The Autobiography of Mahatma Gandhi

The autobiography of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, subtitled The Story of My Experiments With Truth, focuses on Gandhi's struggles for non-violence and civil disobedience through the acts of Satyagraha, literally meaning â€Å"holding firmly to truth. † In each of the chapters, he talks about instances in life in which he had struggled with Truth, considering Truth being the ultimate source of energy. The question many might ask is: how can one who is so skinny, one who had to live with a stick throughout his struggles, get such energy?It was because of his experiments and the trials that Gandhi developed dietetics, non-violence, hydropathy, naturopathy etc. After finishing his studies in England, he came to South Africa where he changed from a typical lawyer to one who was remarkable. It's more surprising that with the ideologies he produced from studying law, eastern and western philosophy, he kept them all by his side and followed them to the extreme. He was conservative to h is thoughts in any situation and in following them perhaps, to some, inflexibly so.One reason I become overwhelmed by Gandhi is his simplicity, wearing a single dhoti (an Indian clothing) and living solely by vegetables. Even when he was or his son was on his deathbed, he insisted that eating anything other than vegetables was wrong. He considered that through those necessities — in line with his teachings — it is possible that one can live freely. This means one can live without food or drink, without anger or desire, if they are to follow a simple code of behavior.This book thus teaches one in practical life on how to live without any of the material needs. ? – â€Å"I cannot attain freedom by a mechanical refusal to act, but only by intelligent action in a detached manner. This struggle resolves itself into an incessant crucifixion of the flesh so that the spirit may become entire free. † – â€Å"That freedom is attainable only through slow and painful stages. † – â€Å"A reformer cannot afford to have close intimacy with him whom he seeks to reform – â€Å"he who would be friends with God must remain alone, or make the whole world his friend. – on actively forgiving sin: â€Å"Man, as soon as he gets back his consciousness of right, is thankful to the Divine mercy for the escape. † – â€Å"When such Ahimsa [non-violence] becomes all-embracing, it transforms everything it touches. There is no limit to its power. † – On monastic changes to his life: â€Å"Let not the reader think that this living made my life by any means a dreary affair. On the contrary the change harmonized my inward and outward life. It was also more in keeping with the means of my family. My life was certainly more truthful and my soul knew no bounds of joy. † ?

Japan Culture Essay

Japan, officially Nippon, a country off the east coast of Asia. It consists of four large islands- Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu, and Shikoku- and more than 3,300 smaller ones, including the Ryukyu chain (Gluck et. al, 1987). Japan lost some of its possessions as a result of World War II. These included the southern part of the island of Sakhalin, the Kurile Islands, Manchuria, Korea, and Taiwan. II. Discussions A. Culture Japanese culture is partly of Chinese origin and partly indigenous, for the Japanese adapted and did not merely imitate the culture of the mainland. Since the middle of the 19th century, Japan has been influenced more by the culture of Western countries than by that of its neighbors. Adoption of many Western ways produced sharp contrasts between the new and the old. Buildings and clothing, for example, are now seen in both traditional and Western styles. Among forces that have helped to mold the Japanese character are Buddhist, Shinto, and Confucian religious beliefs, the effects of a long feudal period, and the influences of Japanese industrial revolution. With industrialization came a change from rural to urban living. American influences have been particularly string since World War II (Hall et. al, 1987). B. The Arts Japanese arts have been strongly influenced by Chinese art. From the mainland came the technique of ink painting on silk and the Buddhist influences in sculpture and painting. A landscape school developed from Zen Buddhism after the 13th century. Japanese prints of the 17th and 18th century had a profound effect in Western art. Distinctive contributions have also been made in architecture. Traditional arts also include landscape gardening; bonsai; the cultivation of dwarf trees; ikebana, flower arranging; ceramics; and origami, paper folding (Beasley, 1987). Flourishing throughout Japan are no, classical plays in which the actors wear masks depicting their character; Bunraku, puppet plays; and kabuki, drama with stylized chanting and dancing. An important part of Japanese culture is the tea ceremony, a highly formal ritual, of which there are many variations (Morton, 1984). As a way of entertaining guests, it is regarded as the best expression of traditional etiquette. Some of the traditional arts- especially classical Japanese music and dance and the tea ceremony- are part of the repertoire of geisha, a female entertainers who perform for groups of men. C. Family and Home In Japan the family is a traditional and strong institution. It has a formal structure with authority vested in the male head of the family. The wife is expected to be subservient. Children learn discipline and their respective roles in the family at an early age. Sons are given preference over daughters, and the eldest son is superior to all others. However, many of the repressive aspects of the family, such as that of parents determining marriages, have weakened since World War II (Morton, 1984). Japanese homes are noted for their simplicity. Nearly all are built of wood. On many homes, paper- covered wooden frames, called shoji, are used for windows and doors. Being light and easily moved, they allow much of the house to be opened to the out-of- doors. Some homes are adjoined by landscaped gardens. Rooms are usually having thick straw mats, called tatami, on the floor and very little furniture. D. Language and Religion The Japanese language is unrelated to other Oriental tongues. However, it is written in characters that originally were adapted from Chinese writing. The Japanese constitution of 1946 provides freedom of religion and separation of church and state. The two major religions are Shinto and Buddhism. Many Japanese adhere, in varying degrees, to both. Confucianism, though not a religion in the Western sense, has had considerable influence on Japanese personal and social relationships. There are some 1,350,000 Christians, of whom about 30 percent are Roman Catholics and about 70 percent are Protestants (Morton, 1984). E. Food and Clothing The Japanese clothing includes the Uchikake, Kimono, Nagajugan, Yukata, Michiyuki, Hakama, Shiro-maku, Haori, and the Accessories like Obi, Shoes, Socks and the like. The Japanese foods includes the Wasabi or the Japanese Horseradish, Donburi which is a bowl of cooked rice, Yakitori or a grilled chicken, Gomaae which is a sesame dressing, Udon or thick Japanese noodles, Gyoza is like dumpling, Tempura which is a deep fry sea –food and vegetables, Korokke is made of potato, Sushi most famous dish outside Japan, Mushrooms or kinoko in Japanese, Soba a native Japanese noodle, Nikujaga composed of the meat and potatoes, Seaweed or kaiso, Ramen a noodle dish. Sashimi which is a raw seafood, Rice which is Japan’s important crop, Okonomiyaki is a combination of a pizza and a pancake; and Soya Bean with the soya sauce or shoyu (Christopher, 1983). F. Politics Japan’s form of government is Constitutional Monarchy. The emperor is the head of the state. Although it is Monarchy, still it is very limited because it is based on the Constitution. Prime minister serves as the President of the government of Japan. The Diet is their body of legislatives, where it is composed of the Representatives elected by the people. Their right of suffrage starts at 20 years old (Morton, 1984). G. Religious Beliefs There are three major religions in Japan and these are Shinto, Buddhism and Christianity. Japanese have these rituals that they are earnestly following. The kami which means a diety, is their god. The kami are of variety forms like those that lived in stobes, hills, and other parts of the environment; those that serves as a protector god; and the diety of the rice wagon (Christopher, 1983). Kami is worshipped at the fields of rice where in they also had their feasts. Shinto focus only on the kami. Buddhism also reached Japan which was then from India. Developments like the rising of commoners, zazen or the meditation, koan or the irrational riddles and the enlightenment which is the satori. The Japanese also believed in kamikaze which is the divine wind, the hara-kiri or the suicide where it is rarely practiced now in Japan, where the Japanese commits suicide whenever they fail from any business they establishes (Christopher, 1983). H. Economics Japan is one of the world’s leading industrial nations, ranking behind only the United States and the Soviet Union. During the 1960’s and early 1970’s, Japan’s gross national product or the GNP grew at the phenomenal average rate of about 11 percent a year- more than twice that of the United States (Packard, 1987). The worst postwar slump came in the mid- 1970’s, when worldwide recession brought high levels of unemployment and inflation and a sharp decline in economic growth. Most of Japan’s postwar economic growth has been due to keen corporate management, a well- educated, industrious labor force, high levels of savings and investment, intensive promotions of industrial development, and vigorous foreign trade. Government has also been a decisive factor. Its influence is powerful and widespread, though exercised mainly though informal, cooperative arrangements with business. Giant conglomerates, many of which are interlocked in manufacturing, finance, and trade, are of prime importance in the economy. Coexisting with them are many small and medium- sized firms. Government ownership of industry and business is negligible, limited mainly to transportation and communication services. There has been little foreign investment in Japan because of numerous governmental restrictions (Gluck et. al, 1987).

American Express Essay

Bonnie Wittenburg, the plaintiff in this case filed an age discrimination lawsuit against American Express Financial Advisors, Inc. ’s (AEFA). AEFA filed a motion for summary judgment, the district court granted and the United States Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit affirmed. Wittenburg started working at AEFA Equity Investment Department (EID) in November 1998 at the age of 46 (Walsh, 2011). According to the portfolio managers, Wittenburg provided outstanding service and displayed excellent investment skills and in 2000, she was name Analyst of the Year (Walsh, 2011). In 2001, AEFA hired a new Chief Investment Officer (CIO) and 2002 the CIO initiated a redesign of EID. The project would take approximately two years; add an additional three portfolio managers, a new satellite office and the merger or movement of certain funds to AEFA’s satellite office (Walsh, 2011). During a discussion regarding new hires, the CIO stated he was not averse to hiring younger managers or analysts to grow with the company (Walsh, 2011). The new design plan would include a reduction in force (RIF) which according to the CIO was necessary. The first RIF terminated Al Henderson, age 62. Henderson made a comment that Dan Rivera told him that AEFA fired him because the company wanted to retain the younger employees (Walsh, 2011). The second RIF eliminated three analyst positions but primarily focused on portfolio managers. During the second RIF, a team of managers reviewed about 25 people in the department giving each a rating of keep, maybe keep, maybe, maybe drop or drop (Walsh, 2011). They used the ratings to educate leaders about the individuals in the department and in late 2002 held a meeting to discuss employee ratings. Wittenburg received a low rating because of poor performance and negative input provided by portfolio managers but continued in her current position during the second RIF. Wittenburg along with two other analysts were terminated when the third RIF occurred; Wittenburg was 51 and the other two were 41 and 36. Wittenburg applied for a portfolio manager, she did not get the position and sued AEFA claiming Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) (Walsh, 2011). Wittenburg’s defense would rely on statements from co-workers such as â€Å"those that were younger† â€Å"not averse to hiring younger portfolio managers† and notes that indicated the analyst department would maybe add a junior person. In making a decision, the court will consider if the statements were made by decision makers or by someone who may influence the decision to terminate the plaintiff, the gap between statements and the date of termination, and if the statement itself was discriminatory or merely an opinion. The CIO’s comment regarding the company’s willingness to hire younger workers was a general comment. The statement was not discriminatory nor did it establish that age was the basis for Wittenburg’s termination over a year ago. The reference to adding a junior person did not show discriminatory intent and Wittenburg did not prove the employee equated junior person to a younger person or how such a notation related to her termination. Wittenburg admitted that Rivera was not a decision maker in the 2003 RIF and his statement made to Henderson did not relate to her termination. The court decided that these comments did not establish a pretext based on AEFA’s nondiscriminatory purpose given for her termination. A total of 31 analyst were affected by the 2002 and 2003 RIF, 17 of the analyst were 40 years old or older and of the 17, six were terminated, four resigned and seven retained their jobs (Walsh, 2011). In addition, there were four terminated, two resigned, two transferred and six retained their positions of the 14 analysts who were not in the protected class (Walsh, 2011). There were two members, ages 41 and 46, of the protected class who ranked first and second during the 2002 analyst ratings and the two analyst terminated in 2003 were both younger than Wittenburg, one was 41 and the other 36 (Walsh, 2011). Another analyst in the protected class whose age was the same as Wittenburg survived the 2003 RIF. Wittenburg’s accusation that scores were manipulated to retain younger employees during the 2002 RIF by ranking them in the â€Å"keep† category even though their scores were low was actually a moot point as she survived the 2002 RIF even though her score was low putting her in the maybe keep category. AEFA stated they needed only one Technology Sector analyst and then redistributed the workload amongst other employees, Wittenburg argues that pretext was shown however, as stated by the court, â€Å"employers often distribute a discharged employee’s duties to other employees performing related work for legitimate reasons† (Walsh, 2011). As far as the two vacancies, those were among the 10 analysts who had survived the RIF, they were not new positions (Walsh, 2011). The decision to downsize and redesign the Equity Investment Department was for the betterment of the company. Wittenburg’s argument that AEFA only relied on her 2002 performance review in making their decision to terminate does not help her case. The court noted there is nothing discriminatory in an employer choosing to rely on recent performance data in deciding which employees to RIF (Walsh, 2011). American Express had not been doing very well and the CIO explained analyst’s performance evaluations on an annual basis are important because consumers look at one-year performance and make decisions (Walsh, 2011).

Based on DQ1rw, DQ2Bridget Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Based on DQ1rw, DQ2Bridget - Essay Example The recruitment will be based on talents and skills of employees in question. The recruits will be appointed on the basis of ability to make predictions based on the trends experienced currently, interact well with the existing strategic planners and implementers in the organization, and use of statistical models and expert judgments. These employees will be subjected through a thorough training before absorption. The employees will be trained and orientated about the organization’s activities. They will be evaluated using a SWOT analysis. This will be done as on job training and job rotation so as to enable them capture the idea and concept of the organization. Eventually the right persons will be placed in the right positions matching their talents, skills, qualifications, and training. After a significant period on job, there will be an evaluation of their performance carried out. Their future needs will be anticipated considering the past performance they shown with the ex isting needs. The previous trends involved in promotions and quitting will then be assessed and considered. After an extensive appraisal of the employee performance, the organization then decides on the employee with diverse skills and abilities to be placed in other places (McGregor, 2005). Both Russia and China are famous for robust potential in earnings. However, the exports from China are much more than those from Russia. Before the reforms in China back in 1978, the economy relied much on vestiges of the Maoism whose communism tenets determined a common pay for every rank in the society, however, the high ranking officials and power elite still benefited greatly from the sundry perks and preferential treatments they got. On the other hand, Russian economy is mortgage oriented. There are favorable employee rates though (Phatak et al., 2009). Therefore Russia is considered much more attractive in terms of â€Å"the right

Qant - operation Management Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Qant - operation Management - Case Study Example The proper production planning assured the company to possess timely and effective availability of employees, equipments and materials so that the production objectives of it are meet successfully. Moreover, it also describes a detailed planning to the company regarding the ways of achieving the production goals and the potential time for achieving them (Prenhall, 2015). Contextually, discusses regarding the production plan in context to Cornwell Glass Company that would support the company to improve its production process. The forecasting system used by the company in the past year’s data for determining the long-term trends and seasonal factors. This assists the company to ascertain the increasing or decreasing demand of products based on which the company may take important production decisions. However, the company has provided the current data related to the increasing demand that would contribute much for forecasting a production plan for the upcoming year. In order to suffice the purpose of the case, three separate methods will be used for production scheduling. The best among the methods will be considered that will reflect lower cost to the company, which will ultimately lead to maximization of overall profit For the effectiveness in the production process of Cornwell Glass Company, it is very essential to implement the most effective production concept that would support the company to conduct most efficient utilization of the available resources in the production process (Pearson Education, 2010). The company for scheduling their production process may follow various concepts and strategies. Among these, the most significant production processes include Smooth Purchasing, Chasing Demand and Constant Regular Time followed by overtime and subcontracting (Prenhall, 2015) Smooth production is also referred as production leveling and it is one of the most important a well-known concept through which the manufacturing organizations improve

Case study for Dye sol company (Australia) Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

For Dye sol company (Australia) - Case Study Example It is very necessary to deal with projects which have respect in performance criteria of dimensions which influence the strategic decisions of the business in the investment decisions. The group of professionals is concerned in decision making dealing with the development of the equipment for the use of research in and manufacturing of dye sol. The company supplies the equipment and materials together with the components for the dye sol technology research in most of institutions in Australia. Criteria flow and evaluation of the machines helps to produce dye sol and assist in the technology research in making the company large1. The challenge in this is the communication system in designing the changes which falls under the management team in the company. In evaluating the project research, it is very necessary to consider some of the targets like, objectives and outputs of the project according to the overall goals and the impacts set for the achievement of the project. The effectiveness on the research is measured according to the achievement of the objectives and the major factors influencing the achievement and non- achievement goals. The efficiency of the measures lies on the part of the output based on qualitative and quantitative measures. Efficiency evaluation comprises of cost efficient and the implementation of the most efficient and the alternatives. The impact of the project brings a lot of impact on the development intervention which comprises of both social and economic development indicators. For example, beneficiaries in the project; sustainability lies on the measuring the benefit of every activity which is likely to sustain itself after the donor withdraws2. The project should cater for itself both social and financially stable. The table below shows criteria for Evaluation The long term involves the nature and improvements of the

A Marketing Plan for the Cadbury Chocolate Company Case Study

A Marketing Plan for the Cadbury Chocolate Company - Case Study Example under this, the management ensures that, before the product is promoted into the market, the characteristics of the products should be well defined to meet the needs of the consumers, the packaging of the products should be attractive to entice the customers to buy the product, the quality of the product should be perfect, that is it should have the quality that matches with the prescription of the product in the market so that it can maintain our consumers. Under this, we see that Cadbury uses its business intelligence to change the market position of its products by shifting product sizes, package designs keeping in mind the changes of its customer's tastes for this reason most of the Cadburys products, are made from real chocolate in which the ingredients include; cocoa butter and a glass and a half of cream dairy milk in every 200 grams of Cadbury dairy milk chocolate. This is used to show the good quality of Cadburys products which makes it a good factor in influencing the consu mers to buy the products. Marketing is also known to be a core leader into a successful business therefore; one should have more than a good idea of producing a nice product. So before launching a product in the market, one should be able to identify his markets and carry out research, to find out if consumers share the same desire to invest in the production. Here, Cadbury uses wholesalers and retailers to collect information about its consumers behaviors that is possible to affect its manufacturing and distribution goals, the company gets information from the warehouse, through which they make decisions to deliver the precise quantity of brand new products to retailers when in need. Cadbury uses data warehouse to calculate the impact of its trade expenditure activities. Therefore, the research methods should depend on the size and scope of the business. This may be done by examining ones own behavior, with that of the other companies, spend time in stores that promote cooking products and do some reading o n magazines, books and literature focusing on various chocolate products manufacturing. One should be encouraged to talk and listen to the potential consumers, thus enabling one to know the issues that will be faced and the encounters he will face while carrying out the business. One is also advised to hire researchers who will help him define and understand the market, if the product he intends to start is larger. The other factor that one should look into before making a decision on a particular market segmentation or what is referred to as the environments, these factors include; geographical factors, location, gender and also age of the consumers of the products, this is basically used to give the products a marketing opportunity. 2 The competitors will not be able to have the same opinions like the company's, since marketing opportunities increase when customer groups with varying needs and wants are recognized. Markets can be segmented or targeted on a variety of factors including age, gender, location, geographic factors, demographic characteristics, and family life cycle, desire for relaxation or time pressures. Segments or target markets should be accessible to the business and large enough to provide a solid customer base. Therefore, a business must analyze the needs and wants of different market

Human Growth and Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 3

Human Growth and Development - Essay Example Being a believer of religion, spirituality and spiritual development has been part of my life. Erikson’s nine stages psychosocial development theory is very important for understanding the process of human growth and development. This theory is based on nine stages and each stage has its own socio psychological dimension and aspects (Beyers and Seiffge-Krenke, 2010). In addition, each stage has its own typical developmental characteristics which subsequently determine the personality traits and characteristics in the upcoming developmental phases of human life. For example, first stage, which starts from birth to 1 year, is known as trust vs. mistrust, highlights the psychological process of identification in which new born child determines between trust or mistrust on others. The second stage, from 2 to 3, has been identified as autonomy vs. shame and doubt and the main features of this stage include increased physical activity along with decisional authority to determine whether to assert will on others. Kroger (2007) mentions that Erikson supports the concept of hie rarchical integration in which a strong sense of identity is identified as the central to entire theme of theory. The third stage, known as initiative vs. guilt, between 4 to 5, is more relevant and child is more curious and tries to mould things and objects. In the fourth stage, which is industry vs. inferiority, between 6 to puberty, experience the rise of curiosity about things in which more inquisitive behavior and thinking develop till the age of puberty. In the fifth stage, identity vs. identity confusion, which occurs in the period of adolescence, is mainly confronted with the fundamental question of personal identity (who am I?). In this regard, Beyers and Goossens (2008) contend that some parents may not able to provide a required level of support to their children for exploring the identity issues. In the sixth stage, known as intimacy vs. isolation, which

Marketing Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Marketing Plan - Essay Example Because of this low-key marketing concept with both competing beer products, Drifter can outperform both using innovation with localized and broad niche marketing both in the Oregon region and across the surrounding states. Neither Blue Moon or Sierra Nevada have a solid positioning strategy among other low-cost and higher-cost competing beer products, therefore in terms of positioning, options are virtually endless. For the sake of perceptual mapping and to monitor marketing activities, especially in areas of promotion, Drifter Beer will be positioned in terms of flavor and benefit to the customer, with less focus on pricing structure. Consumer attitudes, on the perceptual map, are noted for each competing brand in relation to pricing and quality. Drifter Beer is working amid a highly competitive environment where lower-cost beer products and the main competition (Blue Moon and Sierra Nevada) saturated the convenience and grocery markets. It works among competing brands where ongoing promotional activities bring higher brand exposure, such as with brands like Coors Light that hosts different sporting events such as the Urban Flats Classic Kickoff Celebration in Orlando, Florida (Marketing Weekly News, 2009). Contests and sweepstakes are often part of their strategies for building better brand equity. Even though Drifter’s two main competitors are higher priced, more luxury-minded beer brands, sales will definitely be impacted by the buying behaviors of consumers in relation to their response to lower-cost beer brand selection marketing. Because of the current economic environment in the U.S. markets, major brands such as Miller, Pabst and Busch (also known as the economy brews) are experiencing higher sales volumes as people defect to lower-cost brands (Kesmodel, 2009). In order to drive any type of brand equity for Drifter, marketing must make the consumer believe that he needs to defect to this upscale brand simply for the sake of

The History and General Overview of Gay Marriages Research Paper

The History and General Overview of Gay Marriages - Research Paper Example Thirty eight states in the US have adopted provisions that prohibit same sex marriage. This is achievable through the adoption of the â€Å"defense of marriage† provisions in the US constitutions. Universally, marriage means a legal union between a man and woman. The couples become husband and wife in the institution of marriage. There are various states known to ban same sex marriages and gender (Samar 54). In the twenty states of US, they have placed this language when it comes to their state constitutions. An additional ten states have legislative language that adopts the restrictive language. This does not include Washington and Maryland as of this year (2012) they adopted laws that allowed same sex marriages. Currently, there are also six states and the District of Columbia permits marriage by persons of the same sex. The highest courts in Massachusetts, Connecticut and Iowa ruled that the state's constitution did recommend same sex partners to be accorded similar rights as the opposite sex. In DC, New York, Vermont, and New Hampshire, their legislative organs have passed legislative changes to allow same sex marriage (Samar 55). The above mentioned states perform same sex marriages. ... Marriage in different states is a secular activity, and the government should not start making laws just because religion demands (Samar 55). Marital Benefit Gay couples deserve to enjoy the benefits other married couples do enjoy. Such benefits will include shared ownership and having the decision making capacity. Marriage is more than just a legal status. The legal status is instrumental in regards to the subject of tax, ownership of property, benefits from the insurance, and agency laws. It can also affect serious medical decisions (Samar 55). Medical decision includes instances of personal incapacitation or surgery. Gay Marriage as a Lifestyle In the today world, homosexuality has become a situation that is acceptable, and there is biological evidence that one been gay is in their DNA. Homosexuality been seen as a deviant sexual behavior for a long time. There are history books and psychological research that supports these allegations. The term lesbian originates from a Greek is land Lesbos (Samar 55). At the same time, there are biological reasons to support homosexuality and the issues of it been genetic are yet to be fully proved. Discrimination of Minorities The foundation of America embraces majority rule, however, a greater deal of protecting the rights of minorities. The Bill of Rights supports the need to protect the rights of minorities, anti slavery, and protection of the equal amendments (Samar 55). This contributes to the opinion that denying gay couples to be married is the same as denying marriage among Hispanic and Black Couples. Should Gay Marriages be supported (NO)? Religion considers it to be Sin Homosexuality is a cardinal sin among various religions around the globe. The basic or societal morals state that homosexuality and gay marriages are

Caring for Cooper City Essay Example for Free

Caring for Cooper City Essay There are many factors affecting the health of this community. I believe lack of health education and access to health care are the primary problems. The problems of pinworms and anemia are most preventable with hygiene education and nutritional education. The high premature births and neonatal death rate can be addressed with pre-natal education and care. The ability for the mothers and care givers to access these services may be impaired because of lack of access to health care related to transportation and economics. A cultural norm in many of Hispanic families is both parents work at minimum pay jobs with no benefits, while a family member takes care of several children. This care giver is often an older person (grand parent or aunt) and often does not understand or speak English or is an adolescent that is not able to drive. Because of the noted issues accessing health care during â€Å"business† hours are impaired. It is difficult for the person that may have access to transportation and one that speaks English to arrange a day off to take the child and/or pregnant woman to their doctor appointments Because a large population of the Hispanics go to the Catholic Church getting the local priest or a trusted community involved may help with accessing the population. Information about the clinic, health education classes, and setting up a clinic in the Catholic Church on the weekend may all be options to improving health care. Health education in the schools is another way to get the message to the public. A school health fair or school projects focused on prevention may be ways to help educate the parents. Education of adolescent about birth control, pre-natal care and support are other methods to improve the health of the community. . The planning group will need to have many members of the community. Having someone from the city council, the local priest and pastor, a representative from the high school, a medical representative such as the local md, or nurse practitioner a cultural community representative and representatives of the local business would be the best task force mix. Having the community leader’s access funds to provide free transportation to the health clinics or having a mobile health clinic to access the outlying population. Another option is to have a clinic at the major employer’s place of business. All of the suggested health options will need the support and commitment of the community. As a community health nurse you can support and encourage that commitment.

Should Hong Kong Dollar Depeg with USD Essay Example for Free

Should Hong Kong Dollar Depeg with USD Essay Since Joseph Yam had mentioned by June 2012that it should be time to call for a review of the link to dollar. This reminded us to focus back on this 29-year-old currency linking system of HKD to USD. It was a very good / effective system to help Hong Kong to remain stable under the economic turmoil when first applied in 1983. This formed a very firm ‘firewall’ to protect the stability of the Hong Kong Dollar. We also had the testimony for the effectiveness of this system while the economic crisis that happened in 1997 and 2007. Although the Hong Kong Government had shown their loyalty of pegging the Hong Kong Dollar to U. S. currency and had announced that there are no plans to adjust such link. But I really agree with Joseph Yam that it should be time to call for a review. Since we all know that Hong Kong is having a higher and higher inflation rate that makes the whole city suffer. As well as most of the inflation we experiencing are imported inflation. We may find that U. S. is seeming to have a down slope economic trend and their currency is a lot weaker than before, especially against RMB. If Hong Kong still insists to peg HKD with U. S. currency that means we will, to some extend, having the same trend and future with the state i. e. declining. Moreover, Hong Kong is a place that mainly depends on import and almost all our daily necessities are imported from other countries and of which, mainly from Mainland China. RMB is now having a very strong appreciating trend from which HKD had depreciated 40% to 50% against RMB in the past decade. And we found that the price of food and products that imported from China is becoming more and more expensive. That really makes the whole city suffer. I am quite agreed with what William Ackman, founder of hedge fund Pershing Square Capital Management LP, said in September that he had placed a wager that would profit if Hong Kong allows its currency to appreciate against the dollar to curb inflation. Also to switch the linking of HKD from USD to RMB in the coming three to six years. This is one of the effective ways to release the painful situation we are currently experiencing. Lets not afraid of changing from the 29-year-old policy to a new and aggressive format.

Candia Milk: Expansion Strategy and SWOT

Candia Milk: Expansion Strategy and SWOT CDL (Chaudhry Dairy Limited) is one of the reputable and renowned companies in Pakistan. CDL was established in 1984 as a private limited company. The company came up with its first product Haleeb Milk ´ and continued to expand its product line. In 1988, CDL introduced Haleeb Cream ´ which was not only launched directly for consumer market but also supplied to many ice cream factories where it was used as a core ingredient. The company has its head office in Lahore and a plant located 65-km from Lahore in BhaiPheru. The plant is equipped with latest equipment and technology, specialized workers scientists and professionals who assure quality at every level of production process. Chaudhry Dairies limited is one of those who have entered the dairy industry of Pakistan and have posed serious threats to well established firms like Nestle. The name of Chaudhry Dairies limited was changed to Haleeb Foods Limited with effect from February, 2004. Candia is a product of CDL, which was launched in 1999. Candia is a French brand and it is processed and packed under and licensed in CDL. Candia already is a very popular brand in Europe and other 52 countries. Now it is also available in Pakistans major cities under CDL distribution channels. CDL invested around 200 million rupees to launch Candia in Pakistan out of which 10 to 15 million were spent on its advertisements as it was launched early during the World Cup of 1999. Candia is Europes Number One selling milk. CDL Foods Limited and Candia of France have joined hands to bring the people highest quality milk. For the first time in Pakistan, CDL Foods Limited has introduced milk packed in food grade plastic bottles. These bottles are manufactured from imported materials at CDL Foods latest plant. They ensure longer shelf life, highest quality and storage with ease of use. SWOT Analysis Strengths The Major strength of Candia is the product itself because there is no other product with such uniqueness in the market. Thickness: It is more caramelized milk in its nature. Convenience: It is in a bottle shape so it is easier to open. Just take the lid off and pour milk. Weaknesses Their product is ignoring female taste; Mostly, Men use to drink thick milk as compared to Women. The color of the milk was yellowish thus making the consumers reluctant to buy. There is no running promotion. Only Niche markets targeted to serve the likes of N.W.F.P and Punjab. Music plays a vital role in marketing of any product. According to one research in 70% ads, it is music, which attracts the attention of audience. The ads for Candia did not have any music or melody in them. Opportunities Big Market is there because 77% of the market share is yet to be captured. Threats Haleeb bottle milk is its biggest threat since there will be a cannibalizing situation in the market. Tetra Pack is the biggest threat for CANDIA because it is the only bottled natural product in Pakistan. Reasons Why Candia Milk Failed In Pakistan According to research, it was noticed that there are areas of weaknesses in the market efforts of Candia. Candia has not shown the result which was expected of it.It launched the whole advertisement expense in the beginning and it only paid in for the first three months. After that, the sale of Candia milk has been falling and it is forcing the company to cut down on its promotional expenses. Following are the major factors of its failure: POOR ADVERTISING AND MARKETING CAMPAIGN Candia milk failed to do a proper advertisement and marketing campaign. There was hardly any on air advertisement and no other medium for advertisement was used let alone marketing. COLOR AND TASTE The important attributes that Candia lacks are color and taste of the milk. The color is not purely white due to which people begin to think that the milk is not pure and hygienic. AGE GROUP Candia does not cover all ages of group. It fails to cover all age groups. It targets the age group of 6-12. People over this age barrier; Youth and elderly people, they are not targeted. The young people aged 20-34 have a high purchasing power. However, they do not prefer Candia or any other packaged milk and prefer fresh milk. PRICING Another area of weakness is the pricing strategy used for Candia. Its price was higher than the other brands available in Pakistan. This did not allow Candia to penetrate the market effectively. PACKAGING Packaging is the the most important factor contributing to bad taste and coloring of the milk. Even though it has a USP packaging but if exposed in the sunlight, the milk is discolored. BRANDING The name Candia was relatively unknown to the people of Pakistan and many thought it was some kind of candy or something of that sort. They were and still not aware of the original Candia, which was so popular in Europe and other 52 countries around the world. The brand has flavor of milks rather than just plain milk. DEPTH Another major reason for the failure of Candia is that the company has not been able to increase the depth of their product since launching its flavors, colors, sizes, and overall variety. These innovations are necessary tocreate a good image of the brand in the mind of the consumer. INCENTIVES No incentive or discounts are offered to the consumers. No bulk discounts are given either. The competitors however, follow this practice. CDL is also not providing deep freezers and fridges to big retail outlets and departmental stores of Candia. Due to this, there are many areas where Candia milk is not performing well, especially in areas of their target markets. Candia milk targets the high-income person living in pushing areas, which has dramatically reduced its sale. Research Material The concept of packaged milk has grown over the last decade and is getting increasingly popular. The questionnaire that we floated adamants this as 62% of the people said they consumed packaged milk whereas 38% did not. One of the main reasons for the increased trend, as depicted by our questionnaire was the peoples concern for hygiene. A large percentage, nearly 46% of the people said they consumed packaged milk since they thought it was much more hygienic. About 20% ought for it based on its convenience, 15% as per the recommendation of their family/friends and 18% because of its longer shelf life. According to our questionnaire, 40% of the people believe that they consider high-priced milk brands to be deceiving and do not fulfill their quality criterion. 23% perceived such a brand to be of higher quality, 29% were indifferent and a negligible 8% thought they would see it as targeting a specific market segment. About 36% of the people said that a tune or a jingle could single-handedly be the most important factor in making them notice or recall an advertisement. 16% said that the theme of the ad would be that important factor, whereas the duration, frequency, and endorser scored 20%, 18%, and 10% respectively. 5. As per the stats that we received from our questionnaire, 49% of the people believe that the color of the milk itself affects their buying decision. Whereas 38% disagree with this and a mere 13% were not particularly sure on either one of thee. Upon asking, what sort of packaging did the consumers preferred to buy the milk in, to half; 54% of the people said they preferred it in a bottle. The remaining favored otherwise, meaning they preferred the packaging to be either in a pouch or a tetra pack. The percentages were 16% and 30% respectively. A high percentage of the consumers, 35%, errand the diversity in flavors offered in a milk brand to affect their buying habits of consuming a particular milk brand. Whereas 26% said that, the catchiness of the advertisements itself increases their chances of choosing milk brand. Apart from that, a relatively similar amount of consumers were affected by the popularity, type and pricing of the milk brand. The medium of advertisement that the consumers thought hooked them the most again, had more or less the same percentages. However, 39% of the people said that, it was not just one medium of promotion but it was instead the amalgamation of all these means together, the combined advertisement through all these mediums that caught their attention the most. The mediums being Television, Magazines, Radio, Social media and Signboards. In accordance with the data that we gathered from the questionnaire, Candia as a milk brand is seen/recalled by 39% of the people as a brand that was not promoted a lot let alone highly advertised. About 15% of the people remember it as being highly priced, 13% as popular, 15% as targeting a target market, and 18% as a brand imparting high quality. 10. A fairly high amount of the people recommended that Candia ought to use a much more catchy theme, along with a nice jingle, something that clicks the minds of the people and stays in their heads. They also proposed that Candia should advertise its brand much more than it already does so that the people are more aware of the brand. Apart from that, they projected the possibility of success of Candia if they targeted not just the youngsters or a specific target market but a mass market instead. Changing Consumers Perception Consumers come across many products daily but do not always remember them all. The ones they recall are usually the ones they have experienced or just the ones they are exposed to.There are some products to which they get exposed in such a way that the memory of that product stays with them. Such products have attributes like flashy packaging or something unusual. Other such factors include the way the product is promoted, how it is advertised, and who endorses it. The medium used for advertising plays an important part in the learning and memory of a consumer concerning a particular product. The frequency of a television ad might be more than a print ad or a billboard and that television ads incorporate the sense of sight and hearing. It is seen that most consumers over time associate the product with a jingle or melody used in the ad as it seems to be repetitive and catchy in nature. The slogan, Candia All-purpose milk The best for your family shows that the company is trying to position the brand as having a high quality in the consumers mind and right for everyone in the family, also depicting a change of lifestyle.This indicates that Candia has now employed a more aggressive promotional approach and is trying to be more persuasive and displaying a new brand personality and attitude. Candia has looked at similar factors in its re-launch as previously it was lacking;a musical television ad thus not engrossing the consumers in the ad itself. Its new ad has a very catchy tune and triggers the happy mood. In addition, the way the advertisement is shot is quite different from its competitors that exist in the market. They typically show how the milk is processed and tested or simply show a family using milk forming a story ad. According to the survey, Candia is recalled as a lowly promoted milk brand, therefore Candia has now engrossed in heavy promotional activities to persuade the consumers. Also the fact that how the ad would be shown, at what times and at what frequency has been looked at by the company as it plays a vital role. Too much repetition of the ad tends to annoy the viewers so keeping that in mind it shall not be repeated at short intervals instead it would be aired at the peak times at which people watch television. Furthermore the billboards along the road are put up in such a way that while driving or passing by that area it comes within the threshold and is easily viewed by everyone who passes by. While advertising it is important to keep in mind to somehow involve the consumers and trigger their sensory receptors immediately to capture their attention. Candia in its ad has done the same, the melody used in it immediately grabs attention and also the innovativeness in the ad, the concept of stop motion used in the ad is interesting and visually appealing and makes sure that the viewer watches till the end as it seems to be stimulating seeing a bottle of milk moving on its own. Companies tend to use more than one sensory appeal and the most important in a television ad are both sight and hearing as in the Candia ad. Thus, this can be counted as a competitive advantage for the company. Until this date, the consumers tend to remember Candia as the first milk brand in Pakistan that was launched in a plastic bottle. Keeping that in mind, while re-launching, Candia used this and changed the shape of the bottle a bit, so that it stays at the differential threshold level. According to the survey, 54% of the people preferred to buy milk in a bottle with a handle, thus Candia made the changes required. Candia Consumer Related Factors Candia was introduced in Pakistan in 1999, and although, when launched, it had high expectations attached, it failed to deliver. If it were to be re-launched, Candia would have to change its overall perception in the minds of the consumer. Factors like Self-Concept, Self Esteem, Personality and Life style of the consumer and overall consumer attitude do have an impact on the sales of a certain product. Hence, Candia should focus on these concepts to understand their consumers in a better way and to make their product more appealing to the consumer mind. Self Concept- The term self-concept is a general term used to refer to how someone thinks about or perceives him or herself. The self-concept is how we think about and evaluate ourselves. To be aware of oneself is to have a concept of oneself. The self-concept is a very complex structure. We describe attributes of self-concept along with dimensions such as content, positivity, intensity, and stability over time and accuracy. In the discipline of consumer behavior, people derive their sense of self at least partially from the goods and services they consume. Through the consumption of the symbols contained in products, consumers attempt to enhance their self-concepts by using products to communicate particular personal characteristics to themselves and others. When it was first launched, Candia mainly focused the younger generation. If it were to be re-launched now, it should target people of all ages. They should present themselves in a way that everyone can associate himself or herself with Candia. Nestle is a brand that was very successful in doing so. It should highlight how it is healthy, because a major portion of the market is kids and they should focus on attracting the mothers and focusing on how the consumption of Candia is good for their kids can do that. Self Esteem- The term self esteem refers to the positivity of a persons self-concept. People with low self-esteem feel that they will not perform very well, and they would try to avoid embarrassment, failure, or rejection. If Candia were to re-launch it would have to plan its strategies out in such a way that the consumers feel that consuming Candia would be good for their image. When asked in a questionnaire whether the color of the milk was of any relevance to the consumer a majority of 49 % said yes. This affected the self-esteem of the consumer as they felt that the milk that they were consuming as not pure/ healthy. Candia should plan their strategies out in a way that people would feel good about consuming it and feel that they made the right decision in choosing Candia as a brand. Personality- Each person has personality characteristics that influence his or her buying behavior. By personality, we mean a set of distinguishing human psychological traits that lead to relatively consistent and enduring responses to environmental stimuli. Personality is often described in terms of such traits as self-confidence, dominance, autonomy, deference, sociability, defensiveness, and adaptability. Personality can be useful variable in analyzing consumer brand choices. The idea is that brands also have personalities, and consumers are likely to choose brands whose personalities match their own. We define brand personality as the specific mix of human traits that may be attributed to a particular brand. 1. Sincerity (down-to-earth, honest, wholesome, and cheerful) 2. Excitement (daring, spirited, imaginative, and up-to-date.) 3. Competence (reliable, intelligent, and successful) 4. Sophistication (upper-class and charming) 5. Ruggedness (outdoorsy and tough) Candia should go for the personality attributes of Sincerity and Competence. As the brand would be targeting the mass, the consumers should feel that what they are consuming is good for them and the brand would give good value. Lifestyles- Lifestyles defines a pattern of consumption and reflects a persons choices on how to spend his/her time and money. In an economic sense your lifestyle represents the way to elect to allocate income. Candia should strategize in a way that the consumer feels that they are able to meet high standards of quality and fit their perceived lifestyles within the disposable income that they have. Consumer Attitude- An attitude is a predisposition to evaluate an object or product positively or negatively. We form attitudes towards products and services that often determine whether we will purchase them or not. The strategy that Candia should adopt should focus on it being a safe brand. The consumer should think of it as a brand that would deliver value and is able to meet high standards of Quality. Candia was criticized for not using very effective promotions. This resulted in the consumers forming a very negative attitude about the brand. They should focus on their promotions and they need to maintain consistency among their promotional messages. Gaining Competitive Edge over Competitors Concentrate on the consumers and try to understand their physical and emotional desires. Introduce a wide range of products that can be consumed by all age groups. Try to understand the economic, geographic and social factors which affect the diets of the consumers and try to concentrate on the nutritional and health value of the products. Also in the long run concentrate on the lower-income consumers and make their products available at affordable prices while providing a diet compensating the local dietary deficiencies and including relevant nutrition. Try to understand the motivations, routines, decision making and purchasing habits of the customers by spending time with the people Has to become a more market oriented company to understand the customer or market needs and produce products accordingly to achieve the organizations goals. Should try to create a brand name as strong as; A Nestle brand name on a product is a promise to the customer that it is safe to consume, that it complies with all regulations and that it meets high standards of quality Candia can try to be at the forefront of developing new customer- centric health products and align their researches accordingly with consumer and business needs. Should use promotion as one of the major sources to reach their customers to make them aware of the different products introduced in the market and the value of the products introduced. Candia should adopt a promotion mix with a perfect blend of several different promotion tools to promote the value of its product and make the customers aware of their different products. Advertisements should be attractive through all the possible media. Internet is one of the latest media and should be used by Candia to promote their products, where they have different websites hosted for different products. Different strategies for each product like online competitions and distribution. Through public relations Candia can try to bring to the attention of all the customers and organizations concerned about the various issues or concerns and the current approach they are taking towards these concerns. Candia should adopt a favorable marketing channel, which is most appropriate for the consumers. They should try to focus on differentiation strategy. They differentiate their products with their competitors by giving them better customer satisfaction and quality with in an acceptable price limit. They reduce the risk of complexity of supply chain and lower attractiveness for discounters to follow this differentiation strategy In addition, Candia must maintain a good customer relationship according to the taste and demand of the emerging market. Corrective Actions To Be Taken By The Company Buyer behavior and readiness: Candias market share was declining and there was a need to make a comeback policy to strengthen the brand and this can only be done through promotion mix to make an image in the minds of the people. Advertising strategy: During summers, as the milk production declines because of low supply of raw milk from dairy farms, the supply decreases, which increases the demand for packaged milk, it was recommended that the management should emphasize on a Pull strategy as Candia now may be used as an alternative product. Advertisements, print media, electric media campaign, etc.must be used for the heavy promotion of the product. Sales promotion strategy: During winters, push strategy was recommended by giving incentives to the consumers because the milk supply is good and the competition is intense. Personal selling tools: Emotions- sales force should target the emotions of parents and persuade them to select Candia as drinking milk for their kids. Direct marketing tools: It was strongly recommended that Haleeb foods must have an effective web presence in this interactive world. To promote the entire site, an online marketing program was launched. A comprehensive, highly targeted group of destination web sites was chosen for the program. The web site was registered with yahoo search portal and a number of tactical elements helped drive online awareness and inquiries into the program Internal Communication: Over the years, organizations have now started understanding the importance of internal communication in achieving corporate goals and objectives. We strongly believed that by implementing the above-mentioned strategies the management has been capable of enhancing corporate profitability; create a resounding brand name of Candia. Positioning strategy: Candia has a current positioning strategy that Candia milk is mostly meant for drinking purposes. It is firmly believed that the management has modified the product positioning and has positioned it as being a multipurpose milk brand that can be consumed by all age groups. Promotion strategy: Following ways were adopted for the promotion of Candia that was helpful for the improvement of the sale of Candia Television Television played an important role for the promotion of Candia a marketing budget was spent on the ad on different TV channels for the promotion of that product. Newspapers Haleeb Foods advertised Candia Milk in all reputed daily newspapers like Jung, Dawn, Din, Nawa-e-Waqat, The Nation etc. Sign Boards Sign boards and billboards can also play a vital role in the promotion of Candia. Neon Candia signs can be easilynoticed by the eye and must be displayed on most eye-catching locations in the cities.

Free Death of a Salesman Essays: Four Characters :: Death of a Salesman

Death Of A Salesman: Four Characters The play "Death Of A Salesman" , the brainchild of Arthur Miller was transformed and fitted to the movie screen in the year 1986. The play itself is set in the house of Willy Loman, and tells the melancholy story of a salesman whom is in deep financial trouble, and the only remedy for the situation is to commit suicide. In the stage production of this tale, the specific lighting, set, and musical designs really give the story a strong undertow of depression. And logically the screen and stage productions both differ greatly in regards to the mood they set. Moreover the movie production can do many things that just cannot be done on stage, with reference to the setting of course. To generalize, the play gives us a good hard look at the great American Dream failing miserably. However the combination of both the stage and screen productions accurately depict the shortcomings of the capitalist society.   Ã‚  Ã‚   Death of a Salesman specifically focuses on four characters, the first being the main character Willy Loman, his wife Linda, and their two sons Hap and Biff Loman. As mentioned, the focal point of this play is Willy Loman, a salesman in his early sixties. Throughout the story we are told the hard life, emotions and triumphs of Willy the salesman. Early in the play we learn that he has recently been demoted to working for commission, which later in the play,(on par with his luck) translates into Willy getting fired. As the plot unfolds we discover that Willy had a rich brother who recently died named Ben, whom Willy looked upon with great admiration for becoming extremely wealthy and the ripe old age of 21. However Willy also becomes very depressed when Ben leaves, the fact being that he re-realizes the meagerness of his own life, and that he is still making payments on all of his possessions. Willy then comprehends that bye the time his worldly possessions are paid forà ¢â‚¬ ¦they shall no longer be of any use. For example, the Loman house has become virtually unnecessary now that the two sons have moved out. It isn't until after Willy's death that the final mortgage payment is made†¦.for a house with no one inside it. The one example of this statement is given by Linda during the final paragraph of the play,

The Devils Backbone Essay -- essays research papers

During the Spanish Civil War, an orphaned 10-year-old boy, Carlos (Fernando Tielve), arrives at the Santa Lucia School, where he's taken in by the headmistress (Marisa Paredes). Over time, Carlos comes to realize that the school has some creepy secrets, including a sighing ghost. Starring Eduardo Noriega, Marisa Paredes, Federico Luppi, Inigo Garces, Fernando Tielve, Irene Visedo Directed by Guillermo del Toro Written by Guillermo del Toro, Antonio Trashorras, David Muà ±oz Studio Sony Pictures Classics During the Spanish Civil War, an orphaned 10-year-old boy, Carlos (Fernando Tielve), arrives at the Santa Lucia School, where he's taken in by the headmistress (Marisa Paredes). Over time, Carlos comes to realize that the school has some creepy secrets, including a sighing ghost. Starring Eduardo Noriega, Marisa Paredes, Federico Luppi, Inigo Garces, Fernando Tielve, Irene Visedo Directed by Guillermo del Toro Written by Guillermo del Toro, Antonio Trashorras, David Muà ±oz Studio Sony Pictures Classics Genre Horror, Drama Release Date November 21, 2001 (NY); expands nationwide at a later date MPAA Rating R - for violence and some sexuality Running Time 106 minutes Filming Location(s) Madrid Web Sites Official Site Official Spanish Site 10/08/01 Director del Toro is also attached to Blade 2: Bloodhunt and the comic book adaptation Hellboy. (Upcoming Movies) POSITIVE SOURCE RATING THE GIST Cranky Critic $5 †¦ a very cool ghost story, with a couple o...

Essay --

FROM: Mathilde Renou TO: Ms. Charlotte Irwin RE: Memorandum on Prosecutor v. Dusko Tadic, Decision on Interlocutory Appeal on Jurisdiction, ICTY Appeals Chamber DATE: December 06, 2013 FACTS Dusko Tadic is a Bosnian Serb accused of crimes against humanity amongst which the foremost were the collection, the mistreatment and the killing of Bosnian Muslims and Croats in the former Yugoslavia in 1992. Also known as â€Å"Dule† Tadic, this former leader of Serbian paramilitary forces has been indicted in 1995 . The Defence team had fulfilled a preliminary motion for dismissal of the charges based on the tribunal lack of jurisdiction which was primarily rejected by the Trial Chamber which refused, amongst others, to investigate the legitimacy of the creation of the tribunal . From this dismissal, the Defence team filed an interlocutory appeal to contest, amongst others, the â€Å"illegal foundation of the International Tribunal .† ISSUE Dusko Tadic (hereinafter the Appellant) contested the jurisdiction (or the â€Å"competence† as it is referred in the French version of the case) of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and alleged â€Å"an error of law on the part of the Trial Chamber †, and contested particularly the legitimacy of the establishment of the Tribunal. Therefore the questions are the following. Does the Tribunal has the power to determine its own jurisdiction, i.e. its legal foundation by asserting the principle of â€Å"compà ©tence de la competence†? By extension, does the UN Security Council acting under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter is lawfully entitled to establish an international criminal tribunal? RULE Under article 36(6) Statute of the Court , the Court asserted its right to the principle of... ... of Procedure , and rejected the first ground of appeal of the Appellant based on an unlawful establishment of the International Tribunal . CONCLUSION The Appeals Chamber rejected the heading of the appellant related to the lack of jurisdiction of the ICTY by asserting its power to determine its own jurisdiction. The Court affirmed its â€Å"compà ©tence de la compà ©tence† under Article 36 (6) ICJ Statute by arguing that the tribunal has been lawfully and legitimately founded under Chapter VII of the United Nations and reaffirmed that The UN Security Council had the legitimacy to establish a â€Å"subsidiary organ†, i.e. a tribunal, under international law respecting the rule of law. By ruling on this decision, the Court has asserted its capacity to determine and to exercise its competence on its own jurisdiction, best known as the principle of â€Å"compà ©tence de la compà ©tence†.

Agriculture of Pakistan

Agriculture is a vital sector of Pakistan's economy and accounted for 25.9 percent of GDP in 1999-2000, according to government estimates. The sector directly supports three-quarters of the country's population, employs half the labor force , and contributes a large share of foreign exchange earnings. The main agricultural products are cotton, wheat, rice, sugarcane, fruits, and vegetables, in addition to milk, beef, mutton, and eggs. Pakistan depends on one of the world's largest irrigation systems to support production. There are 2 principal seasons. Cotton, rice, and sugarcane are produced during the kharif season, which lasts from May to November. Wheat is the major rabi crop, which extends from November to April. The key to a much-needed improvement of productivity lies in a more efficient use of resources, principally land and water. However, change is dependent on the large landowners who own 40 percent of the arable land and control most of the irrigation system, which makes widespread reform difficult. Assessments by independent agencies, including the World Bank, show these large landholdings to be very unproductive. Pakistan is a net importer of agricultural commodities. Annual imports total about US$2 billion and include wheat, edible oils, pulses, and consumer foods. Pakistan is one of the world's largest producers of raw cotton. The size of the annual cotton crop—the bulk of it grown in Punjab province—is a crucial barometer of the health of the overall economy, as it determines the availability and cost of the main raw material for the yarn-spinning industry, much of which is concentrated around the southern port city of Karachi. Official estimates put the 1999-2000 harvest at some 11.2 million 170-kilogram bales, compared with the 1998-99 outturn of 8.8 million bales and the record 12.8 million bales achieved in 1991-92. The government recently actively intervened in the market to boost prices and to encourage production. A major problem is that the cotton crop is highly susceptible to adverse weather and pest damage, which is reflected in crop figures. After peaking at 2.18 million tons in 1991-92, the lint harvest has since fluctuated considerably, ranging from a low of 1.37 million tons in 1993-94 to a high of 1.9 million tons in 1999-2000. The 2000-01 wheat crop was forecast at a record 19.3 million tons, compared to 17.8 million tons produced during the previous year. This increase is due largely to favorable weather and a 25-percent increase in the procurement price to about US$135 per ton. About 85 percent of the crop is irrigated. Despite the record production, Pakistan will continue to be a major wheat importer. The government has imported an average of US$2.4 million annually over the past 5 years. The United States and Australia are the major suppliers. Demand for wheat is increasing from Pakistan's rapidly growing population as well as from cross-border trade with Afghanistan. Pakistan is a major rice exporter and annually exports about 2 million tons, or about 10 percent of world trade. About 25 percent of exports is Pakistan's famous fragrant Basmati rice. Rice is Pakistan's second leading source of export earnings. Private traders handle all exports. Pakistan's main competitors in rice trade are Thailand, Vietnam, and India. Tobacco is grown mainly in the North-West Frontier Province and Punjab and is an important cash crop . Yields in Pakistan are about twice those for neighboring countries largely due to the extension services provided by the industry. Quality, however, is improving only slowly due to problems related to climate and soil. Farmers have started inter-cropping tobacco with vegetables and sugarcane to increase returns. About half of the total production is used for cigarette manufacturing and the remainder used in traditional ways of smoking (in hand-rolled cigarettes called birris, in water pipes, and as snuff). The share of imported tobacco is increasing gradually in response to an increased demand for high-quality cigarettes. Minor crops account for only 5 percent of total cultivated area; these include oilseeds (sunflower, soybean), chilies, potatoes, and onions. Domestic oilseed production accounts only for about 25 percent of Pakistan total edible oil needs. As a result, Pakistan spends more than US$1 billion annually in scarce foreign exchange to import edible oils, while its oilseed processing industry operates at less than 25 percent of capacity due to an inadequate supply of oilseeds. For 2000-01 total oilseed production was forecast to decrease 10 percent to 3.6 million tons. The government has highlighted development of the oilseed sector as a priority. Pakistan's fishing industry is relatively modest, but has shown strong growth in recent years. The domestic market is quite small, with per capita annual consumption of approximately 2 kilograms. About 80 percent of production comes from marine fisheries from 2 main areas, the Sindh coast east from Karachi to the Indian border, and the Makran coast of Baluchistan. Ninety percent of the total marine catch is fish; the shrimp which constitute the remainder are prized because of their greater relative value and demand in foreign markets. During 1999-00, total fish production was 620,000 tons, of which 440,000 tons consisted of sea fish and the remainder were fresh-water species. About one-third of the catch is consumed fresh, 9 percent is frozen, 8 percent canned, and about 43 percent used as fish meal for animal food. Livestock accounts for 40 percent of the agricultural sector and 9 percent of the total GDP. Principal products are milk, beef, mutton, poultry, and wool. During 1999, the livestock population increased to 120 million head. That same year Pakistan generated 970,000 tons of beef, 640,000 tons of mutton, and 190,000 tons of poultry. In an effort to enhance milk and meat production, the government recently launched a comprehensive livestock development project with Asian Development Bank assistance. Poultry production provides an increasingly popular low-cost source of protein. Modern poultry production is constrained by high mortality, high incidence of disease, poor quality chicks, and poor quality feed, combined with an inadequate marketing system. Frozen poultry have only recently been introduced. Forests cover an area of 4.2 million hectares or about 5 percent of the total area of Pakistan. The principal forest products are timber, principally for house construction, furniture, and firewood. Many of the country's wooded areas are severely depleted as a result of over-exploitation. The government has restricted cutting to protect remaining resources—though corruption often jeopardizes environmental efforts—and has lowered duties to encourage imports. Forestry production has since declined from 1.07 million cubic meters in 1990-91 to 475,000 cubic meters in 1998-99. Pakistan imports an estimated US$150 million of wood products annually to meet the requirements of a growing population and rising demand by a wealthy elite.

Hephaestus, the Master Craftsman

Hephaestus, the Greek god of fire, is most revered for his master craftsmanship. In works of art he is usually depicted as a middle-aged smith working in his forge, often making a thunderbolt for Zeus. Born of Hera alone, he was cast down as a baby from Olympus by his mother for his defective ugliness and fell for a whole day before he hit the ground. Nine years after he was thrown from the heavens, he returned to Olympus and became one of the twelve Olympian Gods. With Zeus’s favor, he was able to marry Aphrodite, the goddess of love, who sadly never returned the love he gave to her.Hephaestus was loved by the mortals for his kindness and he had an important role in Athens alongside Athena. Nearly every weapon, piece of armor, or building of any importance was crafted by Hephaestus. Hephaestus, rejected by his mother for his ugliness, helped countless mortals and gods, married Aphrodite, and rose to Olympus to become the master craftsman honored by all. Hephaestus is the god of fire but only in its positive and useful aspect. This also includes everything that is accomplished by fire. Therefore, any fire that destroys or damages is not attributed to him (Berens 73).He, being a smith, is the protector of smiths, both goldsmiths and blacksmiths and jewelers. Also as a master builder he is the god of builders, masons, and carpenters (Graves 15). He is also considered to be the god of volcanoes because this is where it was believed his forges were located. Inside his forges, he uses Cyclopes as his helpers because they have a natural talent for forging (Bolton 178). Not only is Hephaestus a smith, he is also an architect, craftsman, and an artist (Bulfinch 13). In fact, he is known as the master craftsman (Hansen 185).He makes nearly everything that the gods want from their weapons and armor, to their homes, palaces and chariots (Hamilton 36). Hephaestus is an ugly god. He is often illustrated with grotesque facial features and malformed legs but with massi ve upper body strength. Usually he is shown wielding a hammer and working on a weapon or object of some kind (Berens 76). In other depictions of art, items often associated with work, such as an axe, a mule, and a pilos, otherwise known as a workman’s hat, are used to represent him (Hansen 186). Hesphaestus is also represented by the quail.This bird’s strange dance in the springtime is seen as similar to how Hephaestus hobbles when he walks (Graves 15). Several stories exist on how Hephaestus was born. While all stories agree that he was born to Hera, the goddess of marriage, they differ on when he was born and whether he had a father at all. Some say that he was born to Hera, alone, because she wanted to give birth to a child by herself after Zeus solely gave birth to Athena (Martin 88). However, this is contradicted by the story that it was Hephaestus that helped Zeus give birth to Athena by splitting Zeus’s head open to allow Athena to pop out.Therefore, Hera could not have been jealous of Athena’s single parent birth since Athena hadn’t been born yet (Berens 21). This leads to the rumor where Hera had Hephaestus long before being married to Zeus (Martin 88). But the easiest explanation is that Zeus was indeed his father, and he was born before Athena (Bulfinch 15). After Hephaestus was born, Hera realized that he was ugly and crippled, and to rid herself of such an embarrassment, she threw him off Olympus (Graves 86). He plummeted into the sea, and immediately he was saved by the sea-goddess Thetis.Thetis took him to an underground cave where she and an oceanide Eurynome took turns caring for and raising the young god (Hansen 183). For nine years he remained hidden in his secret, underground home. By the end of the nine years he was already an expert craftsman. He made elaborate items of jewelry, much to the delight of his caretakers (Martin 89). He also made useful objects like clasps, pins, and cups (Hansen 184). While Hephaestus was living with Thetis in the underwater cavern, she told him stories of his birth mother, Hera. After hearing these stories, Hephaestus desperately wanted revenge on his mother for throwing him off Olympus.He began to work non-stop in his forge, leaving only for ambrosia and nectar. Some time later he emerged with a shining black and gold throne, his first masterpiece. Displayed across the entire throne were different scenes depicting the stories of the gods. He requested that Thetis take the throne to Hera up on Mount Olympus as a gift. When the throne was placed in front of Hera, she admired it for a long time. After she sat down, she realized that she could not move. Invisible bands of force held her in place. She yelled frantically, trying to escape but with no success.The other Olympians quickly came to her aid but none of them could release her either. They soon came to the conclusion that a god had made the throne, but they did not know who could have made it (Mar tin 89). Thetis, who happened to still be there, explained to the gods who made the throne. Ares immediately volunteered to fetch Hephaestus, and set off at once for the underwater cave. When Ares arrived, however, Hephaestus fought him off using flaming brands. Ares returned to Olympus empty handed and Hera began to fear that she would spend eternity stuck in a chair. Luckily for Hera, Dionysus decided he would give it a try.He gathered an excessive amount of wine and traveled to the cave. He made no sign that he was trying to take Hephaestus to Olympus. Instead he gave Hephaestus the alcohol and soon had him so drunk that Hephaestus couldn’t even walk. Dionysus then called upon his satyrs and donkey to escort Hephaestus back to Olympus in a grand parade of flute-playing and cymbal-smashing satyrs. Once they arrived at Olympus, Dionysus declared, on behalf of the drunken Hephaestus, that Hera could go only if Hephaestus was allowed to stay on Mount Olympus. Every god favored the agreement so Hephaestus unlocked the throne, setting Hera free.From then on, Hephaestus the smith was one of the twelve Olympians (Martin 90). Many people wonder how Olympus’s ugliest god became the husband to the most beautiful goddess. There are several different explanations on how this happened. One story says that when Hephaestus first saw Aphrodite, he immediately fell in love with her and went straight to Zeus and Hera for permission to marry her. Since they both agreed, they became husband and wife (Bolton 178). Another story states that Zeus gave Aphrodite to Hephaestus in thanks for him forging his lightning bolts (Bulfinch 4).A different story explains that Zeus married them to keep Aphrodite out of trouble. He thought she needed a hardworking and disciplined husband, so he chose Hephaestus (Graves 16). Lastly, one theory says that Zeus set it up as revenge for when Aphrodite refused him as a lover (Bolton 178). No matter how they got married, one thing is alw ays agreed upon. Hephaestus loved Aphrodite, but Aphrodite never returned that love (Hansen 184). Aphrodite never loved Hephaestus because she thought it was shameful to have a crippled and hideous husband (Graves 17).So instead of being a loyal and faithful wife, Aphrodite had many affairs with gods as well as mortals. The most prominent affair was with Hephaestus’s brother, Ares, the god of war. When Hephaestus found out about her affair with Ares, he became especially angry (Hansen 184). Helios came to Hephaestus and told him of the affair between Aphrodite and Ares. Hephaestus’s immediate reaction was of rage and revenge (Hansen 184). He went to his smithy and crafted a pair of invisible and indestructible chains. He took the chains and laid them over top of his bed, checking to see if it was concealed.Hephaestus told Aphrodite that he would be leaving on vacation to Lemnos and pretended to depart. As soon as Aphrodite thought he was gone, she summoned Ares to come . They laid down in Hephaestus’s own bed and instantly became trapped (Hansen 185). Hephaestus then returned to his house and summoned all of the gods to come with him. There, he let them view the humiliated and trapped lovers in bed (Bolton 180). Hephaestus explained to the gods how Aphrodite hated him for being crippled and loved Ares for being attractive. All the male gods commented on the scene and viewed it without disgust.Several of the goddesses, however, did not enjoy themselves as much as the male gods did (Hansen 185). Everyone laughed though, and made fun of Ares and Aphrodite, but some mocked Hephaestus as well (Bolton 180). Finally, with some pleading from Poseidon, Hephaestus let the embarrassed lovers go (Hansen 185). Hephaestus may have had some problems with his wife, but he was very popular among the mortals. He taught them smithing and the art of metalworking (Berens 74). Aside from that, he was known for being very helpful. Orion once came to Hephaestusâ⠂¬â„¢s forge on Lemnos after being blinded.Hephaestus took pity on him and sent a guide to take him to Apollo. Because of his helpfulness, all the mortals honored him, and many of them worshiped him (Berens 73). He has temples on the volcanic Island of Lemnos and Mt. Maschylus (Graves 88). He also has a temple on Mount Etna and in Athens. To enter the temple on Mt. Etna, the mortals must pass fearsome hounds, who serve as guards. These hounds have the ability to smell if people are good or evil. With these special guards, only the clean and righteous souls can enter (Berens 76). His temple in Athens stands alongside the temple of Athena.In Athens he serves alongside Athena as the patron of handicrafts, specifically the guardian of the smiths (Hamilton 37). Hephaestus, being the master craftsman, made a great deal of objects for the good of mankind. Many times he helped heroes on their quests, such as Hercules, Aeneas, and Achilles. For Hercules, Hephaestus crafted several gifts. Fir st, he constructed an enormous pair of clappers that were somewhat like cymbals. Hercules used these to scare the Stymphalide birds (Berens 286). He made a golden breastplate on Hercules’ behalf (Hansen 185).Lastly, he sent Hercules a golden quiver as a gift for when he became famous among the gods (Berens 282). For Aeneas, he crafted an impressive set of armor at the request of his goddess-mother (Bulfinch 155). Aeneas used the armor to defeat Turnus in battle. Finally, to the hero Achilles, he gave a set of impenetrable armor after Thetis, Achilles’ mother, asked him to help her son. Achilles had lost his previous armor and needed a replacement to protect him in his search for Hector. When Hephaestus was visited by Thetis and heard her request, he set all other work aside to complete it (Bulfinch 121).Besides helping mortals, Hephaestus had other responsibilities. As the master craftsman, he solely designed and built the numerous palaces on Mount Olympus. These inclu ded the wondrous palace of Zeus and Hera at the peak of Olympus to the palaces of every other Olympian god to even the majestic thrones that sat in each (Berens 20). Again, being the master craftsman, he built many other things. For mighty Zeus, he made the shield, Aegis and constantly replenishes his supply of thunderbolts (Bulfinch 2). To Artemis he gave armor and arrows to help her on her hunts (Bolton 178).Some of his greatest works were built for Apollo, the god of the sun. These included the magnificent palace of the sun in the east, as well as Apollo’s own Sun chariot (Bulfinch 23). Hephaestus lived through his harsh and misfortunate creation to become a well respected god, loved for his kindness and honored by the humans and gods that he assisted in numerous ways. Ordinary man chose the common quail, whose springtime dance is like his limping walk, to represent him. When he was born, his ugliness caused Hera to cast him off Olympus to rid herself of the embarrassment. Thetis took him in, raised him, and he later returned to Olympus in revenge to Hera. Aphrodite became his wife although her loyalty was to Ares, Hephaestus’s brother, and not to her husband. Hephaestus was honored by having temples in Athens and on Mt. Etna. The most marvelous works known to gods or mortals were created by Hephaestus. Even though Hephaestus is the ugliest god on Olympus, he became one of the most popular in heaven as well as on earth by happily aiding humans and kindly assisting his fellow gods alike.

Motivational Methods Hcs 325

Motivational Methods There are various motivational methods that are used in the workplace. There are three motivation theories; equity theory, expectancy theory, and goal-setting theory. In an organization, motivational methods are used to improve and prepare staff members for implementation of new policies. Motivational success depends on what methods are used and what the exact motivation is. One theory of motivation is equity theory. The essence of the theory is that perceived inequity is a motivating state—that is, when people believe that they have been inequitably treated in comparison to others, they will try to eliminate the discomfort and restore a sense of equity to the situation† (Lombardi, 2007, p. 284) . In an organization, not everyone will get along; there will be disagreements and even arguments. When a worker is dissatisfied with their job they will become less interested and invested in it. They will not work as hard as they once did which affects the team as a whole. A worker may even quit or be transferred if they perceive inequity (Lombardi, 2007, p. 84). A way for a supervisor to correct this situation is to communicate the intended value of rewards given, by doing so; the worker feels like it is less of a competition and will strive toward the goal of getting a raise or promotion. â€Å"Social science research suggests that people are most likely to internalize norms when they feel autonomous, competent, and related to others† (Bartlett, 2009, p. 1895). An important goal is for an employee to feel like they are an important part of the team. The expectancy theory is based on the question: â€Å"What determines the willingness of an individual to work hard at tasks important to the organization? (Lombardi, 2007, p. 284). If an organization is preparing for a change in policy, the supervisor must get their staff prepared for the change. In most cases, the workers feel fine with the policy they currently have and are re luctant for change because it disrupts work patterns for a while. The supervisor should let their team know of the importance of the change as well as take small steps to build up to the impending change. With the ever changing workforce characteristics such as age of the average worker, and workers waiting longer to retire, there is a great range of workers and with that, a greater range of needs. Changing workforce characteristic may impact the effectiveness of pay, reward, and recognition systems if demographic-based generational differences in the workforce translate into norms at expectations and motivation† (McGinley & Meese, 2011, p. 82). A way to motivate workers with this theory is for the supervisor to clearly link effort and performance, link performance to work outcomes, and choosing work outcomes valued by the individual† (Lombardi, 2007, p. 285). When an organization needs its departmental supervisors to prepare staff for change, the expectancy theory can b e used to motivate workers.For example, if a department is going under a new policy, the workers in that department will have to adapt, a way to ensure a smooth adaptation is for the supervisor to set goals and expectations that need to be reached as well as provide rewards for those who follow protocol on a regular basis and explain what the rewards are and their criteria beforehand. Positive reinforcement will increase the frequency of desirable behavior by making pleasant consequence contingent on its occurrence (Lombardi, 2007, p. 88). The goal-setting theory â€Å"is that task goals can be highly motivating if they are properly set and if they are well managed† (Lombardi, 2007, p. 285). For the goal-setting theory to work, supervisors and team members must work together to set the right goals in the right ways (Lombardi, 2007, p. 285). In the case of preparing for change, the goals should be to have a smooth transition, in order for this to happen, everyone must work tog ether. It cannot be just one person pushing the others to reach a goal.If the supervisor want to make their staff feel competent and capable of doing a good job they will have to â€Å"select workers with ability, train workers to use ability, support work efforts, and clarify performance jobs† (Lombardi, 2007, p. 286). When goals are specifically set there is a greater outcome for success. For example, in a wound care facility a goal for one worker is to complete inventory in 45 minutes twice a day; the worker will have a clear understanding of what is expected of them rather than the supervisor to tell the worker â€Å"get the inventory done today†.Rewarding the accomplishment of a worker will reinforce good work ethic and ensure greater outcomes in the future. When an organization wants to make changes, it affects everyone, from the top to the bottom. In order for the changes to be implemented in an effective manner, motivation among staff is needed. Providing posit ive reinforcement when a task is continuously done correctly can ensure that the task will continue to be done correctly. Implementing any one of the three motivational methods discussed will make any change a smoother transition.Keeping workers motivated to do their job will increase productivity and provide better outcomes for the organization. References Bartlett, K. T. (2009). Making good on good intentions: The critical role on motivation in reducing implicit workplace discrimination. Virginia Law Review, 95(8), 1893-1972. Lombardi, D. J. , Schermerhorn, J. R. , & Kramer, B. (2007). Health Care Management. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons. McGinley, J. , & Meese, T. (2011, March). Intelligence Community Assessment: Generational differences in workplace motivation. American Intelligence Journal

Microsoft Vista and Home Computing Essay

In 2005, Microsoft announced that it was working on a new version of their Windows operating system that would fix many security problems that were plaguing Windows-XP users. Consequently, many software lovers eagerly anticipated the launch of the upgraded operating system, named Widows Vista. Unfortunately, after Vista was released in 2007, it disappointed most users and critics because of its lack-luster performance, high cost and incompatibility with XP software. It is worse than Windows XP, and home-computer users today are better off using Windows 7 Home Premium. Windows Vista was released five years after XP, taking longer to produce than previous versions of Windows. XP had numerous security flaws that allowed hackers to manipulate or destroy a computer user’s data or cripple network communication, and Microsoft aimed to fix these with Vista (Ricadela 2006). Viruses, spyware, trojans and other forms of malware can easily infect XP, especially when users access the internet. Microsoft’s preoccupation with fixing these bugs in XP eventually delayed the production and release of Vista (Ricciuti 2004). Unfortunately, after Vista was released in 2007, it met harsh criticism from press reviewers, corporate users and home-computing users. A corporate satisfaction survey launched in 2008 indicated that only 8% of Vista users were very satisfied compared to 40% for XP users (Keizer 2008). Netmarketshare (2010) also estimates that Vista has the smallest portion of users (14. 34%) among the currently-used Windows operating systems, with Windows 7 at second place (14. 46%) and XP with the most users at 61. 87% (2010). Home users will find it difficult to use Vista, especially if they have been used to the more stable XP operating system. XP users will realize that Vista’s system requirements are higher than XP’s. Consequently, existing users have to upgrade their computer hardware or buy a new computer altogether if they want to upgrade to Vista. Microsoft recommends at least a 1 GHz processor, 1 GB of Random Access Memory (RAM), a 128-MB video-graphics card capable of DirectX 9. 0, at least 40 GB of Hard Disk Drive (HDD) capacity with at least 15 GB of free space, and a DVD-ROM drive to install the software (Microsoft 2010). It may be possible to run Vista with less, but the performance will crawl. In reality, one needs much more than the stated requirements to achieve reasonable performance. Vista’s performance is also slower compared to XP and Windows 7. XP users will immediately notice the difference in speed when they start using Vista. Many tasks seem to crawl compared to XP. Benchmark tests run by Tom’s Hardware indicated that XP is generally faster than Vista, and the testers recommend sticking with XP because â€Å"it cannot perform better than Windows XP† (Schmid 2007). For example, basic tasks, such as copying files, are much slower than XP. Microsoft released a Service Pack upgrade to fix this problem, but ZDNet benchmark tests indicate that the upgraded Vista is still slower than XP (Kingsley-Hughes 2008). In fact, computers that were purchased pre-installed with licensed Vista software performed so poorly that customers wanted to downgrade it to XP, but retailers charged a fee for it. Consequently, customers sued Microsoft for this (Melanson 2009). Avid gamers will also be very disappointed if they use Vista in their home computers. Just like Tom’s Hardware, Techgage processed comparative tests using different games running in both Vista and XP. Naturally, XP was faster than Vista (Williams 2007). The graphics drivers of Vista are simply not developed enough, and the basic requirements of Vista itself are heavier than XP. Microsoft attempted to fix this again through a Service Pack upgrade. However, even after the â€Å"fix,† game developers still recommend Vista users to double the requirements of XP users. For instance, Capcom, the publisher of the game Devil May Cry 4, requires a minimum of 2 GB of memory for Vista users. However, XP users only need 1 GB (PC Game Requirements 2010). Some XP software and hardware are also not compatible with Vista. Existing home computer users who already spent a considerable investment in software will be frustrated again with Vista’s inability to run some of their existing computer programs such as virus scanners. Even many businesses did not bother to upgrade from XP to Vista when it was released because of this incompatibility issue (Deare 2007). The US Department of Transportation has also banned any upgrades from XP to Vista citing software incompatibility issues, costs and the lack of additional features that could prove to be useful or advantageous (McDougall 2007). Using Vista with WiFi will also be difficult. While connecting to networks with XP is not a problem, Vista sometimes refuses to connect with some networks (Claerr 2008). Even if one is able to connect to the router, the Internet may be absent or access to network files and printers may not be available. The user may also be disconnected intermittently from the router if he or she is able to connect, or the speed may be very slow. Fixes may involve upgrading routers, but if the router is not owned by the user, such as in airports, cafes or other public Wifi hotspots, then connections are not possible unless XP or other compatible operating systems are used. Vista also consumes more power than XP. This means that laptop batteries will drain faster using Vista. It is due to Vista’s higher hardware requirements that use more energy. Attempting to turn off some of Vista’s features, such as its fancy graphical interface, will make it more energy-efficient. However, doing the same with XP still makes it greener than Vista. Vista is also more expensive than XP or Windows 7. Microsoft Vista Home Premium currently retails for $239. 95 in online software retailers. On the other hand, Windows 7 Home Premium retails for only $199. 99. And if one buys a new, discounted, old-model personal computer today, with a CRT screen, a tower CPU and an extended keyboard for around 200 to 250 dollars, sometimes Windows XP is already bundled together with the entire package, making it virtually free. This is why Vista is not cost effective. Some of the new features of Vista are also not impressive compared to its predecessor, Windows XP and its successor Windows 7. The new graphical interface of Vista is more aesthetic than XP, but it slows down performance to the point where it is not worth it. The new versions of bundled software such as the internet browser, media player, email manager, photo manager, appointment manager and movie maker are either downloadable for free for XP users or available for free either from third-party vendors or packaged together with purchased hardware like cameras and scanners. The new security prompts can also be nagging or annoying. The most noticeable new feature for Vista is the Aero graphical user interface. Compared to XP, it appears more three-dimensional. The new eye candy has improved icons, animations and thumbnails that are live. The transparencies are also new. However, since Aero uses more energy, it drains the battery life of laptops. Turning it off will save power (Murph 2007). Another new feature that is immediately noticeable is the Windows Sidebar. It is a transparent panel where various applets or small programs called Desktop Gadgets can be attached or removed. These applets include gadgets such as clocks, weather information, news, photographs, currency converters and so forth. In Windows XP, a similar panel called Google Gadgets can be downloaded for free, courtesy of Google. Internet Explorer 7 also comes with Vista. This version has new features including multiple tabbed windows, the ability to zoom pages, a filter against phising (hackers attempting to gather important data such as passwords from users), additional security features, including restricting suspected malicious software from writing beyond the Temporary Internet Files folder without consent, and International Domain Name (IDN) support. However, these features and many more are included in free internet browsers such Mozilla’s Firefox and Google’s Chrome, which can be downloaded and installed using Windows XP or other operating systems for free. A new version of Windows Media Player, version 11, is also bundled with Vista. A new feature in this version allows users to search for music or video files while they type. This is called â€Å"word wheeling. † It also includes a new media library Graphical User Interface (GUI), a photo organizer and an Internet file-sharing feature. However, new versions of Media Player can be downloaded from Microsoft’s website under Windows XP for free. Moreover, there are other third-party software applications that provide free video and audio software, including codecs, to play all the latest types of media for free. Again, these can be downloaded from the Internet using XP or other operating systems. Vista also includes a new version of Outlook Express which was renamed Windows Mail. It features continuously-updated junk-mail and phishing filtering. However, there are better email management programs, such as Mozilla’s Thunderbird, that can again be downloaded for free from the Internet using XP or other operating systems. Windows email systems have also always been the prime target of hackers and malware authors, so using a different email program such as Thunderbird is more secure and safe. There are also new multimedia applications that are included In Vista, but these programs are usually included for free with the hardware that they support. For example, Vista includes Windows Photo Gallery, which allows users to import pictures from digital cameras, organize them, adjust their properties and produce slideshows. But software that is bundled for free with digital cameras is more advanced than Vista’s basic Photo Gallery. There are also new games included with Vista. A new chess and mahjong game is included. A folder is also included to organize all of the games. Unfortunately, like previous versions of Windows, the bundled games are not the type of commercial games that users like or want to play. And if they have an existing game collection already, they will run slower on Vista and may not even run at all. Vista also has speech recognition software integrated within Vista. It allows users to hear words in computer applications by allowing the computer to speak them out loud in a robotic voice that may not be comprehensible occasionally. This feature may be useful for those with visual problems, but usually the visually impaired purchase better speech recognition software such as Dragon Naturally Speaking, which is available in XP and other operating systems. Vista also has other minor new features. It has new fonts and improved international fonts. For mobile computer users, there is also a centralized control panel called the Windows Mobile Center for controlling properties needed by laptop user such as battery life, wireless connections, brightness, screen orientation and other settings. There is also a new version of Netmeeting renamed Windows Meeting Space. This allows different users to share their entire desktop or individual applications over the Internet with other users. And there is also a new version of the back up and restore application which facilitates the restoration of damaged data. The improvements however are not significantly new. In conclusion, home computer users should avoid Windows Vista altogether. If one is an existing XP user who is thinking about upgrading, one should just forget about it since it may make home computing worse. It is also overpriced. However, if one is purchasing a brand new state-of-the-art PC or laptop with an option for choosing one’s operating system, then Windows 7 is the answer. On the other hand, if one is on a budget and wishes to purchase new, discounted, old-model PCs pre-installed with licensed versions of Windows XP, then that is a satisfactory option as well. But whatever one does, one should always avoid Vista. It’s a lemon. References Claerre, J. (2008). Vista Problems With WiFi. eHow. Retrieved August 13, 2010, from http://www. ehow. com/about_5106461_vista-problems-wifi. html Deare, Steven. (2007, May 14). Gartner: App testing delaying Vista rollouts. ZDNet. Retrieved August 13, 2010, from http://www. zdnetasia. com/gartner-app-testing-delaying-vista-rollouts-62012902. htm Devil May Cry 4 Game Requirements. (2008, Jul 26). PC Game Requirements. Retrieved August 13, 2010, from http://www. pcgamerequirements. com/game-index/devil-may-cry-4-game-requirements/ Keizer, G. (2008, Mar 26). Leopard drubs Vista in corporate satisfaction survey. Computerworld. Retrieved August 13, 2010, from http://www. computerworld. com/s/article/9072218/Leopard_drubs_Vista_in_corporate_satisfaction_survey? nlid=1&source=NLT_AM Kingsley-Hughes, A. (2008, Feb 15). Vista SP1 vs. XP SP2 – Benchmarked. ZDnet. Retrieved August 13, 2010, from http://www. zdnet. com/blog/hardware/vista-sp1-vs-xp-sp2-benchmarked/1332 McDougall, P. (2007, Mar 2). Microsoft Hit By U. S. DOT Ban On Windows Vista, Explorer 7, and Office 2007. Information Week. Retrieved August 13, 2010, from http://www. informationweek. com/news/security/showArticle. jhtml? articleID=197700789 Melanson, D. (2009, Feb 16). Microsoft gets sued over Windows XP downgrade fees. Engadget. Retrieved August 13, 2010, from http://www. engadget. com/2009/02/16/microsoft-gets-sued-over-windows-xp-downgrade-fees/ Microsoft. (2010). Windows Vista Enterprise Hardware Planning Guidance. Technet. Retrieved August 13, 2010, from http://technet. microsoft. com/en-us/library/cc507845. aspx Murph, D. (2007, May 3). Vista’s Aero interface blamed for truncated battery life. Engadget. Retrieved Aug 13, 2010, from http://www. engadget. com/2007/05/04/vistas-aero-interface-blamed-for-truncated-battery-life/ Netmarketshare. (2010, Jul). Operating System Market Share. Retrieved Aug 13, 2010, from http://marketshare. hitslink. com/operating-system-market-share. aspx? qprid=10 Ricadela, A. (2006, Feb 14). Gates Says Security Is Job One For Vista. Information Week. Retrieved August 13, 2010, from http://www. informationweek.com/news/windows/microsoft_news/showArticle. jhtml? articleID=180201580 Ricciuti, M. (2004, Apr 1). Microsoft: Longhorn beta unlikely this year. Cnet News. Retrieved August 13, 2010, from http://news. cnet. com/Microsoft-Longhorn-beta-unlikely-this-year/2100-1008_3-5183385. html Schmid, P. (2007, Jan 29). Windows XP vs. Vista: The Benchmark Rundown. Tom’s Hardware. Retrieved August 13, 2010, from http://www. tomshardware. com/reviews/xp-vs-vista,1531. html Williams, Rob. (2007, Jan 29). Windows Vista Gaming Performance Reports. Techgage. Retrieved August 13, 2010, from http://techgage. com/article/windows_vista_gaming_performance_reports/2