Barack Obama - State of the Union Address 2014 free essay sample

Appealing to Tradition Fallacy

Appealing to Tradition Fallacy Fallacy Name: Appeal to AgeAlternative Names:argumentum ad antiquitatemAppeal to TraditionAppeal to CustomAppeal to Common PracticeCategory: Appeals to Emotion and Desire Explanation of the Appeal to Age Fallacy The Appeal to Age fallacy goes in the opposite direction from the Appeal to Novelty fallacy by arguing that when something is old, then this somehow enhances the value or truth of the proposition in question. The Latin for Appeal to Age is argumentum ad antiquitatem, and the most common form is: 1. It is old or long-used, so it must better than this new-fangled stuff. People have a strong tendency towards conservatism; that is to say, people have a tendency to preserve practices and habits which seem to work rather than replace them with new ideas. Sometimes this may be due to laziness, and sometimes it may simply be a matter of efficiency. In general, though, its probably a product of evolutionary success because habits which allowed for survival in the past wont be abandoned too quickly or easily in the present. Sticking with something that works isnt a problem; insisting on a certain way of doing things simply because its traditional or old is a problem and, in a logical argument, it is a fallacy. Examples of the Appeal to Age Fallacy One common use of an Appeal to Age fallacy is when trying to justify something which cant be defended on actual merits, like, for example, discrimination or bigotry: 2. Its standard practice to pay men more than women so well continue adhering to the same standards this company has always followed.3. Dog fighting is a sport thats been around for hundreds if not thousands of years. Our ancestors enjoyed it and it has become part of our heritage.4. My mother always put sage in the turkey stuffing so I do it too. While its true that the practices in question have been around for a long time, no reason for continuing these practices are given; instead, its simply assumed that old, traditional practices should be continued. There isnt even any attempt to explain and defend why these practices existed in the first place, and thats important because it might reveal that the circumstances which originally produced these practices have changed enough to warrant dropping those practices. There are quite a few people out there who are under the mistaken impression that the age of an item, and that alone, is indicative of its value and usefulness. Such an attitude is not entirely without warrant. Just as it is true that a new product can provide new benefits, it is also true that something older may have value because it has worked for a long time. It isnt true that we can assume, without further question, that an old object or practice is valuable simply because it is old. Perhaps it has been used a lot because no one has ever known or tried any better. Perhaps new and better replacements are absent because people have accepted a fallacious Appeal to Age. If there are sound, valid arguments in defense of some traditional practice, then they should be offered, and it should be demonstrated that it is, in fact, superior to newer alternatives. Appeal to Age and Religion Its also easy to find fallacious appeals to age in the context of religion. Indeed, it would probably be hard to find a religion which doesnt use the fallacy at least some of the time because its rare to find a religion which doesnt rely heavily on tradition as part of how it enforces various doctrines. Pope Paul VI wrote in 1976 in Response to the Letter of His Grace the Most Reverend Dr. F.D. Coggan, Archbishop of Canterbury, concerning the Ordination of Women to the Priesthood: 5. [The Catholic Church] holds that it is not admissible to ordain women to the priesthood for very fundamental reasons. These reasons include: the example recorded in the Sacred Scriptures of Christ choosing his Apostles only from among men; the constant practice of the Church, which has imitated Christ in choosing only men; and her living teaching authority which has consistently held that the exclusion of women from the priesthood is in accordance with Gods plan for his Church. Three arguments are offered by Pope Paul VI in defense of keeping women out of the priesthood. The first appeals to the Bible and isnt an Appeal to Age fallacy. The second and third are so explicit as fallacies that they could be cited in textbooks: we should keep doing this because its how the church has constantly done it and because what church authority has consistently decreed. Put more formally, his argument is: Premise 1: The constant practice of the Church has been to choose only men as priests.Premise 2: The teaching authority of the Church has consistently held that women should be excluded from the priesthood.Conclusion: Therefore, it is not admissible to ordain women to the priesthood. The argument may not use the words age or tradition, but the use of constant practice and consistently create the same fallacy.

Perfect Market and Market Failures Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Perfect Market and Market Failures - Essay Example There are a large number of buyers and sellers in the market for a particular product and there is perfect freedom for entry into as well as exit from the market. There is sufficient supply of the product in the market and the purchase made by any single individual would not affect the market. The product sold is homogenous in all parts of the market and all the buyers and sellers are having complete information regarding the prices in different parts of the market.The producers of a product, whether farmers or companies or any other organizations, who are not putting their resource into complete use or wasting the resources, would fail in their business. The same thing happens if they produce their product more than the demand for that product or produce the product with a wrong technology. In a perfect market all products are produced in the most competent manner. There is no wastage of resources and the products are produced with minimum costs and in exact quantity as required by the market.Only the required amount of products is produced so that there is no surplus or deficit. If there is surplus, then the price would reduce and if there is deficit, the price would go up. In other words the amount that is produced would be equal to the demand of the product. Then the price of the product would be equal to its cost and would be equal to the worth attached to it by the customer. 4. Other assumptions include no taxes or public goods and other externalities. When the production as well as use of goods and services in a market is not efficient, it is called market failures (Krugman and Wells, 2006). It occurs usually when the individual's interest is different from the interest of the society. In most cases it calls for government interventions to solve the situation. There are many reasons for market failure. When a producer of the goods or services gain market power in such a way that he can control the trade of the product and impedes the interest of other traders, then a condition called imperfect competition occurs. This can be monopoly, monopolistic competition, monopsony, cartels etc. Another condition that could lead to market failure is the existence of either positive or negative externalities. Yet another reason is the presence of public goods in the market. Market failure can also occur when the resources are common (Krugman and Wells, 2006). One of the most important examples of a market failure is traffic congestion. Roads are public goods and a resource that is common to all. In the last two decades there has been a tremendous increase in the number of vehicles produced and used and there is no corresponding increase in the road space (Harford, 2006). So the demand for road space is more than its supply. This in turn results in traffic congestion. Traffic congestion results in longer time required to reach a place, slowing of the speed of the vehicle, which would increase cost of driving and this could seriously affect trade. When the traffic comes to a complete stop it is called traffic jam.

Employee Engagement and it's impact on the success of the business Term Paper

Employee Engagement and it's impact on the success of the business (Human Resources Management ) - Term Paper Example To reduce the dissuasion that the employees had, a study was conducted after which the relevant recommendations were given and they were then implemented considering the practicality and the effectiveness. The whole idea for the formation of the report is to analyze and identify the reasons that exist because of which the employees are unsatisfied or have some kind of issues with the company. To achieve employee satisfaction, is a very important task for any company because satisfied employees are those who will work effectively and therefore also have a positive impact on the profits of the company. Employee satisfaction is a major factor that companies are willing to spend a lot of cash on so that they can have a very satisfied work force. It is not important that all the employees should be paid well only, there are other factors like satisfaction and a peaceful and happy environment is also a very important and crucial factor that the employees look for when they work for any com pany (Federman, B. , 2009). Constant training should be given to the employees. Employees would feel that the management is interested in improving the conditions of the employees and as well as have them motivated. It has been seen again and again that when the employees have stagnancy in their jobs they start feeling dissatisfied and end up leaving the job. This increases the turnover in the company and the reputation of the company is reduced. The constant training which will be given will make the employees think that the company is interested in the growth of the employees. Evaluation of the process is done to ensure that the best practice is employed. If a process is done in alignment with the goals set done earlier, then it will yield results usually. However, if it does not then the matter needs to be looked into further. Evaluation is done by firstly understanding the environment that the business is functioning in and all the related data in that business needs to be analy zed. A good idea also doesn’t necessarily lead to good results. Therefore it needs to be implemented properly in order to reap its full benefits. The implementation needs to be analyzed by seeing the participants involved in the process, their interaction and teamwork elements etc. the impact on the community and the training that participants may require or may have been involved in in their work (Federman, B. , 2009). In today’s globalized world, Human Capital is considered to be more important as compared to financial capital. The kind of workers that you have hired in your organization reflects the true condition of your organization. If the organization contains all â€Å"A† class workers then the organization tends to be a successful one, while if they do not hire the right kind of people then, it is the organization that suffers as a whole. Through right kind of hiring the organization can achieve its purpose. It is highly recommended that the employees h ave the required requirements of Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs) so that the organization is capable enough to reach its goals (Macey, W. H., 2009). If the employees are knowledgeable about the required requirements of the company, they know about the qualities that they should possess or they should gain. It is also duty of the company to make sure that they work on the various lackings that exist in their employees. This way the employees will feel that the company

Integration of different theories Essay Example for Free

Integration of different theories Essay Integration of different theories Employing the Behavioral, Cognitive-Behavioral, Psychodynamic, Existential, Humanistic, Family Systems, Gestalt and Client-Centered Eclectic stance primarily involves the incorporation of distinct concepts within a single framework. The important thing is that of flexibility and resiliency on one’s part when to apply or implement which of the theories in the context of his/her client. It starts with the identification of specific problems and especially the root causes. When this is confidently achieved, the therapist is actually midway to attaining his/her goals which includes not only the relief of the symptoms that the sufferer is currently experiencing but especially the reduction of the occurrence if not altogether eliminated (Corey, 2004). THERAPIES -The Behavioral model utilizes what is termed as the learning theory posited by Skinner and Watson and the rest of the Behaviorism school. It assumes that the principles in learning i. e. , conditioning (Associative and Operant) are effective means to effect change in an individual. Generally, the thrust of this theoretical perspective is focused on the symptoms that a person is experiencing. Just as many of the errors of the patterns of behavior come from learning from the environment, it is also assumed that an individual will be able to unlearn some if not all these by using the techniques as applied based on the learning principles. To a certain extent I believe that this still works: reinforcements are effective to some extent and in some or many people hence I am incorporating this stance separate or distinct from the Cognitive-Behavioral approach. In behavior therapy therefore, thoughts, feelings and all those â€Å"malfunctioning† and unwanted manifestations revealed in one’s activities can be unlearned and the work of a behavior therapist. The basic concepts include â€Å"extinguishing† – utilized when maladaptive patterns are then weakened and removed and in their place habits that are healthy are established (developed and strengthened) in a series or progressive approach called â€Å"successive approximations. When these (factors) are reinforced such as through rewards in intrinsic and extrinsic means, the potential of a more secure and steady change in behavior is developed and firmly established (Corey, 2004). Cognitive-Behavioral therapy. In the cognitive approach alone, the therapist understands that a client or patient comes into the healing relationship and the former’s role is to change or modify the latter’s maladjusted or error-filled thinking patterns. These patterns may include wishful thinking, unrealistic expectations, constant reliving and living in the past or even beyond the present and into the future, and overgeneralizing. These habits lead to confusion, frustration and eventual constant disappointment. This therapeutic approach stresses or accentuates the rational or logical and positive worldview: a viewpoint that takes into consideration that we are problem-solvers, have options in life and not that we are always left with no choice as many people think. It also looks into the fact that because we do have options then there are many things that await someone who have had bad choices in the past, and therefore can look positively into the future. Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy postulated primarily by Ellis and Beck â€Å"facilitates a collaborative relationship between the patient and therapist. † With the idea that the counselor and patient together cooperate to attain a trusting relationship and agree which problems or issues need to come first in the course of the therapy. For the Cognitive Behaviorist Therapist, the immediate and presenting problem that the client is suffering and complaining from takes precedence and must be addressed and focused in the treatment. There is instantaneous relief from the symptoms, and may be encouraged or spurred on to pursue in-depth treatment and reduction of the ailments where possible (Corey, 2004). Psychoanalytic therapy. The Psychodynamic perspective is based on the work of Sigmund Freud. He created both a theory to explain personality and mental disorders, and the form of therapy known as psychoanalysis. The psychodynamic approach assumes that all behavior and mental processes reflect constant and often unconscious struggles within the person. These usually involved conflicts between our need to satisfy basic biological instincts, for example, for food, sex or aggression, and the restrictions imposed by society. Not all of those who take a psychodynamic approach accept all of Freud’s original ideas, but most would view abnormal or problematic behavior as the result of a failure to resolve conflicts adequately. Many of the disorders or mental illnesses recognized today without a doubt have their psychodynamic explanation aside from other viewpoints like that of the behaviourist, or the cognitivists. From simple childhood developmental diseases to Schizophrenia, there is a rationale that from Freud’s camp is able to explain (Corey, 2004). The Existential approach, as put forward by Nietzsche, Kierkegaard, Sartre, Heidegger, Rollo May, and Frankl, believes that the individual’s potential may lie dormant but that it is there waiting to be ushered in time. It recognizes that man is able to achieve great heights and that these are just waiting to be tapped not only by him/herself but that also when helped by a practitioner who is persuaded of this notion. It examines such major issues as free will and the challenges of exercising this free will, the issue of mortality, loneliness and in general, the meaning of life. The Therapy is effective when the practitioner works with elderly care and death and dying issues. It focuses on the individual needs but takes into consideration the significant relationships and the meanings they bring into the person’s life. Transcending the issues and problems are primary intentions of the therapist at the same time being realistic that certain limitations do exist and may hinder the process of recovery (Rubinstein et al. , 2007; Corey, 2004). -Humanistic therapy. Allport, Bugental, Buhler, Maslow Rollo May, Murphy, Murray, Fritz Perls and Rogers are those that helped usher in the Humanistic theory and consequent therapy. It holds in view the individual as possessing the options or freedom to choose, creativity, and the capability to attain a state where he/she is more aware, freer, responsible and worthy of trust. Because the human mind has immense potential, the approach assesses as well that forces from the environment bear on with the individual and depending on the interplay that occurs within the individual person, the result will either be destructive or constructive to the person. In sum, humanism takes into the perspective that essentially humans are good and not evil, and that the therapy facilitates by harnessing on the human potential through the development of interpersonal skills. This results to an enhanced quality life and the individual becomes an asset rather than a liability to the society where he revolves in (Corey, 2004). Family-Systems therapy. This theoretical viewpoint has been the by-product of the works of Bateson, Minuchin, Bowen, Ackerman and many others. Usually done in pairs or by a team of practitioners, family systems therapy has its roots in behavioral and psychoanalytic principles. This model understands that the family is a unit and its members or any of its members with an issue or a problem must be addressed in the context of the family as a unit. It puts its emphasis on the relationships among the family members, their patterns of communication more than their individual traits and/or symptoms. The systems theory portion of the therapy indicates that whatever is occurring or happening is not isolated but is a working part of a bigger context. In the family systems approach then, no individual person can be understood when removed from his relationships whether in the present or past, and this is specially focused on the family he belongs to (Corey, 2004). Reference: Corey, Gerald (2004). Theory and practice of counseling and psychotherapy. Thomson Learning, USA.

Challenges Faced In Excessive Executive Compensation Business Essay

Challenges Faced In Excessive Executive Compensation Business Essay Excessive executive bonus packages have been the bulk of workplace concern, community and political debate about ethical justifications of the huge disparity between compensations of the companys CEO and a factory worker. This research paper aims to explore the issue of the existing huge differences between compensations that exists between the chief executive officers (CEOs) and factory workers of most companies. Much information has been collected from various sites as indicated in the reference page. This is a real situation in many companies of extremely large sizes and recognized global positions. In my paper I will explore the significant gaps between CEOs packages and factory workers. The qualities of the CEOs, and the reasons that justify their huge payments, and the opinions of the shareholders on CEOs compensation.. Any company requires a competent CEO to move through the hard challenges of global technology and acquire competitive advantage in the global market. Performance of a worker is based on compensation from the company. Compensation should be measured by the level of expertise of a worker and the possible challenges faced by the responsibility required by the particular employee. In any business organization, hierarchy is indispensable. Senior and subordinate positions are therefore necessary in any business enterprise. However the great difference between the salaries of the most senior and the least position in the same company should be meaningful as a matter of ethic concern. The CEO of any company holds the highest rank of the particular company, organization or business enterprise, especially the one focused towards making profit. Big companies make use of board members to come up with policies that the company acts upon. The act on these policies is the sole responsibilities of the CEO of the company. It therefore implies the success or failure of the company to meet the goals and objectives as laid down by the policies is the responsibilities of the CEO of the company. To achieve success therefore, the CEO must be widely informed and visionary towards the business environment. The CEO must translate the anticipated future changes and lay appropriate measures, to cope up with any negative changes, which may affect the business (Garten, 2002). The changes expected and their thought out solutions should be communicated to the entire task force of the company so that, every participating worker is ready to face challenges posed by these changes. The CEO has a responsibility of setting a good example to the rest of the workers. Leadership competency inherent in the CEO should be used as a role model for the others to copy and utilize for the sake of the companys progress. Role modeling should extend to formulating desired standards of the company as a significant component to achieve a competitive position required by globalization. All employees should receive support and motivation as a result of the efforts of the CEO (Kim Mauborgne2005). In the business environment, there are usually threats facing productivity. There also are some favorable opportunities. The two are hidden from a normal worker, but to the CEO, the ability to foresee these issues should be automatic. This is the visionary quality of the CEO. The global market is fast expanding at a pace requiring very competitive CEOs. The labor market is accompanied by rapid technology changes and advancements, which need to be incorporated into the companys labor framework. The knowledge required in this field is essentially vested on the companys CEO whose performance is very critical to the competitive advantage of the company (Charan, Drotter, Noel, 2006). CEOs remuneration packages The compensation given to the CEOs of most companies have been a centre of interest by media, the community and the politicians. Why should they enjoy hefty packages in the tune of hundreds of times as compared to other workers of the same company? This has been a controversial issue requiring attention. The lavish payments are sufficient to afford CEOs luxurious lives and make them millionaires. The projections currently reached at using the current trend hold that by the year 2050, some companies CEOs will earn 150,000 times the average wage of a factory worker in the same company (Korten, 2001). This disparity is so huge that the issue has raised concern. Some individual feels that whatever the position of the CEO and whatever the contribution to the company the CEO makes, such a disparity is unwarranted and to the true sense, unethical. Furthermore, some companies paying such huge packages to the CEO end up realizing some loss in their production, but their existence is justified with reasons in the company. But irrespective as to whether a company makes a profit or a loss, the question remains whether the great disparity in payment between the CEO and the majority of the workers is justified. Many sectors have expressed anger towards those payments which are enormous. The compensation of the CEO is likely to scare away investors in potential fields due to the threat posed to the companies to pay CEO such high payments (Korten, 2001). The shareholders also approve the awarding of the companys stocks to the CEO as part of bonus packages. These awards empower the CEO to become owners of their employer company. This is a great encouragement to the CEO and a motivation to improve on the performance of the company. Justification for hefty CEOs Packages. The CEOs are subjected to evaluation, judgment and scrutiny by the companys shareholders, the general public, the media and the politicians. They must overcome the challenges brought about by their performance. The companies they ran have some potential opportunities to become extremely rich through their efforts. Therefore they are usually on a daily scrutiny from various spheres (Bakan, 2005). The CEO is the highest ranking talent in any company. Therefore, correct choice and hiring of the CEO is very crucial towards the performance of the company. In the daily schedules of the CEO there are no weekends or vacation, meaning that the CEOs intellectual capability is a precious asset to the company. The profits and profit margins realized by the company depend entirely on the CEO. The companys responsibility in the manipulation of existing resources lies squarely on the CEO of the particular company. The companies paying these hefty packages attribute the packages to the degree of performance of the CEO. However, the level of wisdom the boards of directors use to come up with the seemingly illogical figures of the CEOs packages is questionable. The other issue of concern is the opinion of the shareholders as regards the huge CEOs compensation (Belasco James, 1992). What are the opinions of the shareholders with respect to excessive payment of CEOs? Based on confidence the company is able to impart to its shareholders, the question of the huge pays may not come up. The shareholders approve the packages without arguments on condition that the benefits they derive from the company are handsome as compared to other companies. The packages are seen as a shield to counter any possible mishandling of the companies assets and options. Any workplace thefts are believed to be protected by the companys CEO. They are believed to posses a talent and high skills of management necessary to move the company through a competitive global business environment. This managerial talent is taken as an asset of the company just like other existing assets (Clegg, Kornberger, Pitsics, 2005). The CEO compensation is correlated with the size of the company. The assignments of the CEO are believed to be competitive due to the competitiveness required in the global market. The shareholders approval is also based upon the ability of the CEOs to capitalize the market and positioning their company at a global focal point. The fortunes of multinational business enterprises entirely lie on their CEOs. The package therefore is treated as an economic rent by the company (Clegg, Kornberger, Pitsics, 2005). Is performance of the company related to profit generation? Ironically a company with a highly paid CEO can operate at a loss. This has happened on many occasions whereby the financial statements of the company once analyzed, result to negative net income. In such a scenario, the CEO is not blamed for the losses incurred by the company. On the contrary the company argues there had been strategic plans to reorganize the companys production processes, to improve on the performance of the company in the future. This is argued from the visionary quality associated with the CEO. The logic advocated for is that, the strategic reorganizations will have far reaching economic benefits in the future of the company. The competitiveness of the company should not be perceived from the short- term perspective but rather, a long- term projection is a requirement. The company should be rooted on a stable foundation and this calls for utilization of the company resources for the long- term investment. The managerial skills necessary to achieve the long- term companys goals are possessed by the companys CEO.This is enough justification to accommodate for losses realized sometimes, within the company while continuing to offer hefty packages to the companys CEO (Bashein, Barbara, Markus Riley, 1994). The companys stock also determines to a great magnitude the justification of excessive payments to the CEO. The compensations in the market place of the companys stock may be so favorable at the time when the company is suffering losses in income in tunes of millions of dollars. This is considered insignificant given the scenario of the appreciable market prize of the companys stock(Bashein, Barbara, Markus Riley, 1994). The companys views on CEO Packages Most companies views on hefty packages of their CEOs are positive. Their skills are believed to be the cause of the companys success. Companies also believe that any improvements achieved within the company are the result of the CEO contributions. The added value of the company is the principle attraction of shareholders to the company. CEOs are therefore seen to be important figures towards attracting investments into the company through attracting enormously high numbers of shareholders. For shareholders to show interest in any company there should be an aspect of responsibility and clearness shown by the company through the CEO. The CEO is taken as the companys think tank. The CEOs intellectual capabilities are cherished as companys property available for taping. Qualities associated with a competent CEO are brilliance, information update on the companys productive environment, awareness of technology advancements and timely positive response to the changes in technology, curious on technical issues facing the company, awareness of current developments surrounding the company and increasing the speed of policy issues execution and implementation (Bashein, Barbara, Markus Riley, 1994). Conclusion The huge disparity existing between the CEOs of the best performing companies places the CEOs in extremely prestigious position with respect to their subordinates. The benefits enjoyed put them in position seen by the workers and the community as the owners of the companies. At the end of the day the CEO take home quite handsome packages that allow them to become millionaires while the factory workers struggle in their lifetimes to pay minor bills needed for their basic life. It is an appreciable fact that through their contributions, the companies attract shareholders who in return earn benefits out of their investments in the company. However the trend in the progress of the increasing disparity is a clear cause to scare investors and demoralize the workers of the company alike. The success of CEOs depends on their credibility, and represents the highest degree of integrity. This requirement is also taken as a justification for their hefty remuneration packages. The shareholders of the respective company are the most appropriate individuals suited to address the disparity issues. The shareholders are the rightful owners of the company and therefore the board of directors should act as per their guidelines. Much attention should be diverted from whatever the gains they achieve from the company in form of dividends but rather concentrate on the significant percentage of the companys profit pocked by a single CEO. The welfare of the factory workers needs to be given an appropriate attention. Most of the workers perform their duties in extremely difficult and risky situation. The risks are mostly ignored as they are not given the relevant rewards and financial coverage. This also contributes to the widening gap between their payments and those of the CEO.

Proposal for Artemis Sportswear Company Essay

Proposal for Artemis Sportswear Company for cutting operational expenses to increase profit margins; some ideas. As a business, Artemis can cut down the operational costs by down-sizing the labor force so the company can compete with other sportswear companies. There are two ways a company can down-size the labor costs, one of these is down-scaling the direct labor, and the other one would be to relocate the labor and obtain cheaper labor force. Reduce Employee Costs. Outsource any jobs where a full-time employee is not necessary. This will cut your payroll expenses, health-care costs and space requirements. Introduce a reward scheme for employees who do not take any sick days in a year or six-month period. The cost of the reward is minimal compared to the savings made by the company. Rather than pay overtime rates, try re-organizing the work rosters and routines to prevent the need for overtime. Offer staff incentives for reducing their personal days and sick leave taken. Hire college students or interns-Internship programs are a win-win for both sides. You get an ambitious employee who will do monotonous work and they get college credit, experience and hopefully, an excellent reference. Cutting everyday expenses can lower operational expenses. When purchasing office supplies, generic is going to be less expensive than brand name. Buying the store brand is generally sold at a lower cost. Buying supplies in bulk is cost effective over a long period of time. Leasing equipment is better than buying equipment. When leasing you have the opportunity to upgrade or downgrade when necessary. Technology is always changing and improving, so by leasing there is the option to stay current with the new changes in the equipment. Smaller equipment such as telephones, printers, fax machines and calculators should be purchased not leased. Smaller equipment will hold its value over time and can be easily replaced if needed. Try shopping for bargains or sales whenever possible. Company could go green by using products that produce less waste, or less energy. Curb your business travel — and cut costs where you can. Meeting with long-distance clients is costly and it can be expendable for some businesses, but travel can also be the most beneficial expense for a business. Fortunately, modern technology can replicate the experience at a much lower cost; such as communicating through Skype or some other form of video chat link. Cut out the landline and fax line — with Blackberry’s and iPhones, and everything compatible for email, who needs them? Conceder free advertising whenever possible, try piggybacking your advertising. Including advertising material in other mailings, such as in invoices, saves postage and other costs, says J. Donald Weinrauch, co-author of The Frugal Marketer. Likewise, make the most of your point-of-purchase opportunities by tucking coupons, newsletters or other promotional fliers in the bag with customers’ purchases. Hire independent contractors or temporary workers as needed. Outsource your payroll, benefits and HR. Consider a virtual assistant or answering service to reduce payroll. Some IT Department solutions, Process Automation allows a smaller management team to effectively handle a larger number of systems Intelligent Software Delivery allows companies to more accurately assess how many licenses they will need when purchasing software Endpoint Virtualization reduces downtime for application conflicts and provides a secure workspace when roaming Power Management Capabilities documents compliance with energy consumption policies and may provide rebates from local power companies Remote Diagnostic Tools reduces required IT travel time and travel budgets.

Meaning of Life and Australian Cultural Identity Essay

â€Å"From separate catastrophes, two rural families flee to the city and find themselves sharing a great, breathing, shuddering joint called Cloudstreet, where they begin their lives again from scratch. For twenty years they roister and rankle, laugh and curse until the roof over their heads becomes a home for their hearts. † (Winton, 1991) Tim Winton’s critically acclaimed novel, Cloudstreet is a masterful tale of love, meaning and heartbreaking tragedy that speaks strongly of a post war Australian society that was essentially rebuilding itself after years of political upheaval and financial struggle. Good Morning/Afternoon Ladies and Gentleman. I am a representative of the National English Curriculum board and today I am here to demonstrate to you how Cloudstreet is authentic and believable, and as Marieke Hardy suggests: â€Å"It is Australian. Reading it felt like coming home. † Throughout Cloudstreet, there are numerous concepts that portray the Australian cultural identity; and the theme of religion and spirituality is especially prominent and appealing. The concept of luck, Aboriginal spirituality, and the search for the meaning of life, are all Australian ideas that Winton expertly portrays. Spirituality can be defined as â€Å"a concern for that which is unseen or intangible; as opposed to physical or mundane. † (Greenberg, 2008) It encourages a sense of peace and purpose within an individual and promotes a feeling of belonging. Additionally, religion can be defined as â€Å"the belief in, and worship of a superhuman controlling power. † (Religion) Both concepts are widely integrated into the core of the novel and are depicted through the Australian notion of luck. Luck, which some would argue has long been etched into the Australian consciousness as a common working class superstition, is, whether they are conscious of it or not, a form of religion for both families. The Pickles family, most notably Sam, rely on the â€Å"shifty shadow of God† (p 12) to warn them about future events, while the Lamb’s simple game of â€Å"spinning the knife† (p 53) acts as their metaphorical life compass. â€Å"The Lucky Country† (Horne, 1964) is a phrase that originated from a book of the same name written in the 1960’s, and since then, has gained widespread popularity and thus, been attached to the Australian culture for a long time. Winton has cleverly examined this historical background to incorporate an accurate facet of the Australian identity into the novel and its characters. Also related to the concept of luck, is the fact that after Fish drowns, Oriel, once a devoted and â€Å"god fearing† Christian, begins to question her faith and the reliability of believing in God. When Fish is resuscitated, but only â€Å"some of him comes back†, (p 32) both she and Lester are emotionally forced to abandon God and Christianity and instead, turn to luck, hard work and the idea that â€Å"life and death, was all there was,† (p 65) in order to endure their circumstances. This draws on the common â€Å"Aussie battler† tradition, of which a working class person overcame challenging situations through perseverance, faith and steadfast determination. In terms of the Australian cultural identity, Winton has again taken an important and recognized historical Australian idea and shaped it to evoke feelings of familiarity and intimacy between the readers and the characters of Cloudstreet. The frequent appearance of the â€Å"Blackfella† is yet another example of how the Australian cultural identity is portrayed through examination of Aboriginal Spirituality. However, in many scenes throughout the novel, the blackfella signifies both Christian and Aboriginal spirituality through allusion and comparison. For example, he is likened to Jesus by walking on water and again when he produces a never ending supply of wine and bread in Quick’s car. This comparison is particularly effective as it symbolises the â€Å"coming together† of Christianity and Aboriginality, which was a particularly delicate Australian issue during the time period of the novel, due to Aboriginal marginalisation and the rise of Christian ideals. Essentially, the Blackfella acts as a reminder of the original religion inherent to Australia and its development, during a time when social and political change was overtaking that of its native beliefs. The â€Å"Blackfella† also acts as the conscience of the characters when they have lost their way or their family unit is threatened. This can ultimately be seen when he leads Quick back to Cloudstreet after he runs away to the country, knowing that Quick feels secretly lost without his family, and needs them to feel fully alive. He also persuades Sam not the sell the house and states that â€Å"you shouldn’t break a place. Places are strong and important,† (p 406) referring to not only the house and its tragic Aboriginal history, but also to the fragile families who live inside it. In doing so, he ensures that the families stay whole and together, which is an important and dominating religious value for Aboriginality and Christianity, both during the time period of the novel and in our modern Australian society. Consequently, the â€Å"Blackfella’s† role in Cloudstreet is a significant contribution to the novel’s relevancy to the Australian cultural identity. The Australian cultural identity is also illustrated in Cloudstreet through the spiritual symbolism and personification of the river, and its connection to the character’s search for the meaning of life. This is particularly significant for Quick Lamb, who, is spiritually linked to the river in a number of ways. The river acts as a place of peace, purpose and belonging for Quick. Connecting with his mother when they go prawning, glowing after fishing in the country, and most importantly, falling in love with Rose Pickles, are the most significant spiritually defining events that Quick experiences while on the river. Through realising just how symbolically important the river is to him, Quick finally understands the true meaning of his life, and gains a feeling of belonging that allows him to finally shed his self-degrading title of â€Å"the lost lamb. † (p 310) Australia is a country that values the water. Geographically, we are surrounded by it, with most of our population residing close to the shores. As a result of this, the water is seen as a common gathering place, from which one cannot easily escape nor regard as irrelevant to the Australian way of life. Winton has taken this idea and incorporated it into Cloudstreet, to emphasise and promote a relevant part of Australian culture. Finally, the river’s spiritual and religious connection to Fish Lamb is perhaps the most important concept of the novel. After Fish drowns and has his soul ripped into two separate pieces (spiritual fish and physical fish), the river that he so desperately longs for, essentially becomes his gateway to the spiritual world; to the place where he belongs. It is not until the end of the novel when Fish is finally free to reunite with the water that he is truly whole again. â€Å"I burst into the moon, sun and stars of who I really am. Being Fish Lamb. Perfectly. Always. Everyplace. Me. †(p 424) For many, water in Australia is culturally considered to be the blood of the country; a place of cleansing and rejuvenation. Likewise, for Fish, the river embodies the epitome of the spirit of Australia in the form of life giving water. Although his life was initially taken by the water, it is eventually returned to him when his physical self re-joins his spiritual self. In conclusion, Winton flawlessly encapsulates the cultural identity and spirit of Australia in Cloudstreet through symbolic representations of luck, Aboriginal spirituality and the search for the meaning of life. The characters’ connection with religion and spirituality resonates strongly with the reader and successfully evokes feelings of belonging and familiarity that confirms Cloudstreet is indeed a classic Australian novel. Bibliography Associates, R. Q. (2008, September 16). Ideology in Cloudstreet . Retrieved 2013, from www. englishcurriculum. com. au Cloudstreet Notes. (n. d. ). Retrieved 2013, from Sydney Home Tutoring: http://www. sydneyhometutoring. com. au/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Details-Cloudstreet-notes. pdf. Dot Point Notes Cloudstreet. (n. d. ). Retrieved 2013, from Sydney Home Tutoring : http://www. sydneyhometutoring. com. au/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Dot-Point-Notes-Cloudstreet. pdf. Greenberg, N. (2008, October 8). Retrieved 2013, from Can Spirituality Be Defined: http://notes. utk. edu/bio/unistudy. nsf/935c0d855156f9e08525738a006f2417/bdc83cd10e58d14a852573b00072525d Horne, D. (1964). The Lucky Country. Penguin Books Australia. Religion. (n. d. ). Retrieved 2013, from Google Definitions: https://www. google. com. au/search? q=religion+definition Winton, T. (1991). Cloudstreet. McPhee Gribble.

The story of Zahra -book review essays

The story of Zahra -book review essays The Story of Zahra written by Hanan- Al Shaykh, is an insight into the fractured psyche of a young Lebanese girl, scared by the unrequited love of her mother, the many meaningless relationships she entered into, the intimidating and critical social norms of Beirut and finally by her own intense confusion, disarray and low self esteem which further aggravated her fragile state of mind It is a story about a girl who is in search of fulfillment, in search of her self, terrified of the outside world and its menacing accusations and judgments . Ever since I can remember I have felt uneasy, I have never felt anything else .It is an iconoclastic story of a person who is able to find peace and ones true self in the midst of the anarchy and chaos of a civil war. It is a bizarre account of how while the ravages of war were destroying the lives and composure of other individuals such as her brother Ahmad, at the other end of the spectrum Zahra was discovering in this abnormality her strength , self and the normalcy she had been yearning for. A large part of Zahras insecurity can find its roots in her relationship with her mother, which held many paradoxes and can perhaps be best explained as a love-hate relationship. She despised her mother for making her suffer by exposing her to her infidelity and disloyalty at such a young age, Yet at the same time she longed for her mother to shower her with the affection and love which she saw her mother was capable of possessing and expressing to her lover I would watch her when she was with me and study her when she was at distance , I thought all the while as I looked up at her of how much I wanted to draw her towards me , to draw myself closer to her... I wanted to disappear into the hem of her dress and become even closer to her than the navel is to the orange! . But whenever I began to think in this way I felt bitterness towards her and shuddered. I carried this pain an...

How To Job Search Over the Weekend

How To Job Search Over the Weekend So you want to be a weekend job search warrior. Maybe  you set yourself some goals this week and then get too busy to fulfill them. Or maybe you just want to dip your feet in the job search pool to see how you feel when you have a bit of free time. Regardless of why you find yourself job searching on the weekend, here are some good strategies to keep in mind. Stay on top of your go-to sites.Sure, there won’t be a lot of new jobs posted over the weekend. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t keep an eye on your alerts and even consider responding to any that might come up. It’s a competitive market out there and someone is working harder at getting hired than you are!Use the time to play catch up.Maybe you’ve been so busy all week that the alerts and opportunities are piling up. Use the weekend to catch up and respond. Clear out your alerts, do a few searches, and send out those  networking emails. Go into Monday fresh and up to speed.Review your p rogress.Look back on the week before. How did you do? What’s working/not working? Take this time and space to evaluate your progress and make any necessary adjustments.Remember to weekend.It is still your weekend. Be sure not to burn out by spending the entire time job searching. Do something weekendy!Clean house.Are your documents all in order? Do you have old versions lurking on your hard drive that can be deleted? Any files that should be reformatted or renamed? Is everything that needs to be in your documents already there? You could even consider saving the cover letters that got you nibbles to a separate folder; you’ve obviously got something right in them!While you’re at it, tidy up your real house. Make your desk a calming and productive space where you can get in, do your thing, and get out efficiently.Dial back your search.Follow the quality vs. quantity rule and prune your list down to jobs you actually qualify for- not just partial possibles. Putting more energy into fewer applications might actually get you a job a lot faster.Follow up.You might not expect to reach anyone over the weekend, but it’s a good time to chart who you’ve heard back from and who you should nudge. You could even write your emails and save them in your drafts folder to send mid-morning Monday.

Domestic Violence Cycles Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Domestic Violence Cycles - Term Paper Example The victims are usually women, children, elderly people, physically or mentally challenged persons and partners in gay or lesbian relationship (Steiner, 1996). Domestic violence is a far-reaching and social problem which has raised many serious debates. While many sociologists argue that domestic violence is mainly a male- perpetrated issue, many others believe that women are as violent as men in intimate relationships. The issue of domestic violence, especially against women, is not new and in fact, the domestic violence movement is at least 3 decades old. The movement has caught a lot of public awareness and has got many protective laws enacted. Many extensive networks of services have been started to help the victims of domestic violence. Domestic violence can be either physical - where there is danger of harm to any part of the victims body; psychological and emotional - where the offender abuses the victim verbally or criticizes her in front of others or causes embarrassment, despair, sadness or terror; sexual- wherein the victim suffers rape or any other derogatory treatment; economical- the offender tortures the victim by causing financial tensions, not allowing her to spend or asking her penny-to-penny accounts of what is being spent; or social- where the victim is not given freedom to meet her friends and relatives or attend social gatherings. Other methods of harassment include blackmailing, following, unwanted emails, and phone calls, etc. Children, elderly and the disabled may also suffer by sheer negligence like not giving food, shelter, and clothes properly or not giving medical aid in time. Also, children may suffer by just looking at their mother being beaten up (Davies, Smith and deBenedictis, 2008). According to the 1998 Commonwealth fund survey, nearly 31% of American women report being abused by their partners at some point in their lives (Commonwealth Fund, 1999).

Americanization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Americanization - Essay Example Ellis further contributed to this definition by arguing that, despite Thomas Jefferson advocating for the end of slavery, he has many contradictions, which prove he indeed was for slavery and not its abolition. According to Joseph Ellis, Jefferson owned approximately 600 slaves, and his tobacco plantation relied entirely on slave workers. To add on to Jefferson’s definition, Ellis argues that, according to Jefferson, superiority came with skin color. The light skinned slaves had a more superior position than other slaves. Frederickson’s models of American Ethnic relations further compound on the need for one America without racial differences. He says: â€Å"group separatism emanates from cultural ethnocentric concerns about the standing and fate of a certain group† (Ellis, 457). Despite the difference, in skin color and physical appearance, the color of the blood is the same, the brain the same when expose to the same conditions like infrastructure and technolog y. Can Americanization be achieved with color still a factor? Racism vs. Americanization: Americanization, which is the dream of every American, with freedom and equality based on racial differences is not what is quite being experienced. This is shown by Thomas Jefferson in his notes on the state of Virginia. ... According to Sherman Alexie’s work, assimilation shows how one tries to adopt other people’s culture and the way of life in general in order to fit in a society. This is made hard by the external features that one possesses like color, texture of the hair and height depending on one's race. Marriage between people of different races is highlighted here and prejudice is very apparent despite one's efforts to assimilate into the other person’s culture. Despite how much one tries to fit into a foreign way of life especially where the difference is based on race, one still stands out because some external features are so obvious, and one cannot hide them. Sherman Alexie’s view on Americanization is that people are expected to assimilate the American culture despite their different externalities, hence robbing the immigrants of their originality. Therefore, Americanization is American based and for the Americans only. Looking at Americanization by Studs Terkelà ¢â‚¬â„¢s eyes, we find that even in the job sector racism is very much evident. Stephen Cruz’s story by Studs Terkel in Rereading America state that the American dream is not governed by hard work, opportunity and education, but by fear and power (365). How much a person can achieve, being racially different, will always be a setback which, as Cruz says, should be overcome for Americanization to take root. Americanization which comes with the American dream should pave the way for everyone living in America to have liberty and freedom from any form of discrimination wherever one is, be it at home, in politics, education or the job sector. Other people from the natives