Post-Modern Portfolio Theory† by Swisher and Kasten (2005). The framework for this critique is to determine whether there ground to agree or disagree on the claims of the authors as against the evidence they presented. Swisher and Kasten asserted about the unreliability of Modern portfolio theory (MPT) and its mean-variance optimization (MVO) model for asset allocation in the financial services industry particularly on building portfolios. They instead suggested the use of post-modern portfolio theory (PMPT) which presents a new method of asset location that optimizes a portfolio based on return versus downside risk (down side optimization, or DRO) instead of MVO. What makes PMPT different from PMT as explained by the authors is its recognition that standard deviation as a poor proxy in relation to humans experience on risk. They are therefore arguing on the basis of behavioral finance which appears to be not evident under PMT in addition to mathematical implication of the model. They explained that risk is an emotional condition which may be â€Å"fear of a bad outcome such as fear of loss, fear of underperformance, or fear of failing to achieve a financial goal. † (Swisher and Kasten, 2005). They simply cannot equate risks with variability as they argue that risk is â€Å"more complex than simple variance† although they admitted that it (risk) may be modeled and described mathematically. The authors explained that downside risk (DR) is risk definition taken from three sub-measures which include downside frequency, mean downside deviation, and downside magnitude. They added that each sub-measure must be defined with reference to an investor-specific minimal acceptable return (MAR) (Swisher and Kasten, 2005) . In translating their mathematical analysis, Swisher and Kasten (2005) stated that â€Å"people like to make money, not lose† and the chance of making above-average amounts to money frequently is given a heavier weight as against a tiny chance of success in lottery. In other words, the investors would go where there are more chances so that it will be accepted as part of the chance when an investment may turn out to perform poorly but they would hope that it will not to perform very poorly or as often. Swisher and Kasten, (2005) acknowledged the elegance of the mathematical mode for describing the perfect investment although incidentally they found the model called modern portfolio theory (MPT) wrong. They acknowledged that the defect is the provision of inefficient portfolios which goes without saying the it is contradicting what it is supposed to accomplish, that is efficient asset allocation or building of portfolio. The same authors took courage in declaring that the primary reason why MPT produces inefficient portfolios is the erroneous act of equating standard deviation with risk. They explained that risk is something else, and there is a need to have a better mechanical framework to describe it. Their paper therefore suggested a better framework for building of better portfolios through downside risk optimization (DRO). They of course defined DRO as â€Å"optimization of portfolio risk versus return using downside risk as the definition of risk instead of standard deviation. † (Swisher and Kasten, 2005). To be more convincing in their proposed model for through the use of DRO under PMPT, Swisher and Kasten (2005) asserted that DRO is superior to MVO under MPT as an asset allocation tool using the following arguments in support: The first one is the possibility that standard deviation can lead to ridiculous results when used as a measure of risks while downside risk (DR) does the same more closely in capturing the human conception of risk as earlier defined. The second argument is the reality that financial asset returns do not behave as what a normal distribution tries to paint and assume, thus even if for the sake of argument volatility is taken as a perfect representation of risk, the result will still not work. The third one, which strengthened more their position, is the better performance of DRO over MVO when they demonstrated head to head comparison of portfolios (Swisher and Kasten, 2005). More importantly the result of the comparison the performance of the two produced conflicting results hence one could only be correct. This was in fact the authors’ basis in declaring that MPT produces inefficient portfolios. It can be concluded that there is basis to the claim of the authors that PMPT works better than MPT in building portfolios. They were able to demonstrate with evidence about their assertion by using DRO as against MVO in their comparison. There is basis to agree with the authors claim that PMPT points the way to an improved science of investing that incorporates not only DRO but also behavioral finance as against MPT. Given this reason and a number of failures caused by MPT in the past there is basis to give due credit to the proposal of the author for PMPT which justifies its use by investors and analysts as a better alternative in asset allocation. Reference: Swisher and Kasten (2005) Post-Modern Portfolio Theory, Journal of Financial Planning, {www document} URL http://www. fpanet. org/journal/articles/2005_Issues/jfp0905-art7. cfm, Accessed January 22,2008.

Walmart - International Logistics and Supply Chain Management Assignment

Walmart - International Logistics and Supply Chain Management - Assignment Example The chain store is renowned for its efficient supply chain management and control practices, which have enabled it to perform beyond the reach of its competitors in the consumer goods industry (Kallrath & Maindl, 2006). In particular, the company has employed state-of-the-art technologies in most of its operations to help improve service delivery. For instance, starting with bar coding to hasten its supply chain operations, Wal-Mart was among the first companies to follow up bar coding with RFID programs. Although the initial rollout of its RFID tagging programmes flopped, the current rollout, which started in 2010 is expected to be successful (Ingram et al., 2010). In fact, the latest rollout of Wal-Mart’s RFID program really excited its suppliers and vendors with the prospects of better and more efficient operations and increased profits. This paper explores Wal-Mart’s in-house fleet advantages and disadvantages, evaluates its state-of-the-art technologies and cross-d ocking operations. The Benefits of Cross-Docking to Wal-Mart In general terms, cross docking involves turning the demands from a company’s retail stores into purchase orders, which are then forwarded to manufacturers or suppliers (Kumar et al., 2009). The manufacturers then notify the stores about their capacity to produce and deliver the ordered goods in a timely manner. Once produced within the stipulated period, the goods are sent to a staging area where they are packed according to the procurement orders from different stores (Kumar et al., 2009). The goods are then delivered directly to the customers. The pre-requisites of docking are rather basic and easily monitored. The fundamentals pre-requisite are strong building foundations that support the entire cross docking process. The second pre-requisite is dedicated and experienced drivers who recognise and believe in prioritizing customer service above other things. Once employed, the drivers are filtered and assigned dut ies according to their capabilities. Further, the drivers’ reliability and competence to follow the laid down standards should be assessed. Wal-Mart also ensures that its drivers are committed to the standards set in the Private Fleet Driver Handbook. The drivers’ progress is then constantly monitored by the company so that the company is assured of the competence and reliability of its drivers. Fleet coordinators are also important in Wal-Mart’s cross docking operations as they inform drivers on expected time of arrival, departure and delivery of goods, which are quite precise according to Wal-Mart’s standards. Several changes had to be implemented in Wal-Mart’s managerial control if their cross-docking programmes were to be successful. Prior to the adoption of cross-docking, the company’s pricing, promotion and merchandising decision were centralised (Mentzer, 2001). However, with the implementation of cross-docking, focus was shifted to t he â€Å"demand chain† instead of the common supply chain. That is, instead of allowing retailers to push goods into the company’s shelves; customers did more of the pulling, according to their demands, tastes and preference (Kumar et al., 2009). Cross-Docking Saves Companies Time and Money Savings on time and money are the two most obvious and far-reaching benefits that Wal-Mart enjoys from using cross-docking. First, the company has the capacity not only to receive goods immediately but also the

Accounting For Leases And New Proposed Models Essay

Accounting For Leases And New Proposed Models - Essay Example The International Accounting Standards Board calls for a new lease accounting principle that relates to assets and liabilities. This write up proposes criteria to be set for deciding between two interpretations of whether the lease increases or decreases both assets and / or liabilities. SFAS no. 13, which was issued by FASB, was at that time, 2001, showing improvement on the setting of accounting standards for leases. Many write ups on leases followed suit such as 9 FASB amendments, 12 FASB technical bulletins, EITF consensus, 6 FASB interpretations and others. The FASB is continually working to come up with an adjustment to the Statement of Financial Accounting Standards no. 13 (lease) because it has failed to address many questions by many sectors of the accounting, school, business and other companies on the accounting procedures and interpretation of leases. SFAS no 13 states that an asset can be considered a capital lease, where the value of the leased property is included in the balance sheet of the lessee, If the four conditions listed a are met: a) The lease conveys ownership to the lessee at the end of the lease term. b) The lessee has an option to purchase the asset at a bargain price at the end of the lease term. c) The lease term covers 75% or more of the economic life of the asset. d) The present value of the rental payments when using the lessee’s incremental borrowing rate is ninety percent or more of the fair market value of the asset. TWO ALTERNATIVE CONCEPTS OF LEASE ACCOUNTING One of the main points of SFAS 13 is that all lease contracts generate obligations that should be presented in the balance sheet, contrary to what the Financial Accounting Standards Board believes. In fact, SFAS no. 13 states that "a lease that transfers substantially the entire benefits and risks incident to the ownership of property should be accounted for as the acquisition of an asset and the incurrence of an obligation by the lessee and as a sale or financing by the lessor. All other leases should be accounted for as operating leases. (FASB 1976, para. 60)" FASB differs this by saying that not all lease contracts create both a new asset and a new liability. The FASB and G4+1 group have been implementing the FASB standard on lease recording. Companies in Canada, Australia, United Kingdom and New Zealand have also been following the FASB standards. THE CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK AND ACCOUNTING FOR LEASES When assessing the generally accepted accounting principles states that accounting information that should be included in the financial statements are those that are submitted on time to the decision makers. These financial statements must also be relevant to the decision making process. Further, the financial statement items should stated in such a way as to permit comparability between two accounting periods or two or more financial entity who are subsidiaries, branches or competitors. Therefore, when rights and obligations are recorded in a lease contract, intangible assets are created. An airline company comes into "existence" when it buys an airplane. According to monsoon, There is a possibility that lessees may record the lease asset in the balance sheet will be boundless because intangible assets cannot be easily estimated. When a bank

Buddhist canonical texts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Buddhist canonical texts - Essay Example The latter are the various commentaries on canonical texts and other treatises on the Dharma, as well as collections of quotations, histories, grammars, etc. () However, it should be borne in mind that many divisions are arbitrary, and some texts fall between categories, or can be associated with more than one category. Canonical texts are in some way or other associated with Gautama, the historical Buddha. Different schools, however, are not always in agreement about which texts are canonical, and the various recessions of the Buddhist Canon contain widely varying numbers and types of texts. Broadly speaking, the texts come in three types: sutras (i.e. discourses), vinaya (relating to the rules of monastic discipline), and abhidharma (analytical texts). Together these three make up what is known in Sanskrit as the Tripitaka and in Pali as the Tipitaka. Both the sutras and the vinaya of every Buddhist school contain a huge variety of documents including discourses on the Dharma, commentaries on other teachings, cosmological and cosmogonical texts, stories of the Buddha's previous lives, and various lists (Skilton 50). The Theravada and other Nikaya schools believe, more or less literally, that these texts contain the actual words of the Buddha. The Theravada canon, also known as the Pali Canon after the language it was written in, contains some four million words. Later texts, such as the Mahayana Sutras, are also considered to be the word of the Buddha, but were transmitted either in secret, via lineages of mythical beings (such as the nagas), or came directly from other Buddhas or bodhisattvas. Some 600 Mahayana Sutras have survived in Sanskrit, or in Chinese and/or Tibetan translation. The most complete Mahayana Canon is in Chinese, though it was originally in Sanskrit. It contains texts from many strands of earlier tradition. Non or semi-canonical texts have been important from very early in Buddhism. Extensive commentaries exist in Pali for the Pali Canon and in Tibetan, Chinese and other East Asian Languages. Important examples of non-canonical texts are the Visuddhimagga, or Path of Purification, by Buddhaghosa, which is a compendium of Theravada teachings that include quotes from the Pali Canon. The Milinda Panha, or Questions of Milinda, is a popular condensation of the Dharma in the form of a dialogue between the Buddhist sage Nagasena and the Indo-Greek King Menander (Eddy 164). The treatise Awakening of Faith in the Mahayana (attributed by the faithful to Ashvaghosa) strongly influenced Mahayana doctrine and inspired numerous commentaries authored by early Chinese and Korean Buddhist teachers. Shantideva's Bodhicaryavatara has been influential in both Mahayana and Vajrayana, and his Shikshasamucaya contains references to texts which are no longer extant in any other form. The Platform Sutra of Huineng might be considered a semi-canonical text, it is one of a very few texts not thought to be spoken by the Buddha that has the label "sutra". One should note, however, that this distinction may be an artifact of translation: in the original Chinese, the Platform Sutra is a jing, a term that may be translated as "sutra", but is also applied to a variety of other classic texts, such as the Daodejing and the Shi Jing. In the Platform Sutra, Hui Neng gives an autobiographical account of his succession as Zen Patriarch, as well as teachings about Zen theory and practice. The Zen and Ch'an school in particular rely on non-canonical

Study of Factors and Approaches Influencing Implementation of ERP Essay

Study of Factors and Approaches Influencing Implementation of ERP Systems - Essay Example It is unclear from both the text and the table, what the source of these tables is. It is important to refer to, explain and even evaluate these tables in your text. | 7) In chapter 5, you must include a proper conclusion. Does your research answer the research questions you posed in chapter 1? Have you fulfilled your research objectives? Please be explicit in stating the extent to which you are satisfied with your work. It is okay to say that some elements did not work as you expected. If you were to do this research again, in what way would you do it differently? We are not looking for à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"rightà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ answers as we assess your work. We are looking for a critical, justified, evidenced, coherent evaluation of the research study and its process. Chung, B. (2007). An Analysis of Success and Failure Factors for ERP Systems in Engineering and Construction Firms. Retrieved December 19, 2010, from Digiral Repository of University of Maryland: http://drum.lib.umd.edu/bitstream/1903/7644/1/umi-umd-4917.pdf Srivastava, R. (2003). Learning from Failed ERP implementation or How to make em Successful. Retrieved December 19, 2010, from Apps to Fusion:

Organizational Learning and Environmental Change Essay

Organizational Learning and Environmental Change - Essay Example This paper examines the various approaches to learning which an organization can adopt so that learning challenges in environment are not only recognized right in time but also ingrained into the operations of the organization and reflect in employees' learning to derive competitive advantage. This paper eamines the relevance of the Revans formula which emphasizes the importance of keeping pace in the learning process. All organizations can be viewed as offering some kind of solution to the problems of their stakeholders in the widest and deepest marketing sense. An essential blueprint for the organizational survival is derived from the writing of Revans(1980,1982) . Revans(1980) posited that in order for an organization to succeed the learning(L) within an organization must be greater than or equal to the rate of change(C)in the environment (L C). This is called the Raven formula. This concept maintains that organisations must become 'learning organisations' if they are to survive the changes in the external environment that affect the business and its' operations. Revans recommended action learning to essentially mean removing the gap between ideas and actions, between thinking and doing, action and learning as parts of each other. Revans coined the phrase," "helping each other to help the helpless" .Revans philosophy is based on three concepts of honesty about self, all knowledge ought to be ac tion oriented and most action should lead to camaraderie. An immediate example can prove Revans theory in relation to stakeholders of any organization. Organization like airlines -offering the services of air travel-were faced with a new and emerging niche of customers who were upwardly mobile professionals with high spending powers in early 1990s.This new niche of customers which emerged from the airlines environment was a result of prosperity brought about by globalization and opening up of economies and international markets. These travelers did not merely have an expectation of basic air travel need from airlines but expected a host of value additions in terms of menu, behaviour, off board facilities etc.Successful airlines that read into the trend and honestly went about implementing the necessary marketing plan reorientation through concrete actions like altering inflight menus, increasing airport facilities, changing the seats and space ,training the employees and above all i nstilling a team spirit while bringing about this overall change emerged as the best airlines of the world while others lagged behind. A living example is Singapore Airlines. The Revans formula worked secretly behind these success stories in that such airlines ensured that the rate of the organizational learning process was greater than that posed by the changes in their environment. Thus the employees of the organizatio

ART HISTORY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

ART HISTORY - Essay Example This construction is often used in bazaars in some of the Arab markets today. Pei and Parteners.The Bank of China, 1989 was constructed as beautiful architectural masterpiece with geometrical perfection of the mathematical design of each piece of glass. This was the precursor of his constructing the pyramids of the Louvre. Architecture in the commercial world has been transformed into art in itself. The design of Pei, the US Pavillon of Budminister Fuller and the beautiful buildings of Frank Lloyd Wright are just a small indication of how architechure has changed since the early 1950's. Art is to be beautiful to the eye visible at 180Â ° and promote social cohesion. Chapter 10: MORTALITY AND IMMORTALITY Man was deified and made immortal through art. 3000 BCE were the Pyramids in Egypt or the Chichen Itza in Mexico. Because of many social changes including the overcrowding of cities, graveyards became the responsibility of civil authorities. This can be seen in the Romanticism era wi th Pere LaChaise in 1804. (p265). As more controls were established less ornaments were allowed on gravestones. In some graveyards, stones were discontinued all together as in Memorial Lawn outside of Los Angeles. It is significant to bring up the Mausoleum of Mao Zedong in Tiananmen Square (p 266) for the architecture of the building and for the statue outside. A similar edifice can be seen in North Korea and in Moscow. There are two photos in this section which the writer feels should go in Chapter 12. Chapter 12: SOCIAL PROTEST AND AFFIRMATION The following two photos were in the last chapter for the number of people who have died. It is important to look at the date of publication of this book and the six years that have past and the importance of social affirmation. "Modern commemorative art serves a psychological need of loss" and of closure. The AIDS Memorial Quilt is a commemorative work which promotes cohesion. Other commemorative works in Chapter 11: USA MARINE CORPS WAR ( p 297) and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, (p 1982) No other time in history have people been able to congregate in masses to mourn their losses. The most significant piece of architecture today is the computer designed Liberty Tower or 7TC. Land has been broken and it is scheduled to be finished in 2013. This site represents a corporate structure built will a shape that has never been used before which has no national or cultural significance. It will be used a memorial for the thousands who have died and who have died in war. In building one of the highest buildings in the world, it will be a social protest and a social affirmation that terrorism can be won. The context might be considered subjective to those who were not part of September 11 2001. Context therefore is depended on the person's culture. An American reading this report will not have the same perspective as someone from an Eastern

Accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 18

Accounting - Essay Example This allows a realisation of how indebted a company is for its operations. Profitability ratios reflect on how much profit the company is earning based on its principal investment. More commonly, a breakeven point allows a tabulation of how much business the company needs to do to ensure that its start-up costs are met. Alternatively, the gross profit ratio reveals the expected profit outcomes resulting from the company’s regular business operations. The liquidity ratios determine how resilient a company would be in case of deficit financing. The current ratio reveals how much liquidity the company has to deal with its outstanding liabilities. On the other hand, the liquidity index shows how quickly the company can turn its assets into liquidity, if need arises. Finally, activity ratios describe how well managed the company is. Typically, the accounts payable and accounts receivable turnovers reveal how actively the management is closing liabilities (Wahlen, Baginski, & Bradsh aw,

Group and Team Behavior Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Group and Team Behavior - Essay Example Being the largest employer of the United States with almost 1.4 million workforces together with 600,000 worldwide, Wal-Mart plays an exemplary role as a high performance organization, comprising self directed teams (Thomson, 2009). The benefits that such teams bring to the organization are manifold. Workers get themselves involved in duties like scheduling work activities, ordering materials, collaborating with cross functional teams, like IBM, to introduce product innovations and making assessments. It enables employees to feel challenged as they develop a strong sense of identity with the organization. Minimum supervision is provided, therefore members are jointly held accountable for any conflict situation (Daft, 2007, p.298). Better training of cashiers and monitoring the utilization process help to increase productivity rates up to 10-12% (Johnson & Bradford, 2002). In order to support and encourage these teams, Wal-Mart has been able to create a sound corporate culture. In its organizational strategy, employees start to receive training from the orientation day following weekly meetings. Managers’ performance in the organization is assessed on the basis of their ability to comprehend culture. Those employees who show a firm dedication to the company are rewarded (Hart, 2006, p.389-390). Wal-Mart has devised a system that deals with creating promotion opportunities. Without yielding any gender discrimination, the organization has developed a formal mentoring program that encourages minorities and women who wish to seek managerial positions (Hart, 2006, p.389). In the year 2003, an Office of Diversity was established, by Wal-Mart, to provide diversity training to all managerial levels of workforce. Company officers were held accountable to ensure individuals are meeting set goals with the penalty that the company bonuses might be

Marcel Duchamp and Dadaism Essay Example for Free

Marcel Duchamp and Dadaism Essay The art of Dadaism had its roots as an anti-art movement. The period of time in Art History Dadaism represents was approximately period of time from 1916 to 1924. Dadaism rejected the way art was appreciated and the way art was generally being defined in contemporary art scenes at that time (Tomkins, 1985). Dadism art movement was a response to World War I and was founded in Zurich, Switzerland. There weren’t any unifying aesthetic characteristics in Dada art; however, the Dadaists did share an extremely skeptical attitude towards what were at the time, the expectations of artists and writers. The word â€Å"Dadaism† was chosen for its naive sound (Gale, 1997). After originating in Zurich, the Dadaism art movement continued to spread to places like Berlin, Cologne, Hanover, Paris, Russia and New York City (Gale, 1997). Many of the original Dadaist would gather at a nightclub in Zurich, Switzerland called Hugo Ball’s Cabaret Voltaire, to express their ideas (Tomkins, 1985). As far as the United States, the central locations for Dada art were Alfred Steiglitz’s gallery â€Å"291,† a studio at 291 Fifth Avenue, along with the studio of the Walter Arensbergs, a Harvard-educated U. S. resident and art collector (Tomkins, 1985). Because Switzerland was neutral to both WWI and WWII, objectors to the war, those avoiding military service and those who just wanted to find a place for free expression gravitated to Switzerland. Integral to the Dada movement was the attempt not to categorize the art work using any association with any reference to analyzing the art intellectually. Dada was also a reaction the bourgeois Victoria values of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Dadaism was considered â€Å"absurb and playful† but at the same time it was considered to be â€Å"intuitive and cryptic† (Art, 2006). The methods used in producing this Dada art were not conventional and they used what they referred to at the time as â€Å"the chance technique and found objects† (Art, 2006). The Dadaists were trying to make their statement on the â€Å"social values and cultural trends of a contemporary world facing a devastating period of war† (Art, 2006). One of the artists associated with Dada and Surrealism was French artist Marcel Duchamp. However, according to some of my various readings, Duchamp’s actual participation in Surrealism was mostly behind the scenes. Most readings on Duchamp states that once he became involved in New York Dada, he seldom ever participated in Paris Dada. One of the reasons Marcel Duchamp is viewed as an enigma is that he is regarded as having produced one of the most diverse collections of masterpieces in the shortest amount of time. Some of the work Duchamp is most noted for are his oil on canvas â€Å"Nude Descending a Staircase,† â€Å"The Bride Stripped Bare by her Bachelors,† and his â€Å"ready-mades† which include the â€Å"Bicycle Wheel† and the porcelain urinal â€Å"Fountain† (Tomkins, 1985). In one source it was noted about Duchamp’s short creative period, â€Å"Duchamp was content to let others develop the themes he had originated; his pervasive influence was crucial to the development of surrealism, Dada and pop art† (Marcel, 2007). Upon viewing Duchamp’s various art pieces in the research I did for this paper, my personal thoughts are that Duchamp could have even felt that he was even using his Dadaism art in making fun of those who admired it, purchased prints of it and highly regarded it in any way. For example, in claiming a ready-made porcelain urinal and attaching a ready-made bicycle wheel to a ready-made stool, lacked pretty much any originality and even if it Dada was considered anti-art, he could have been fooling his audience. In one of my readings it noted that he was extremely surprised that he already had a large â€Å"fan base† in the United States upon arriving here. It could be that he thought he was â€Å"fooling† less people than he realized with some of the pieces he chose to present as â€Å"his† art. In one of the readings it stated that Duchamp â€Å"retained a sharp sense of humor in all circumstances—even to his death. Through humor, Duchamp abolished the difference between that which possesses and aesthetic quality and that which doesn’t† (Kuenzli). So it could be said that possibly Duchamp was just testing â€Å"us† to see at what if we got his Dadaism joke. While the Dadaist movement eventually declined in its popularity in the 1920’s, many artists who were before practicing Dadaism began practicing Surrealism. There was noted a Dadaism revival which occurred in New York in the mid 1950’s. Many feel this reaffirmed that Dada art was an important artistic movement in the world of arts. References Art History: Dadaism. World Wide. 2006. World Wide Arts Resources. 14 May 2007 http://wwar. com/masters/movements/dadaism. html. Gale, Matthew. Dada Surrealism. Art ideas. London: Phaidon, 1997. Kuenzli, Rudolf. Marcel Duchamp: Artist of the Century. Cambridge, Massachusetts: MIT Press, 1989. Masheck, Joseph. Marcel Duchamp in Perspective. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1975. Tomkins, Calvin. The World of Marcel Duchamp. Amsterdam: Time-Life,1985.

Friendship A Deeper Look Into Relationships Sociology Essay

Friendship A Deeper Look Into Relationships Sociology Essay Like armor, good friends make us almost invincible, capable of warding off the blows life occasionally deals us. The need for social bonding and friendship is established at birth and evolves from then on. Although it is recognized and learned at a very young age, friendship can have a different meaning for everyone. You may choose your friends based on affection, disclosure, or shared values and interests. Since friendship is so common and natural, the variations and types of friendships as well as the different ways we interact within those friendships, are often over-looked and frequently not paid attention to. Within this paper I will examine the main types of friendships human-beings commonly experience, same-sex friendships and cross-sex friendships. I will also be examining how we interact within these friendships, the similarities and differences between them, and will be providing examples to help you gain a better insight on the topics. Since friendship is such a prevalent part of life, it is important to fully understand why we form the relationships we do and what makes these relationships work for us; because by being aware of how different friendships function may help your relationships be more successful in the future. Same-Sex Friendships Friendship in general has been the focus of a considerable amount of studies; however most of these studies have mainly focused on same-sex friendships. A same-sex friendship is a relationship where both individuals have the same sexual origin. This would constitute male-male and female-female friendships. This is the most common type of friendship women and men will usually experience and there are many similarities and differences discussed between the two types of relationships. Differences A variety of differences have been investigated within male-male and female-female friendships, but by far the most prominent difference studied would be that womens friendships tend to be more expressive, emotional, intimate, richer, and include more self-disclosure than mens; whereas mens tend to be more instrumental and are task, goal-, and activity-oriented (Wright Scalon, 1991; Monsour, 1992; Duck Wright, 1993; Brehm, 1992). Womens friendships are represented as intimate relationships in which sharing feelings and talking are the most prevalent activities. Mens friendships are represented as ones in which sharing activities such as sports or work dominate interaction (Walker, 1994). Womens friendships are face to face: they talk, cry together, share secrets, and that is what makes their friendship satisfying. Mens friendships are side by side and almost always revolve around some type of activity. For men, it is the doing, not the talking, that makes a friendship close (Floyd, 2009). The talking that does go on within female-female relationships compared to male-male relationships could not be more different. Women will almost always exchange feelings and talk about problems and men will discuss sports, work, or what is happening in their immediate lives. An important difference between same-sex friendships is that female ones tend to be more oriented towards emotional intimacy than male friendships (Dickens Perlman, 1981). Men will generally be less physically affectionate with other men (hugging, putting arms around each other, kissing) because they know that this behavior goes against cultural norms. While taking gender roles into consideration, women are technically raised to be more open and nurturing, whereas men are raised to be masculine and competitive. Movie Examples One example of media that displays how women interact within female friendships is the hit movie Sex and the City, starring Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon. This movie follows four best friends in Manhattan, who share their travels in life and love and their daily discussions of romance and sexuality. In the movie Sarah Jessica Parker plays Carrie Bradshaw, A New York writer who has a column on sex, love, and relationships. She is finally getting married to her on-again off-again boyfriend of years. When he stands her up the day of her wedding, its her three girlfriends who are left to console and support her, being there for her every step of the way through a long, dramatic recovery process. With the help of her girlfriends, Carries life eventually returns to normality. As they are sitting discussing their hardships and the importance of friendship, Samantha says, We made a deal ages ago. Men, babies, doesnt matter. Were soul mates! Another example of media that displays how men interact within male friendships is the movie Old School, starring Will Ferrell, Luke Wilson and Vince Vaughn. Luke Wilson plays Mitch, a man with a good job, a house, and a healthy intimate relationship; or so he thinks. Until one day Mitch catches an early flight home to find out his girlfriend has not exactly been faithful over the years. When Mitch addresses his friends, Frank and Beanie, they discuss how they have all come to a crossroads in their lives. They can choose to be responsible adults with wives, families and steady jobs; or they can postpone adulthood in favor of returning to college and start a fraternity with all the fun and none of the education. Instead of the three friends addressing their problems head on or helping each other come to terms with the complications in their lives, they closet their feelings and do not find a proper solution. Now, the majority of their time is consumed in the activity of starting a fra ternity together, centered on drinking, women and living a carefree life. As you can see, these movies depict same-sex friendships between females and same-sex friendships between males very differently. Similarities Gender differences that exist between male-male friendships and female-female friendships have clearly been demonstrated in the literature but lately, scholars have questioned its magnitude (Fehr, 2000). Research emphasizes the fact that both men and women look for more or less the same things from their same-sex friendships, they just accomplish getting it in different ways. Male friendships are not inferior to female friendships. Men may not be physically or emotionally expressive, but they also derive great support from their friendships (Zaslow, 2010). The fact that womens and mens relationships differ does not mean that friendships are more important to one sex than the other. It is believed that because women share and express feelings more openly with each other, womens friendships are more satisfying than mens are. Research has demonstrated that women and men report equal levels of closeness in their same-sex friendships (Floyd, 1995). What do differ between the male-male and female-female relationships are simply the characteristics that make those specific friendships close. For women, the key characteristic is shared conversation; for men, its shared activity (Floyd, 2009). Movie Examples Two movies that express similar female-female friendships and male-male friendships is The Sandlot and Now and Then. The Sandlot, starring Tom Guiry as Scotty Smalls and Mike Vitar as Benjamin Franklin Rodriguez, is about the summer escapades of a group of local baseball buddies. These small town baseball players are young neighborhood friends who grew up together. They also all have one common interest that keeps their friendships thriving, their love of baseball, which is what their summer adventures are mainly focused around. These boys are all very different, and throughout the movie are not physically or emotionally expressive towards one another, but remain friends through the years simply because of the shared activities they enjoy doing with one another. Later on in the movie, after the boys made the transition into adulthood, Benny Rodriguez becomes a professional baseball player and Scotty Smalls is a sports commentator for one of his games. After Benny hits a home run ball to win the game he looks up at Scotty and gives him a wave and Scotty looks back at him smiling and nods with approval. These shows the men are still friends from childhood, and their friendship is still mainly focused around the shared activity and the memories they have playing together many years ago. The movie Now and Then, starring Christina Ricci, Thora Birch, Gabby Hoffman and Ashley Aston Moore, is about four inseparable childhood friends who experience one of the most eventful and dramatic summers of their lives together. They are also neighborhood friends who grew up together in the same area. Their summer started out normal with attempting to save up money to buy a tree house and tell-all truth or dare sessions, and then suddenly their not-so-innocent world of childhood adventure was cracked by the reality of divorce and a death in one of their families. Although they are young, they are there for each other in overcoming these tragedies together and giving each other a shoulder to lean on through it all. Experiencing these hardships together makes their bonds stronger than ever and leads them to make a pact one summer day stating that they would always be there for each other, no matter what happened in life, all for one and one for all. They stayed true to their pact lat er in life, and remained in contact. They met back in their hometown whenever necessary to talk, to cry, or just share laughs and reminisce about old memories when they needed a friend. These girls remained friends later in life not because of the activities they shared together, but mainly because of the emotional bond they developed with one another. These two movies depict similar same-sex relationships because they are both focused on childhood friends in which a strong bond still remains throughout adulthood, but the reasons of why the bonds still remain later in life differ from the female friendships to the male friendships. Cross-Sex Friendships A cross-sex friendship is where one individual in the relationship is a man and one individual in the relationship is a woman. Cross-sex friendships are a relatively new concept and have only existed for about 100 years (Swain, 1992). Changes in our society have made the existence of cross-sex friendships possible. These friendships can be difficult to establish, and pose a number of different challenges than same-sex friendships. Problems Cross-sex friendships can be difficult at times. OMeara (1989) presented four challenges that occur at some point during a friendship between two individuals of the opposite sex. First, the individuals need to confront the emotional bond that exists between them. They need to address the bond, and clearly distinguish between each other what it is. The feelings that exist between two cross-sex friends can be confusing and hard to establish between romantic or non-romantic feelings. This is important to address in the beginning of your relationship due to the fact if it goes ignored, it can complicate your relationship in the future. The second challenge is the added concern of sexual attraction (OMeara 1989). Sexuality becomes an issue in cross-sex friendships. Added sexual dimension in a friendship can cause problems, for this reason many make the decision not to involve sexuality in their friendship in order to preserve the relationship. The third challenge that OMeara (1989) presents is inequality and power. He states that men are often seen as dominant in our society. This can often pose problems in cross-sex friendships because the tw o individuals must find a way to feel as though they are equal. The fourth challenge described by OMeara (1989) is public relationships. He states that cross-sex friends often have to deal with how they are viewed by others, which results in them often having to defend the status of their friendship. Many find it difficult to accept the fact that a man and woman can have a platonic relationship. Movie Example A movie that accurately describes some of the problems that arise from cross-sex friendships is My Best Friends Wedding, starring Julia Roberts, Dermont Mulroney and Cameron Diaz. In this film Julia Roberts plays Julianne Porter a New York food critic who has a longtime male friend Michael ONeil (Dermont Mulroney). They have remained friends since college and lead what seemed to be a very normal platonic relationship. They talked often about relationships, family, and enjoyed doing many of the same activities together. That all changed one day when Michael called Julianne to tell her he had recently become engaged. While taking this information in she realizes she loves Michael herself and sets out to sabotage his wedding with only days before the ceremony. Her tactics fail and Julianne finally has to accept she has lost her love and longtime friend to another woman. Successes There are also reasons that cross-sex friendships are successful and rewarding relationships for both parties, although it is not as common as the problems and challenges that can arise from these friendships. Some researchers have proposed that male individuals initiate cross-sex friendships to have access to sex and females initiate cross-sex friendships for protection (Bleske-Rechek Buss, 2001). Some cross-sex friends invite sexuality into the friendship. The added sexual dimension in a friendship can be a pleasant aspect within the relationship, but can also cause many problems if you are not careful. Cross-sex relationships are valued because they provide a chance for men to develop friendships with women because they are looking for more emotional and physical closeness. They may want to develop a friendship in search for more self-disclosure and more conversation about personal subjects. Chances are they do not experience this within their male friendships because they assume their male friends will be of little assistance or they fear seeming effeminate. Women, on the other hand, might be looking to form friendships with men in order to have a relationship that requires less intimacy, less personal talk, and more of an activity-based friendship. Movie Example Although I am sure examples of successful cross-sex friendships exist in reality, the majority of cross-sex friendships displayed in the media almost always end in a problematic situation. Usually one member of a platonic friendship ends up wanting to be romantically involved with the other. Therefore it was challenging to find a valid example of a successful cross-sex friendship, and I did not succeed in uncovering one. Conclusion After discussing the similarities and differences within same-sex friendships, as well as cross-sex friendships and how they can be rewarding or problematic; I hope that you have gained a broader understanding within the complicated subject of friendship. It is inevitable that we all need and strive for friendship, and by looking deeper into a certain area of friendship you may find it can actually answer many commonly asked questions or help resolve a problem you may be having within one of your own personal relationships. This should assist you in constructing your meaning of friendship as well as determining exactly how you are influenced by your friendships and how your friendships are influenced by you.

Effect of the Financial Crisis on the British Economy

Effect of the Financial Crisis on the British Economy To what extent has Britain been affected by the financial crisis and what efforts contribute to recovery of the British economy? The worldwide financial crisis of 2007-2008 almost brought down the global financial system. The fundamental cause agreed broadly was the combination of credit and the housing bubble crunch (Acharya and Richardson, 2009). Most people are placed on the same side of credit ranking relaxing area; however, the question may be raised that why the housing bubble would bring the financial system instead of having an effect on just on the housing sector of the economy. The answer is assigned to the bankers and regulators on the Wall Street. In this global economic crisis, banks had shirked regulatory capital requirements with the temporarily placed assets increasing and the reduction on the number of holding capital requirement allowed by the regulators. The financial crisis began to out of control after September 2008 and led to a number of fairly large financial institutions bankrupt or takeover by governments. As a financial industry and service oriented country, although Britain has a smaller size of economies of scale than America, financial industry accounted for a greater proportion of the national economy, the real estate market existing bubble as well. Therefore, the British economy suffered a massive hit by the crisis and shaped the current British commercial and business scene (Hodson and Mabbett, 2009, pp. 1041–1061). These factors are making a huge influence on the public now, either at national or individual level. Under such circumstances, Britain tends to cut government expenditure to repay debt rather than cause inflation. In terms of the latest data from the Office for National Statistics, the British economy is picking up by 0.2% and confidence of consumers is being improved. This essay will contain two main parts. The first part aims to give an overview of the British economy has been affected by the financial crisis on the following aspects. They are currency devaluation, housing and mortgage market bubble as well as the employment policy. In the second part, this essay will demonstrate the consequences of these aspects and efforts contributing to the British economic recovery, especially for employment policy. For a better understanding, efforts and consequences will follow behind by introducing the three aspects. First of all, devaluation is a natural process in financial markets. All currencies exchange rates will rise or fall based on the international situation and the states financial condition. Assume 5 British pounds were able to buy 10 U.S. dollars years ago, today the pound could be devalued and its purchasing power would only be enough to buy 7 dollars. Compared with the devaluation of the market, governments around the world sometimes use devaluation as a balance tool to protect their trade. For instance, the country could benefit from the lower cost of its export of goods if the currency is devaluated. Meanwhile, the lower currency value encourages exports and discourages imports, which could improve trade deficit and imbalances for the country. So far, the sharp depreciation of sterling in 2008 was not due to naturally devaluation process but by the true power-driven, the global financial crisis (Broadbent, 2011). In addition, trade performance of the UK since financial crisis in 2008 has been part of an essential developments in the British economy. Despite a fact that extensive depreciation in the value of sterling, which should have enhanced the UK’s competitiveness theoretically, the performance of UK trade has remained relatively stable (Hardie et al., 2003). As can be observed in the figure 1, there was a massive depreciation from 2007 to 2008 and the trade deficit stayed open. At the same time, import prices went up by a fairly large amount as well as export prices according to the figure 2. Which is not coherence with economic theory that currency depreciation encourages exports and discourages imports. Figure 1: Sterling effective exchange rate and balance of UK trade Figure 2: Sterling effective exchange rate index and UK import and export price indices Figure 3: Earnings against inflation Moreover, the reason for why there was a large depreciation of sterling during 2007 and 2009 is because the value of the sterling is tied up with the price and turnover of financial assets in the City of London. While, the UK does not contribute to the same position as America, which has the Worlds’ reserve currency. And hence when asset prices took the hardest hit in 2007-2008, the sterling did as well. This phenomenon demonstrates the sensitivity of the sterling that might occur in the financial markets. Furthermore, based on figure 3, the consequences of sterling depreciation cause a dramatic decline with earnings growth from around 4.5 per cent in 2007 to just above 1 per cent in 2009, even though the price inflation decrease during 2008. Forecast could be made from the data that standards of living quality for British people fall markedly (Hardie et al., 2003). The second impact by the 2007-2008 global financial crisis within the British economy is housing and mortgage market bubble. The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (2010) point out that the housing market is playing an essential role in UK economic activity, and there was a high owner-occupation rate stood at 68% in 2010 (Niklewski et al., 2013, PP. 518–530). However, the financial crisis associated with the credit crunch means that the UK market faced a further problem relating to the housing and mortgage market. Prior to the financial crash, borrowers were in a position to finance at least 95% of the purchase price using mortgage debt (Niklewski et al., 2013, PP. 518–530). By contrast, banks withdrew the majority of these offers after crash, and many increased the required down-payment from the historical average of 10 percent to 25 percent (Niklewski et al., 2013, PP. 518–530). The British Banking Association (2013) indicates that house purchases sum reduc ed from almost  £12 billion in November 2006 to around  £2000 in November 2008. Prima facie this had improved slightly to  £4550 million by July 2012, but this was still below the historical average. In terms of credit becomes more readily available eventually, the housing market still performs unlikely to revert to pre-crisis levels. Hence, the UK Financial Services Authority (FSA) placed proposals to a greater formal restriction on mortgage lending. The Council of Mortgage lenders suggested that the implementation of these proposed restrictions could see four million fewer mortgages in the United Kingdom over the subsequent four years (Niklewski et al., 2013, PP. 518–530). Finally, international financial crisis caused serious problems on the status of British employment. And the National Bureau of Statistics report shows that by October 2008, there were more than 150,000 jobs to be cut. Thus, UK jobless claims have increased by 257,500. Moreover, the British company lay off up to 38,588 people mainly due to high cost and low demand during the preceding three months. Under such situations, the British government had taken a number of steps to slow the further development of expanding unemployment and helped to recover the British economy to some certain extent. This could be split into two points. The first one is to encourage employment directly. And there are four policies will be presented at this point. Policy one: at least 100,000 new jobs were established through infrastructure projects. The British government implemented a total of  £10 billion for infrastructure investment plans in 2009, including education, transportation and other infrastructure projects in order to create at least 100,000 additional jobs. This measure was appropriate to provide a large number of jobs for British workers, reducing the unemployment rate as well as promoting the improvement of infrastructure. This has encouraged the development of economy and city construction in the long run. However, the biggest problem is the huge pressure for fiscal policy of expend iture, which may lead to British citizens’ tax burden in the future. The second policy was for women were received training allowance for re-employment. This policy had improved the housewife job enthusiasm to some significant extent, and it relieved the economic pressure due to decrease income by husband unemployment; also promoted the sex ratio of the employment market equilibrium. However, this policy has intensified competition among job markets, the employment situation will deteriorate further, and the effect may deviate from the original purposes. Policy three was the National Program to promote the employment of university students. Based on the view of the great employment pressure, the British government launched a National Program in 2009, helped the college students who were failed to find a job to get an internship in enterprise or other organizations, improving their occupation and comprehensive quality by skill training (White Paper, 2011). Then, reach the goal for the final realization of employment. This policy increased the quantity and quality of employment. At the same time, because of financial crisis, British unemployment rate for young people under the age of 25 continues to increase. Hence, the British government introduced a number of youth employment measures for 18 to 24 years old people, to help them find work or study, where can improve their employment skills (White Paper, 2011). The positive effect of this policy is obvious. For instance, recent figures from the Office for National Statistics show that about 30 million people were in work at the end of 2012, an increase of 154000 on the quarter to September, which is the most obvious improvement since 2007 (King, 2013) The last policy was restricting immigration. The British government started to increase the difficulty of immigrants in October 2008 (GOV.UK, 2014), and limited the number of British immigrants to the open jobs. This policy has reduced the British resident employment pressure to a certain extent, but it will cause hatred between the British and foreign immigrants, which may lead to the problem of racial discrimination. Meanwhile, this policy made life more difficult for immigrating people who have already lived in the UK. Therefore, government had to increase fiscal expenditure on their housing and daily expenses. Which was also made the foreign immigrants cannot engage in some work that British people do not want to engage in, it may hinder the British economic development to some extent. The second point was to pay a subsidy to the unemployed class, and this will be introduced by three policies. The first one was spending  £50 million to help the unemployed people. In order to cushion the impact of the economic recession, the British government planned to apply for a package of measures to help the long-term jobless workers back to the positions in the next two years since April 2009. Spending on this plan was around  £50million, which including paying compensation to the company to hiring workers who are unemployed for more than six months. These measures improved the re-employed workers’ skills and promoted the employment rate. However, paying subsidy to jobless people may cause ethical risks of enterprises. Because of obtain the compensation payment from the government, enterprises may take negative training even repeat its layoffs behavior, which leads to the re-employment rights and interests cannot be ensured. The second policy was that an unemployed worker could delay the mortgage interest payments up to 2 years. The British government provided guarantees to lenders, allowing those property buyers who lost their jobs and income appear serious decline can delay the mortgage interest payments up to 2 years. It helps to prevent the default risk on interest payment. If this policy is implemented, buyers can afford the monthly repayment, the risk of default will be reduced. Also, it helps the buyers overcome the current financial crisis smoothly. Nevertheless, there is no accurate calculation on the cost of risky loan guarantee provided by the government. If the cost is quite high, the reachable and feasibility of the reformed policy are still far from satisfactory. At the same time, the Bank of England offers loan, if the government is responsible for guaranteeing costs, the liquidity will become worse, which may lead to continuing market turmoil. The final policy was raising the minimum wage standard. The British government raised the minimum wage standards in the late 2008. However, it was obvious to see the dual characters of this policy during the recession. On the one hand, there is an undeniable fact that an increase in the minimum wage will increase income of workers living at the bottom of society relatively, which strengthen their basic livelihood security and maintain their basic living standard for low income groups. It serves to sustain the stability of British society. On the other hand, minimum wage standards will also increase the labor cost of enterprises directly. The increased burden would have a negative effect on employing workers, and cause the amount of jobless people increase, which deteriorates the employment environment. Even bring negative effect on the British economic recovery.

Syrian Woman :: Art Painting Syrian Woman Essays

Syrian Woman Profile This portrait from the Riley collection is believed to have been taken off a funerary monument from Palmyra, Syria, in the early third century CE. Based on research of the lives of the Palmyrens and their funerary reliefs, a vague but somewhat accurate picture of the woman can be assembled. This woman was most likely a freeborn, although lower class, woman. Based on the known trends of Syrian art at the given period, it is likely that the woman had vey little monetary wealth upon her death, explaining the lack of any jewlery besides the headress being depicted in this statue. The woman was probably born in Syria of Arabic descent, and her age at the time of death was somewhere between thirty-five and forty. There are deep lines in her cheeks depicting this aging process, but the lack of other facial wrinkles gives the assumption that she died rather young. Based om the sunken cheekbones and large eyes, as well as the fact that she was most likely poor, it can be assumed that had been in relatively poor health at the time of her death, probably heightened by meager food and strenous activity. The decpition of the woman's right hand caressing her cheek, although not completely uncommon in Syrian portrature, draws attention to her hand and makes the assumption that she may have worked much with them. From this, it can be speculated that perhaps she was a midwife, an idea that shall assumed for the rest of the profile. She probably was betrothed early to her husband, possibly as young as six. By fourteen she was married to him, and taken into his home as not just the mother of his future heirs but to help out at the store, as most men of Palmyra are merchants. By fifteen she produced her first child, a son, and at sixteen her second birth ended both in the loss of the child andher own inability to produce further offspring.At the time of her death she was most likely widowed, her husband possibly dying as few as five years ago,but continues to live in the same house with her still unmarried son who by then would be running his father's store. Because of their low income, she would have had no household slaves, leaving the woman not only with all household responsibilities, but with responsibilities in the store as well.

Noise Pollution Essay -- environment environmental

Noise Pollution Noise pollution is not a necessary price to pay for living in an industrial society. Much can be done to reduce the severity of the problem. For example, vehicles and other machines can be built to produce less noise. Four-cycle engines can replace much noisier two-cycle engines in such products as lawnmowers, motorboats, and jet skis. Labels that indicate the noise levels of appliances and tools can help consumers avoid noisy products and choose quieter alternatives. Even after noise is generated, steps can be taken to reduce human exposure to it. At homes or in offices, insulation of walls and double-glazing of windows can muffle sound from traffic, neighbors, and other sources from the outside world. Sound walls along highways can shield nearby neighborhoods from traffic noise. Individuals should protect themselves with earplugs or mufflike ear protectors, particularly when noise levels exceed 85 decibels. In the industrialized nations, governments have laws and policies to counter noise pollution. In the United States, at least six federal agencies are involved in controlling noise pollution. Since 1969 the FAA has monitored and controlled noise from airplanes. The agency requires that new aircraft meet specified noise standards and that old ones be retrofitted or retired. Local airport authorities, with FAA approval, reduce the impacts of noise pollution by routing flights over water or unpopulated areas on takeoff and landing, and by limiti...

Does America Need a National ID Card System? :: Essays Papers

Does America Need a National ID Card System? Introduction The recent terrorist attacks made it very clear that we need to do something to help make our country safe and protect our residents from those who want to bring harm and ruin. Many want to invoke a national ID card system, thinking that the ID card will provide us the security that we are looking for. But, is that really the solution? We need to understand what is wrong with the current systems that are in place now. We will examine what is required to get this system up and running and what is involved in making the system secure and safe. Lastly, in conclusion, we need to be clear on what direction we need to take to bring about a secure nation. Problems with Current Systems In Place The most notorious incident displaying where our country is lacking in security was the terrorist attack of September 11. Robert O'Harrow Jr. and Jonathan Krim of the Washington Post wrote, "five of the 19 terrorists involved in the attacks on New York and at the Pentagon were able to obtain Social Security numbers, even with false identities. The other 14 probably made up or appropriated other numbers and used them for false identification, according to Social Security officials. At least seven of the hijackers also obtained Virginia state ID cards, which would serve as identification to board a plane, even though they lived in Maryland motels." 1.1 The concern citizens of our country have is illustrated in this comment by Kimberly Warhoe posted in a forum on "National ID Cards". "The system in place now is in terrible shape. We truly need something more secure, something that can protect innocent people. Yes, we may lose some of our privacy, but we may gain a more secure nation. " 1-2.1 This terrible act of terrorism made it very clear that we need a way to know if a person is who he says he is. We need a way to be able to "verify and identity those applying for licenses and authenticating documents used to obtain licenses," as stated by William Welsh in Washington Technology. 2.1 Another important factor to consider is that any technical system that is implemented will always have human interaction, these will be the people who interact with the data and the system.

Let Task

Individual task outcomes should also be evaluated. The value of using common sets of evaluation criteria Is better in the long run because It will be the same across the board. This will make the process fair to all the employees that are being evaluated. To be evaluated on only one or two out of the three mentioned above would be unfair to all of the employees. If one employee was exceptional on behavior and Individual task outcomes and another employee was exception on behavior and traits rating on just behavior and traits would not be fair to the first employee.Rating employees on a broader scale produces better employees in the long run. They have the three areas that they can work on and excel to become a better fit for the organization. Now the 360-degree evaluation works by evaluating the employees on the set criteria however their direct supervisor is not the only person evaluating them. These evaluations are performed by the customers, suppliers, supervisors, and coworkers. This Is very diverse way of rating an individual's performance. One could have a certain behavior around the boss but once he/she Is out of sight the Individual may retreat other employees poorly.This Is a major advantage to a 360-degree evaluation since the employees have to keep a good rapport with all people they contact. On the other hand the 360-degree evaluation also has some disadvantages. I have an example that has happened to me and my co-workers due to an evaluation of this type. I worked for a large banking organization and we had phone contact with the customers discussing their credit card application. We either told them we approved them or if they were decline. No matter the decision, surveys were sent out Mandalay.No matter how nice and courteous I would be to someone if I did not approve them and give them a high enough credit line that survey would not come back with positive marks. Everyone found this out early on and began to give In to customer demands and thus the banks credit loses started to Increase. In this case the 360-degree can have negative Impacts on the company If the employees start to cater to one aspect of it and the employees if they do honest work and decline Commonly used methods of performance evaluations like written essays, graphic eating scales, and forced comparisons all have their similarities and differences.For instance written essays and rating scales both have to be filled out by the supervisor. They can relay the same evaluation in the end, but the written essay might mean more to an employee since it takes the manager more effort to write. On the other hand the written essay could be a bad thing if the writing skills of the managers are not up to par. Forced comparisons, like the other methods, are good at measuring and ranking your employees abilities, however ranking your employees can turn into popularity contest instead of a true ranking.I chose these three methods because my current employer uses a combina tion of all three. We have the graphical part that measures everyone on the same scale. Then we have the essay part which covers skills and goals not mentioned in the graphical part, and then the managers meet to rank all of the employees 1-5. I think when used in combination these three commonly used methods work the best. Used individually all 3 of these method also have bias' and errors. As mentioned the essay method is only as good as the manager's ability to write the essay.If a manager is unable to string a complete sentence together the employee is not going to see the managers intentions through the written word. With the graphical method while easier for the managers since they have a form to fill out it can be ineffective since it only ranks the employees on the topics that are provided on the forms. A manager might have a specialized employee that does something that no other employee does but has no way of expressing this since it is a basic form. And the final method of forced comparisons ranks the employees as if it were a popularity notes.If manager is fond of 4 employees and only has 20 there is a good chance that those 4 employees will always rank in the top one fifth leaving an employee that does comparable or better work on the outside looking in. To improve the performance evaluation process in the given scenario I believe there should be multiple methods used to evaluate the employee's productivity, behavior, and traits. To do this effectively the 360-degree method should be implemented but only allow it to account for 15% percent of the overall evaluation.This allows the co-workers and customers to get a say on how an individual is doing in those areas score. This should be done in a graphical method only so it is a fair evaluation to the individual. Next there should be a combination of the graphical method and the essay method for the direct manager/supervisor to evaluate the employee. This should account for 45% of the evaluation. The final 40% should be on productivity alone. In the scenario given the employee in question no doubt has superb productivity, but in the current method of evaluation the employee gets no credit for it.

Do You Think Parents Should Be Punished for the Crimes Their Teenage Children Commit?

Do you think parents should be punished for the crimes their teenage children commit? Teenage crimes are on the rise and in trying to prevent this condition from aggravating, people start to consider an alternative solution – to punish the parents instead. The question is, are parents really the core of the problem or are there other bigger issues we have to consider? Punishing parents by law is certainly not the ideal way to handle these rising crime rates. Though it cannot be denied that parents are responsible to a small extent, they should not be punished by law for the crimes their teenage children commit simply because they have limited influence and control over them As studies have shown, parents are not the only influence in a child’s behaviour. What plays a bigger role is the society. The school and the media are two major components. Typical children in today’s society spend majority of their youth in school, not at home. In schools, these teenagers are often affected by peer pressure. They are often blinded by this desire to be accepted and to blend in with the rest of their friends. Many a times, children are influenced by the wrong kind of peer pressure – pressure to behave inadequately, including committing crimes. The media is another powerful influence. The pervasiveness of the media makes it difficult for children to avoid all those violence and negative demonstrations in television programs, movies, music, advertisements and so on. What children see and hear from their friends or the media are often reflected in their actions. Exposure to such an undesirable environment with many negative influences have instigated them to make the wrong decision and lead the wrong path. Children do not always grow up to become the kind of person their parents desired. Parents could have provided their children with appropriate moral education, living conditions and the warmth of a family. Unfortunately, due to all these powerful external influences from the society, their children turned out to be a huge contrast to what the parents were expecting. Moreover, it is beyond the parents’ capabilities to achieve complete control ver their children’s actions. In this phase of life, teenagers are often rebellious and tend to oppose their parents. Parents have limited control over their children. In other words, they have only as much control as their children would allow them to. Every individual has his or her own mindset, rights and ability to make decisions. It is impossible for one to have full control over ano ther. Therefore, parents cannot be expected to control the uncontrollable. In addition, children can abuse the law in order to get their parents to let them have their own way. All they have to do is to threaten that they would commit a crime and get their parents into trouble with the law. If this is beyond the parents’ control, punishing parents for their children’s crimes will not work since it does not in any way allow them to have complete control over their children’s actions. Furthermore, it might even put parents in a difficult position. In face with situations like this, parents are helpless too. On the contrary, parents are the ones who brought their children into this world, not the society. It was their choice and they have to take responsibility for it. Creating a child is different from nurturing a child. Nurturing would require parenting, and parenting encompasses a myriad of responsibilities. Parents have to teach their children of the moral values and it is from all these values that children can learn to control their own actions independently. If parents neglect their children, it is not surprising that they are easily influenced by the society and cannot make the right decisions – the result of bad parenting. Parents are responsible for their children’s crimes, however, to only a small extent. Appropriate parenting is crucial. Nevertheless, even the best brought-up children can go astray too, like any other children, because of all the society’s negative influences. Due to limited control, parents can do nothing much if their children has set their mind into committing the crime. Therefore, it makes no sense for parents to be punished for crimes their teenage children commit. In fact, parents have already paid the price through all the disappointment and shame. Hence, neither is it justified, nor effective, to punish parents for a situation which society has created.

Business Ethics and Social Responsibility Essay

Title Assignment topic 1) What are your preferred definitions of business ethics and social responsibility Why have you chosen these definitions 2) What is one key issue in the area of business ethics and social responsibility that is relevant, currently, to your organisation and your industry (You need to explain the issue and show its relevance to your organisation/industry) 3) What strategies could your organisation adopt to address this issue (You need to explain these fully) Word count Words Executive Summary There have been drastic changes today that have and continue to influence business ethics. However, organizations are lagging behind these changes or simply ignoring business ethics all together. Recent companies have failed to practice business ethics and social responsibility as their primary aim remains on making profits. The issue is that in fact, management have been blindsided by their need to make monies under whatever circumstances necessary which usually constitut es for foregoing ethical practices. The most credible of organisations and employees have indeed professional integrity and have been reliant on a code of ethics for the organizations principles and standards of practice. The plight of society continues to surround business ethics and corporate social responsibility which is yet to surface most organisations. The subject of Business Ethics and Social Responsibility introduces current issues experienced in organizations and provides guided analysis to enable a better understanding and appreciation of these issues. Illustrations of consequent economic costs having failed to practice ethical behaviors and social responsibility by the organization and individuals within have been provided also. Presented in this paper, with the aid of an example organization- Marpol Distribution Limited a family owned and operated Hardware and Auto supplies wholesale distribution company, are a wide array of ethical issues recognized within its business activities with proposed solutions in order to address the aforementioned issues. TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Introduction†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦3 2. Defining Business Ethics and Social Responsibility†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.4 3. A lack of business ethics and social responsibility at Marpol Distribution Limited †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦5 4. Addressing the issues of Marpol Distribut ion Limited†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦7 5. Conclusion †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦10 6. References †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.12 7. Appendix†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.13 1.Introduction The relevance and necessity to which business ethics and social responsibility hold within any  organisation is inordinate compared to the practices of most organisations presently. Therefore, the wellbeing of society and todays business world is at stake since it lies in the hands of business leaders who fail to exercise ethical procedures. The confidence in business operations once held by customers have been drastically shaken due to the collapses and corporate scandals surrounding some of the most pioneering and respected companies such as Arthur Andersen, WorldCom, Tyco and the most famous Enron Hence the urgency and necessity for the incorporation of ethics and social responsibility in business decision-making and strategic planning is heightened together with the compulsory provision of pertinent education to forthcoming business leaders in order to operate a sustainable and protected organisation. I believe that business ethics goes beyond the laws and legality, instead it teaches positive attributes such as respect, honesty, politeness which should be adopted into business practices (Inc.com, 1996). Furthermore, Ghillyer suggests in his book Business Ethics Now that there is a choice guidance for persons by ways of either moral standards or the moral compass of others in determining suitable behaviour which has influences stemming from cultural backgrounds or traditions to the norms of the environment in which we are positioned (2012). On the other hand, the social responsibility of a company deals with the management of its business processes so that a holistic positive impact on stakeholders and society is fashioned (Mallenbaker.net, 2004). The social responsibility of a company is often associated with the triple bottom line profit, people, and planet which can be theorized as the stewardship of the economy, society and the environment are at the organizations concentration (Zipcon.net, 1953 Elkington, 1998). This paper aims to satisfy the requirements of firstly defining business ethic and social responsibility. Subsequently, unethical issues encountered in Marpol Distributions Ltd will be identified and addressed. 2.Defining Business Ethics and Social Responsibility Business ethics refers to the underlying framework for carrying on business by adhering to generally accepted standards of right behaviour (highered.mcgraw-hill.com n.d.).It involves discernment of right, good and propriety from wrong, evil and propriety thereafter taking actions accordingly to the choice made. The World Business Council for Sustainable Development in its publication Making Good Business Sensedefined Social  Responsibility as the continuing commitment by business to behave ethically and contribute to economic development while improving the quality of life of the workforce and their families as well as of the local community and society at large (Holme and Watts 2000) it focuses on the quality of their management regarding both processes and persons alongside the nature and extent of impacts on society. Although the terms social responsibility and ethics are used interchangeably, meanings differ. Business ethics relates to an individuals or a work groups decisions that society evaluates as right or wrong, whereas social responsibility is a broader concept that concerns the impact of the entire businesss activities on society (highered.mcgraw-hill.com n.d.). These definitions were chosen mainly because, they added to the scope of business ethical behaviour and societal responsibility, it brings clarity to the concept of values and morals and overall contribution to society as individuals and businesses. Ethical standards helps to the shape both the internal and external construct of any organization .Companies that rely on ethical standards which includes values and morals rely less on legislation from central or state government . The belief that business ethics is an essential element in any organization influences the companys impact towards its social responsibility. Organizations involved in the wholesale supply of goods and raw materials, such as Marpol Distribution Limited should strive to maintain or incorporate the necessary values and morals to aid in its decision making process . According to Hartman (2005,p2), who made the suggestion that ethics involves judgments as to good and bad, right and wrong, and what ought to be. Thi s therefore will have a major impact in the dynamics of the organization. 3.A lack of business ethics and social responsibility at Marpol Distribution Limited With intentions of implementing ethical practices into the business procedures, one must firstly understand business ethics which requires the identification of ethical issues within the organization. Ethical issues are identifiable problems, situations, or opportunities that requires a person to choose from among several actions that may be evaluated as right or wrong, ethical or unethical (highered.mcgraw-hill.com n.d.). In most cases this usually implicates much deliberation between choosing monetary gain over conducting oneself fittingly. Considering the business activities of Marpol Distribution  Limited we can diagnose ethical disputes that they have encountered. As previously mentioned this organization is typically family-managed and operated with its traditional methods of approach immutable. While remaining old-fashioned might work in favour of some companies, it has had the reverse effect on Marpol Distribution Limited. Quality assurance is a major facet in the operations of Marpol Distribution as the expectations of customers of this supply company is quite high together with responsibilities to societal contribution and development. The issue arises therefore, when a lack of standard up brings in relations of values and morals are recognised. Values tend to be seen as end goals sought by individual and vary from person to person based on their desires for profit, law, virtue or charity (See Appendix). Morals tend to be seen as rules or duties that govern behaviour in our personal interactions they are our personal guiding principles (Optimal.org 1997). Generally, ethics can be seen to be the same for people within the same culture (Hartman, 2005, p2). Companies like Marpol Distribution Limited, led by its vision statement to ensure profit and continuous growth has had negative impact of ethical behaviour. This therefore has resulted in a loss of customer supplier relationship and indirectly affected its profit margin The consequences of unethical behaviour and unethical business institutions are too serious to be ignored (Des Jardins, p. 3). As suggested by Des Jardins, business ethics are simply too serious for Marpol Distribution to ignore. Corporate Governance or the lack thereof has certainly contributed negatively to the current situation of Marpol Distribution Limited. This is demonstrated as this profit driven organisation fails to emulate the necessary attributes to generate good governance such as responsiveness values of fairness, accountability, responsibility and transparency emphasis on non-monetary aspects of operatio ns etc. (Unescap.org 2013). This is also extended to unethical leadership which constitutes employee insolence as it has been suggested that employees emulate the behaviours of those above them based on their perception of ethics observed (Davis 2004). In addition, the company has become loyal to its family-run business style and as a result the recruitment process that exists within this company has failed them seeing as the workforce comprises of unskilled and unqualified family members who have prevailed over a more appropriate workforce.

Eight O’ Clock

Eight O’Clock What happens when the church bell tolls your final hour? Does your party dress turn to rags and your beautiful carriage revert back into a pumpkin? What do you do when your last sixty minutes are up? Many people pray to their God for salvation, and many others wish to go back and correct the wrongs in their lives. Many, though, await death’s embrace by cursing fate and dreading their moment of death, just as the man in A. E. Housman’s poem, â€Å"Eight O’Clock† does. The man in the poem is on death’s row and, rather than repenting and hoping for forgiveness from on high he laments his fate and angrily awaits his doom.It is apparent that the man awaits death because he is â€Å"strapped, noosed, [and] nighing his house. † To be strapped means that there is no way out, presumably from his situation, and he most certainly is for his situation is quite dire, and at this point he has no real chance of survival. To be noosed me ans one has a noose – a rope for hanging – tied around one’s neck so that he may be hanged which only adds to the fact that he’s certainly strapped. To nigh one’s hour means to near it, and the man must be nearing his final hour for he is certainly ready for his hanging and he continues to count down until his doom.Time is emphasized several times in the poem, showing just how close to death the man is. â€Å"[He] heard the steeple sprinkle the quarters on the morning town,† which is to say, he heard the bell toll each quarter of an hour as though it were raining down upon him just to mock him. The man counted them one-by-one until, on the final ring before he met his fate, â€Å"the clock collected in the tower its strength, and struck†. The clock’s strength refers most probably to how heavily it must ring. To the man, on that final quarter hour toll, it must have sounded as heavily as he had ever heard it.For, truly, it would be the last time he ever heard it. Rather than accepting his fate, the man sits and curses it instead. To accept what is happening to him would be to admit that what he did to deserve his fate was wrong, that he was truly guilty of sin. To feel that guilt, to repent for what he had done, would be to ask forgiveness, which in all rights is the smarter path to follow. Yet, for some reason, the man asks not for forgiveness, but for the wrath of God. The man does this because it is most likely he has committed no actual crime, his fate is not deserving of the punishment bestowed upon him.He has either been framed, or the punishment placed upon him much more severe than his transgression would merit, why else would he not ask forgiveness for what he had done? It is easy to curse one’s fate. It is easy to blame others for what has occurred. It is easier, still, to believe oneself innocent even when he is not. It is not easy, however, to stand and wait for death to arrive knowing t hat the path one chose should not have lead them there, that he should not be on his way out.

Journey of a Man Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Journey of a Man - Essay Example Moreover, I was greatly intrigued by the way physical features of different groups evolved, and flattered that the male sex chromosome played an important part in this research. However, some of Wells’s sayings seemed contradictory to his views. Moreover, I did not like the way the host acted sometimes while conducting the research. Therefore, after watching this documentary, I had mixed opinions about it. During the beginning of the documentary, an explanation is given on Wells’s theory that the birthplace of all humans alive on this planet is the same-Africa. The pride I felt in my ethnicity after discovering this was immense. True, I do not completely associate myself with Africa as my nationality is ‘American’, but I am after all an ‘African American’. This realization also instilled a sense of shame in me due to not having even a bit of patriotism in me for the country where we African Americans are originally from; early in Americaâ€℠¢s history, Africans were brought to America from Africa as slaves but were later given freedom and equality, due to which we are now African Americans. This documentary has made me accept the fact that it does not matter which country I was born in or which country’s nationality I assume. What really matters is that all African Americans know that their great great grandfathers directly originated from Africa, but majority of them forget about this origin. I myself had forgotten this origin until I watched this documentary. This is not the only reason why I am so grateful to this documentary. Thanks to the ground-breaking discoveries made by Spencer Wells, one develops a new perspective of the concept of race. By stating that â€Å"we are all African under the skin†, Wells’s disregards all the old-fashioned concepts of race, such as thinking that people with the same color of skin or language are the same. Spencer puts this point across by exploring how African s migrated to different parts of the world and evolved in different ways, which is why people with similar physical characteristics started to associate themselves with one of these ‘different races’. The documentary disagrees with such associations and I highly agree with this point. I believe that by seeing an individual through ‘racial lenses’, assumptions about that individual would definitely be made according to his/her ‘race’. According to me, this is termed as a kind of discrimination. Being an African American, I myself have been a victim of having assumptions being made about me, such as the time when a grocery owner kept a watchful eye on me while I was buying groceries (just because majority of the shoplifters in that neighborhood are African American). Therefore I really approved of Wells’s opinion that everyone is the same, and not part of ‘different races’. As he says in his documentary, we have the same desce ndant, who was from Africa. However, something about this statement of his made me doubt his personal opinions a bit. By terming us all as ‘Africans’, Wells is in fact calling us a race-something which is contradictory to what his views throughout the documentary are. According to Wells, there is no such thing as a race, but implying that we are

Drugs In The World Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Drugs In The World - Essay Example To this end, opium planting first began in eastern Mediterranean and spread systematically to India via trade routes and eventually arriving at China by the eighth century A.D (Chouvy, 2010). On the other hand, cocaine, which is a derivative drug of the cocoa plants traces it genealogy back to the Andes region where it was cultivated by the Incas populace. Evidently, cocaine was first derived from coca in 1860 and it powerful stimulant effects became evident. To this end, the drug creates an instantaneous sense of euphoria by igniting the brain’s regulatory transmitters (Marcy, 2010). Presently, both opium and cocaine have become a global drug menace that was catalyzed through colonization and wars. During the British occupation of India in 1750, they specifically took control of Bihar and Bengal which were key opium growing districts. To this end, the British shipping company took control over the opium trade from Calcutta to China. Evidently, by 1767, the opium exports to Ch ina by the British reached a record two thousand chests per year. In addition, the British India Company created a monopoly over the opium trade and restricted the Indian poppy growers from selling the commodity to competing trading companies. In Turkey, the British Levant Company bought more than half of the opium originating from Smyrna Turkey. Furthermore, they diverted all importations strictly to the United States and Europe. During the First and Second Opium War which was precipitated by efforts to suppress opium trade by the Chinese commissioner, the British sent warships to China’s coast. To this end, the Chinese lost the war to Britain and eventually opium importation was legalized. This further proliferated the supply of opium. On the other hand, cocaine spread and proliferation began during the Spanish colonial era when it was slowly becoming entrenched as a global commodity. Furthermore, the success of Europe’s commercial revolution was also hinged on cocai ne since it assisted in lubricating the major silver mining industry of colonial Spain. Evidently, the colonial Spanish slave masters came to discover that the coca stimulant made the laborers to work harder, eat less and work for longer hours. To this end, the cocoa leaves were used as a major stimulant towards coercing the Indian worker at the Potosi mines. When cocaine alkaloid derivative was discovered, the Spanish colonial masters began an intensive cultivation of coca for cocaine cultivation. The leaves were thus traded and also transplanting of the Andean coca specimens in Asia, Australia and Africa. During World War 1 and 2 eras, importation of coca leaves and manufacturing of cocaine increased significantly. Evidently, between 1918 and 1921, Japan recorded an all time import of coca of 455,000 kg. Evidently, the trade of cocaine has been largely fuelled by notorious violence in countries such as Peru and Colombia since the late 1970’s. In the United States during Wor ld War 2, coca trades that were used in the manufacture of cocaine increased to the range of 300-400,000 lb. These were largely imports from Peru. The U. S cocaine networks during the World War 2 period exhibited features such as monopolies of cocaine processing that were assisted by the state, while leading intensive global campaigns that were against the illegal production of coca and

Explain the transformation from the Grand Alliance of World War II to Essay

Explain the transformation from the Grand Alliance of World War II to the development of the Cold War. Why was it impossible to maintain the former Was the - Essay Example (Nordlinger, 5) With the US entering the Second World War following the attack on Pearl Harbour, the three world powers, the US, United Kingdom and the Soviet Union were forced to come together to develop strategies to hold back and defeat the axis.(Greenfield, 3-23) At least as far as UK-US relations this strategy was a far easier task for the two nations. Despite the US’s isolationist position in the earlier stages of the war, it remained supportive of the UK. (Greenfield, 3-23) Essentially the Grand Alliance involved a series of common goals and understandings between the US, the UK and the Soviet Union. Following the attack on Pearl Harbour the three countries would both formally and informally negotiate and agree at wartime conferences, government meetings and summits on strategies to defeat Nazi Germany, Imperial Japan and Fascist Italy. (Stone, 20) The Soviet’s association with the Grand Alliance grew out of necessity following Germany’s invasion of the Soviet Union, in June of 1941. (Stone, 15)Following which both British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and US President Franklin Roosevelt pledged their countries’ support. Once the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbour the Grand Alliance became a reality. In other words, the UK, the US and the Soviet Union faced a common threat and while the Grand Alliance was primarily focused on war time cooperation, the three nations recognized a common goal to ensure post war security on a global le vel by ascertaining that Germany and Japan would not remain a threat to world peace following the war. (Lewis, 178-241) On 4 February, 1945, the Soviet’s Joseph Stalin, US President Theodore Roosevelt and UK Prime Minister Winston Churchill convened in Yalta on the Crimean Peninsula for what was one of three major war time conferences. The primary purpose of the meeting was to not only