One of the Greatest American Sacrifices for WWII

The year is 1941 and the United States has managed to remain out of the 2nd World War. But on the morning of December 7th, history was changed for the American people. At 7:55am, Japanese militants dropped the first bombs on Pearl Harbor. This is â€Å"a date which will live in infamy. † Whether we liked it or not, America was now involved in World War II. Americans all across the country had to make many sacrifices to help out with the war efforts. There were restrictions placed on consumer goods such as automobiles, electronics, and nylons. Also, there were limitations placed on housing construction. But the greatest sacrifice of all was made by the Japanese Americans. In Mine Okubo’s book Citizen 13660, she describes as well as illustrates her experience as she, and approximately 110,000 other people, were evacuated from the west coast and sent to internment camps all across the country. The number 13660 in the book title comes from Okubo’s family number that was given to her when she registered for her brother and herself. It was to be used to identify their belongings and them as a family unit. On page 26, as she waits to load the bus to be taken to the camp, Okubo says, â€Å"At that moment I recalled some of the stories told on shipboard by European refugees bound for America. † In this quote, she is referring to the Jews who are escaping Germany. The stories that were being told are of the concentration camps that the Jews had been sent to. Okubo, along with all the other Japanese Americans, had no idea what was in store for them. Many feared that it would be something very similar to that of the concentration camps in Germany. When they arrived they soon learned that conditions were not as harsh as those the Jews were enduring. But still their experience differed immensely from the rest of the world. They lived in the internment camps and endured the lack of privacy and long lines to get food and to use the bathrooms. In the barracks, they had no choice but to sleep on mattresses filled with hay. â€Å"What hurt most I think was seeing those hay mattresses. We were used to a regular home atmosphere, and seeing those hay mattresses—so makeshift, with hay sticking out—a barren room with nothing but those hay mattresses. It was depressing, such a primitive feeling. † If the men wanted to join the service to show their loyalty to the ountry, they had to serve on the frontlines along with all the other Japanese Americans who chose to serve. The frontlines were extremely harsh conditions and the chance of survival was very low. â€Å"More than 50,000—the children of immigrants from China, Japan, Korea, and the Philippines—fought in the army, mostly in all-Asian units. † Some felt that these things were their way of helping with the war efforts and showing their loyalty to the country, and others felt that their civil rights had been stripped from them. Most of Mine Okubo’s wartime experience was spent in the internment camps. Through her illustrations and the text she shows us the reality of these harsh wartime conditions and how the Japanese Americans managed to make the most of the situation they were placed in. They managed to come together to create their own little community with schools, and visual arts, and even their own newspaper. Okubo’s illustrations allow us to see her emotions as we read her writings. Many of her emotions in the illustrations seem to lack any sort of anger and shed somewhat of a humorous light onto the text itself. I feel like her narrations would take on a more serious tone if her drawings were not present in the book. If I was placed in this same position as Okubo, I am not entirely sure how I would react. A part of me would love to take on the same perspective that Mine Okubo has taken, but as I read her book it is also hard for me to believe that anyone could remain so calm during such an intense time in their life. I would have such a hard time just packing up and leaving at any given moment and not knowing where I was going or what was going to happen to me. Okubo dealt with these undertakings very well and I am not sure I would be able to do the same if put in the same position. This portion in history tells us a lot about the â€Å"limits† of freedom in American history. Although the Japanese-Americans were citizens of the United States and residences within the country, they did not have equivalent rights during this time in history. â€Å"The Constitution makes him a citizen of the United States by nativity and a citizen of California by residence. No claim is made that he is not loyal to this country. † Many Japanese-Americans were being treated as if they had been disloyal to the US and even alienated because of how they looked. Also, the freedom to own land was taken from them as well. â€Å"The Federal Reserve Banks took charge of property owned by evacuees, while the Farm Security Administration took over the agricultural property. † Owning property is one of the greatest freedoms and American can uphold and as history has shown it can easily be taken away in an instant. Japanese-Americans were forced to sell everything because they were very limited in what they could take with them to the internment camps. As we can clearly see, Japanese-Americans had such limited freedom during World War II. Mine Okubo along with Yuri Tateishi gave us an inside look of what it was like for them during this crucial time in their lives and it allows us to see the rights and freedoms that were taken from these American citizens. I was able to more clearly see the actualization of their experiences through Mine Okubo’s illustrations because it allowed me to gain a greater respect for their emotions. Okubo and Tateishi, along with countless others, made some of the greatest sacrifices for the well being of our country during the war and for that they do not get nearly enough credit.

Midwest Office Products

Questions for Midwest Office Products 1. Based on the interviews and data in the case, estimate: a. The cost of processing cartons through the facility 80000 total cartons Warehouse expenses = $2000000 Warehouse personnel expenses = $2570000-$250000 (truck driver expenses) = $2320000 Total warehouse processing expenses: $2000000 + $2320000 = $4,320,000 $4320000/80000= $54/carton b. The cost of entering electronic and manual customer orders Manual: . 15 hours setup time, . 075 hours to enter each line Electronic: . 1 hours to verify information on the electronic order 16 order entry operators 840000 in total compensation Each order entry operator worked 1750 hours per year but only 1500 hours per year of productivity 840000/16 = $52500 avg salary per operator $52500/1500hrs = $35 per hour Electronic orders: . 1hrs *$35/hr = $3. 5/electronic order Manual Orders: . 15*$35 +. 075*$35*number of lines= cost per order Input cost=. 15*35 = 5. 25 Cost per line = . 075*35 = 2. 63 c. The cost o f shipping cartons on commercial carriers 75000 cartons shipped $450000 spent on freight $450000/75000 cartons = $6 per carton d. The cost per hour for desktop deliveries vg delivery time=3 hours 5000 cartons shipped 2000 deliveries2. 5 cartons each delivery $250000 total compensation per year $200000 for delivery truck expenses Each driver worked 1500 hours per year $166. 67/hr Driver compensation: $250000/2000 = $125 per delivery Truck expenses: $200000/2000 = $100 per delivery Total cost for desktop deliveries: $225/3 hrs = $75/hr 2. Using this cost driver information, calculate the cost and profitability of the five orders in Exhibit 2. Compare these costs and profitability to those calculated by Midwest’s existing costing system? Exhibit 2| Five Orders| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Order| Â  | Â  | Â  | 1| 2| 3| 4| 5| Price| | | | $ 610 | $ 634 | $ 6,100 | $ 6,340 | $ 6,100 | Acquisition cost| | | | 500| 500| 5000| 5000| 5000| No. cartons in order| | | | 1| 1| 10| 10| 10| No. cartons shipped| | | | 1| 0| 10| 0| 10| Desktop delivery time| | | | -| 4| -| 4| -| Manual order| | | | no| yes| no| yes| yes| No. line items in order| | | | 1| 1| 10| 10| 10| Electronic order| | | | yes| no| yes| no| no| Payment period (months)| | | | 1| 4| 1| 4| 4| | | | | | | | | Warehousing costs| | | | 54| 54| 540| 540| 540| Shipping costs| | | | 6| 0| 60| 0| 60| Desktop Delivery cost| | | | | 300| | 300| | Manual Order cost| | | | | 7. 875| | 31. 5| 31. 5| Electronic order cost| | | | 3. 5| | 3. 5| | | Payment period cost| | | | $ 6. 10 | $ 25. 36 | $ 61. 00 | $ 253. 60 | $ 244. 00 | Total Costs| | | | 569. 6| 887. 235| 5664. 5| 6125. 1| 5875. 5| Profits| | | | $ 40 | $ (253)| $ 436 | $ 215 | $ 225 | | | | | | | | | | Current system profits| | | | $ 110 | $ 134 | $ 1,100 | $ 1,340 | $ 1,100 | 3. Explain the difference in profitability of the five orders calculated by the ABC system and the company’s existing cost system. In the company’s existing system, they markup the acquisition costs by a certain percentage to determine the price that they charge their customers. Using this method, all of the sales appear profitable because only the acquisition cost is directly considered in determining their pricing. However, several other activities drive higher costs for the company and a standard percentage markup does not always capture that cost. In some instances, they could even lose money by making the sale. By using the ABC system, the company can have a more realistic view on how much each order costs them by considering the activities which go into the process (the number of cartons, shipping costs, delivery costs, and order processing costs) and charge for these services accordingly. 4. Based on your analysis above, what actions should John Malone take to improve Midwest’s profitability? John should switch to an ABC system as it provides the proper visibility and clarity into the company’s costs. They can then markup the products based on the total costs instead of applying a standard percentage, which does not properly assess the actual cost to the company, to the acquisition cost. This ability to price based on their actual costs would eliminate some potentially unprofitable transactions (like the desktop delivery where the items price did not cover the costs) .

Emergence Of The Buddha Essay

A). Outline the social, political and religious background from which Buddhism emerged. (10) Buddhism is one of the major religious traditions of the human race today. Buddhism was influenced by many different cultures over the thousands of years. This essay will outline the social, political and religious issues surrounding the background and the emergence of Buddhism in Indian Society. â€Å"In the 1920’s archaeological excavations of the ancient cities of Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa in North West India revealed the existence of an urban civilisation. This is called the Indus Valley Civilisation.† (Buddhism Dominique Side) The background from which the Buddha emerged from stretched as far back as C2700 in a place called the Indus Valley. This was the first sign of civilisation to live on the Indian subcontinent. People were attracted to the Indus Valley because of the of the River Indus. The River provided a good source of vegetation; there was also flat land, stones and trees. The Indus Valley was an Egalitarian society, which meant that everybody living inside the society were all equal and they worshipped both Gods and Goddesses. They believed and worshiped in Brahman, who they believed was the most looked up to and modest God. Archaeologists found statues with engraved scriptures of Gods and Goddesses on; the finding of these pots is where it is believed that the Religion began, although there were never any findings of temples to prove this. â€Å"Artefacts show it’s Religion to be related to the forces of nature†¦ the worship of a mother Goddess, sacred trees and fertility symbols.† (Buddhism Dominique Side) The valley was believed to have been a strong central government and to have two main political centres, Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa. The Indus Valley civilisation began to move out, many people today still believe this was because of a natural migration. After the civilisation of the Indus Valley had left, Aryans then began to set up home on their land. Aryans were nomadic; they travelled around a lot, never staying in one place for very long. They brought animals with them and built up a strong military. They were thought to be good at building and carpentry. The official religion of the Aryan conquerors of India is referred to as the Vedic religion after their holy books or Vedas (knowledge). The priests of this religion were known as Brahmans or Brahmins and are often mentioned in the Buddhist scriptures. The Aryans were unquestionably tough people, military strong, and they were fierce and war like. Their culture was oriented around warfare, and they were very good at it. The Aryans were a new start in the Indian culture; they adopted almost nothing of Harappan culture. They built no cities, no states, no granaries, and used no writing. â€Å"†¦They worshipped a pantheon of gods and were mostly connected with forces of the natural world, especially those powers on which humans were dependent.† (Buddhism Denise Cush) The Indian caste system began to develop and the civilisations were placed into the category that they belonged too. â€Å"Each mans duty was to follow the profession suitable for his social class.† (Buddhism Dominique Side) Even today the values of the caste system are held strongly, it has kept a sense of order and peace among the people. The caste consists of six different levels, and as a pyramid starting from the highest and working down. The highest being the Brahman, then Kshatriya, Valishya, Shudra, Harijans and the Untouchables. Within each of these levels are the actual â€Å"castes† within which people are born, married and die into. They all have their own place among each other and accept that it is the way to keep society from disintegrating to chaos. The system has worked well for Indian people and still has a major role in modern India. The Aryan society was patrocol, which means it was all male. It was now no longer an egalitarian society. Indus Valley people and Aryans began to mix, which is how the Indo-Aryans were formed, this was the beginning of Hinduism, which was a mixture of Indo and Aryan beliefs and practices. From these two religions they made a relationship and formed the Indo- Aryan people. â€Å"Like a mighty river, created from mainly tributaries that fed it, Hinduism is an amalgamation of the beliefs of the many people who settled in India in ancient times.† (A beginners guide to Buddhism, Gillian Strokes) People now did not sacrifice animals for their religion but would now give gifts to their God called offerings; these would consist of flowers and vegetables. The Indo Aryans did not have or worship a holy scripture, however they did have Vedic hymns that were sang and collected, and which were later written down in the â€Å"Veda†. This means they have a cultural importance. They also worshipped a pantheon of gods. They believed in the highest form of God, the Brahman who was the highest level of the caste system. There was an amalgamation of Indo and Aryans that became the religion Hinduism. Women now did not have any power; men now did everything, women were now considered inferior to men. As a belief in the caste system, you were only allowed to marry within your level of the caste system. The political organisation was hierarchical and centralised. Kingdoms varied in size and kings were no more than village leaders. Some people believe that Hinduism began with the Indo-Aryans, while others believe that it began with the Indus population. Hinduism has no founder and no single moment of beginning. The emergence of Buddhism was now falling into place. Hinduism is the largest religion of India. The religion is based on prayers and believes in many gods and goddesses. However, one God named Brahman was more significant than the others. There were special priests known as Brahmin who were used to help you worship this special God, they helped to channel people’s faith. Asceticism defined as the practice of self-disciple, voluntary undertaken, in order to achieve a higher or spiritual ideal began. People didn’t agree with Brahman priests, they wanted to live a simple life in the forest. Hinduism also believes in reincarnation, this is rebirth – the cycle of life. It consists of Birth, Life, Death and Rebirth; you undergo the cycle over and over again. It is thought that if you live a good life you will be born into a better caste in your next life. You will achieve good karma if you do your duty well which is determined by the caste you are born into. Good karma means a good next life and bad karma means a bad next life. The only way to get out of the cycle is to have continuous good rebirths, which means you will enter Nirvana. All these backgrounds lead to the emergence of Buddhism in some way. Ascetics would move away to the forests and leave all their family and objects behind, even the idea of the caste system. They wanted peace of mind and to achieve enlightenment. The best way to do this was to meditate. They also wanted to get out of the life cycle and achieve Nirvana. Siddhartha Gautama was an ascetic, he was born a Hindu but wanted to escape the life cycle. He emerged as the Buddha after achieving enlightenment and people began to follow his way of life. Political aspects were that people did not use the caste system and also rejected social and political values. They wanted an egalitarian society where everyone was equal and treated with the same amount of respect. â€Å"One of the effects of these changes was the creation of new professions, such as state officials and traders, which had no place in ancient caste system.† (Buddhism Dominique Side) Therefore in conclusion I can see how Buddhism has emerged over thousands of years and that Buddhism now does not have any thing in common with the earliest religion found. Buddhism needed the other religions to be in place in order for it to exist and without the other religions; it might not have existed today. I think Buddhism has become the fairest religion, as it believes in equality. Therefore it has adapted out of the many religions that came before it. B). â€Å"The Buddha turned his back on all the Religious teaching of his age.† Assess this view (10) Buddhism is an Eastern Religion that is over two thousand years old. Buddhism as a religion was influenced by this historical context. The origins of Buddhism are closely connected with the origins of Hinduism. Buddhists don’t believe in a God they just worship the highest in the caste system, the Brahmin. The Buddha is a highly respected person in the Buddhists Society. Buddhism is an amalgamation, an adaptation of Religions over time. This part of the essay requires assessing the view of how the Buddha turned or didn’t turn his back on the religious teachings of his age. The Buddha lived and taught in the Northeast India about 2,500 years ago and the development of the Religion was influenced by this historical context. He lived for around eighty years, somewhere between the 4th and 6th centuries BCE. Siddhartha Gautama developed most of his ideas for Buddhism from Hinduism. He changed and developed them to suit his new religion. He took some but changed them. He was born a Hindu and born into the Kshatriya Caste. He became an ascetic. I believe that the Buddha turned his back on his religious teachings for an important reason; therefore I believe this is because he wanted to get himself out of the life cycle. The Buddha wanted to go to the forests to meditate and reach Nirvana. The Buddha did not want his teachings to be taken as something sacred in itself, but as a means to an end. He made it clear that any teachings, including his own were not to be accepted without noticing but with faith and reverence, but should not be tested out in experience. The Buddhism religion was not just something to believe in or discuss, but something to try out to see if it worked. When you have tried it out it could make you a better person or takes you nearer to your spiritual goal. Siddhartha Gautama did turn his back on the previous teachings are the Caste system; the Caste system was a very important part of the social and religious life within India and Hinduism. When Prince Siddhartha went to find enlightenment he forgot all about the ideas of the caste system even though he was born into a good Varna. The Buddha’s invitation was to come and see for yourself, join him in his meditation to reach Nirvana. The Buddha wanted to get out of the cycle of; life, death and rebirth and be enlightened to discover a new life. He didn’t completely want to get rid of rebirth; he wanted to incorporate it into Buddhism. He believed in renunciation, which is what the ascetics believed in. They renounced with the Buddha to the forest. They gave up there existence. The Buddha did not want to pray to Brahman anymore, he wanted to break away from the priestly religion and become personal. Men and women both did this. Personal is being spiritual instead of Religious. The Buddha also incorporated Karma into Buddhism because it’s still the action needed for rebirth. He couldn’t change that. He did turn his back on the caste system though as it was seen as a social class factor and not needed for the religion, as everyone was equal for him. The economic developments destabilised the Brahminical order. Prince Siddhartha still believed in the ideas of rebirth and the cycle of life, but came up with a way of escaping the circle.

Analysis of Chief Elements of Eat2Eat's Strategy Case Study

Analysis of Chief Elements of Eat2Eat's Strategy - Case Study Example The five tasks of strategic management include 1. Developing the mission and vision, 2. Developing objectives, 3. Developing Strategy, 4. Implementing Strategy and 5. Evaluating Performance and improving Strategy (Chenata, 18). Aggarwal rates low because Aggarwal has not been able to develop a feasible mission and vision statement for the company. Right now, he has no objectives for the firm which would have been developed keeping in mind the vision and mission of the company. Since there are no objectives in Agarwal’s mind, the company lacks a strategic vision. When a company does not have a proper mission and vision, it risks its chances of going off-track. 2. Is Aggarwal’s present strategic vision for Eat2Eat different from the one he had when he originally founded it?   When Aggarwal first founded the company, he wanted to open up an internet chain that would work on the same track as that of online hotel and airline Ticket Company, just that the company would foc us on restaurant bookings. Even though Aggarwal has not developed a mission and vision statement, the strategic vision has remained the same. While Aggarwal has expanded his reach to new countries and taken on promoting restaurants through website advertising, the company still earns a majority of its revenues through restaurant booking. 3. What are the chief elements of Eat2Eat’s business model? How does the company generate revenues? What are the primary cost drivers? How does it deliver value to customers?   The chief elements of Eat2Eat’s business model include an online service that is yet to have direct competition. The organization is able to generate revenues through three channels. These include its main revenue-generating area which is online booking of restaurants; advertising for restaurants on the website; and credit card companies that build an alliance with the company. The company has also been able to cover a wide geographical area in a relatively sh ort time span. The primary cost drivers for the company include travelling expenses that the CEO incurs while contacting new partners. It also includes salaries paid to employees and maintaining the website. It delivers value to its customers by providing a myriad of restaurant choices to book form and also by giving reviews about these restaurants that are written by the CEO himself and are objective in nature. 4. What are the chief elements of Eat2Eat s strategy? Which of the five generic strategies discussed in Chapter 5 is Eat2Eat pursuing? Has Eat2Eat s strategy evolved since it was originally conceived?   Strategies adopted by organizations all over the world have been generally categorized into five generic strategies. These include best cost provider strategy, focused low-cost strategy, focused differentiation strategy, broad differentiation strategy and low-cost provider strategy (Thompson, Strickland, Gamble and Jain, 138).  

Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 8

Art - Essay Example rongly cultivated with a goal of achieving self-realization by discovering new knowledge and technologies through the awakening of curiosity and doubt (Renaissance Humanism, n.d.). According to Pico della Mirandola, the most marvelous creature created by God would be man because of his ability to reach the highest intellectual capacity and the capability to intercede between the heavenly beings and earthly creations (Pico della Mirandola-Oration on the Dignity of Man, n.d.). According to Castiglione, a Renaissance Men should be well-educated, cultured, a gentleman, and at the same time have the prowess in the arts and sciences. On the other hand, Renaissance Women are expected to be loyal and submissive to their husbands, rear a child, and manage a household (Renaissance Lady, n.d.). Leonardo da Vinci is considered the first Renaissance painter. He is an Italian painter, sculptor, mathematician, architect and musician. He developed the technique of using light to combine the elements of shape, stability, and permanence in his paintings to achieve balance and a three dimensional look on his work of art (Renaissance Art,

Entrepreneurial Behavior and Learning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Entrepreneurial Behavior and Learning - Essay Example The process of entrepreneurship is complicated with the existence of various other factors such as risk, chaos, information asymmetries, resource scarcity, uncertainties, paradoxes and confusion. Successful entrepreneurship can be developed only when all the three components are arranged in a proper fit. An entrepreneur has to face the challenge of manipulating and influencing the factors affecting the process of entrepreneurship so that he can improve the chances of success of the venture. Since opportunities seldom wait, right timing of the recognition of the opportunity becomes critically important for any entrepreneur. Literature has identified a number of factors influencing the process of entrepreneurship, which include creativity, optimism, information search, alertness, social networking and prior knowledge. Based upon the presence of some of these personal traits and by adapting to the circumstances, entrepreneurs are able to work their ways to recognizing profitable ventures and convert them into operable business ventures. However, the question remains as to which are the ones out of these factors that affect the learning behavior of entrepreneurs. This report based on the interview with a young entrepreneur who has successfully ventured his business in the information technology sector examines the entrepreneurial behavior and learning in practice. Psychological Base of Entrepreneurial Behavior The first question was a general one asking the entrepreneur to elucidate his personal opinion on the psychological base of entrepreneurial behavior. From the answer given by the interviewee, the following points emerge. The personality characteristics of entrepreneurs will share some common features. There are different such features like the need for achievement risk taking propensity, locus of control and work values which shape the entrepreneurial intentions of individuals. There is another dimension to the psychological base of entrepreneurship behavior, which deals with other psychological characteristics of entrepreneurs such as the problem solving style, innovativeness in approach, following role models, acquiring work experience, educational background and perceptions of individuals (Liang & Dunn, 2004). In this context, it is to be recognized that behavior is influenced by the way the external world is represented in the mind of an individual. It is also influenced by the exercise of different choices by the individual in pursuit of his different occupational intentions. It is important to have a look at the term entrepreneur, which is defined differently from entrepreneurship. Some researchers have defined entrepreneur as one who recognizes an opportunity and gathers the resources necessary for acting on the opportunity identified by him. Another definition brings together the innovative behavior and the strategic management practices of an entrepreneur and it identifies different strategic actions of an entrepreneur. They are: (i) introduction of new products and services, (ii) introduction of new production processes, (iii) exploring new markets or expanding the existing markets, (iv) identifying new supply sources, and (v) reorganization of industrial enterprises (Gartner, 1989; Sexton & Smilor,

Sympathy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Sympathy - Essay Example The article uses this evocation in order to attract interest from stakeholders in the education and associated sectors to view the situation as demanding more attention that it is receiving. The chief claims are presented in the form of statistics and short, clear statements that do not require any further explanation. The clarity of the language used is helpful in attaining the targeted readership and sympathy. The article’s target audience is the stakeholders in the education sector who are called to act towards addressing the issue of drugs use among the school going teens. Among the target are the government organizations, non-governmental organizations, schools administrations, alumnuss organizations, the parents and the community at large. The article presents the issue of drug abuse as affecting the whole community and hence expound on the importance of collective action against the vise. It is from the sympathy that the article will raise among the targeted groups of people that actions will be taken towards saving the situation. The message in the article is both explicit and to some extent implicit. Although precisely and clearly communicated, the message also has some deeper meaning that is left for implication. The facts put forward in the article in the form of statistics are clear and to the point, they are easily understood and explicit. The reader, at once, is attracted to the importance of the articles by looking at the figures presented. However, to most of the stakeholders in the education sector, the article has a deeper implication than its face value. The possibility of the proportion of students using drugs increasing if nothing is done is one such implication. Being both implicit and explicit helps the article to evoke sympathy for the situation in two-folds. First, among the immediate readers

Personal Identity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Personal Identity - Essay Example Are There Other Features That Need To Be Factored In As Well, Or Instead? Overall, What Factors Are Indispensable For Establishing And Sustaining Our Identity Over Time? The mind deals with many concepts that include our beliefs, desires, sensations, emotions and passions among other things (Wiggins, 2007). The philosophies of the mind involve studies that are carried out to determine the nature of our minds, the mental events that take place in them, their functions and properties along with the relationship of our consciousness to our physical bodies (Crane, 2001). The field greatly considers the relationship that exists between our minds and bodies. However, it also considers other matters which do not concern the relationship that exists between our bodies and mind but that help in defining our personal identities (Behrendt, 2003). According to philosophy, consciousness is a terminology that is used in describing the relationships that exist between our minds and the environments we interact with (Crane, 2001). The term has been described as involving our ability to experience, feel or have feelings of selfhood while possessing the control of our minds (Wiggins, 2007). Many philosophers like Velmans claim that our consciousness involves anything that we are aware about which in turn makes the activity the most common feature in our lives. Philosophers argue that consciousness comprises of our views, thoughts along with feelings (Behrendt, 2003). Memory on the other hand, has been described as the set of cognitive abilities which enable us to retain information while reconstructing our past experiences (Wiggins, 2007). A philosopher like William James in the year 1890 argued that memory is the knowledge we have of previous states of mind we have experienced but have already been dropped from our consciousness (Martin & Barresi, 2003). This therefore implies that our memory derives its inputs from our consciousness in perceiving the events that take place in our environments (Crane, 2001). Philosophers such as Aristotle and Plato proposed various concepts that greatly helped in resolving the issues involving the relationship of our minds to our bodies (Behrendt, 2003). The two philosophers came up with the concepts of dualism whereas the notion of monism was introduced by Descartes (Wiggins, 2007). There are several types of dualists among them being the substance dualists along with the property dualists. The former dualist’s claim that the mind exists independently whereas the latter dualists believe that the mind consists of clusters of properties that are independent that usually come from our brains and cannot just be condensed to it (Davies & Stone, 2005). They additionally state that the brain is not a unique substance and other factors should be included in the analysis of our personal identities. On the other hand, monists like Descartes dispute the idea that our bodies and minds are ontologically unique types of entitie s (Hoerl & McCormack, 2001). However, other people like the idealists believe that the only thing that exists is the mind and that everything else is mental or is an illusion that has been created by our minds (Davies & Stone, 2005). The neutral monists believe that there is a substance that is unknown of which our minds and other matter in our environment are a part of (Wiggins, 2007). Currently, philosophers of the mind usually adopt either a reductive position whereas others adopt non reductive approaches in illustrating that our minds and bodies have a relationship that exists between them (Davies & Stone, 2005). However, there are still other philosophers who dispute the idea that the mind is an unadulterated physical construct that can go a long way in defining our personal iden

Power in my life Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Power in my life - Essay Example Likewise, many a time, I have expended collaborative power to carry out teamwork with my peers and classmates. Transcendent sources of powers have also proved very useful to me, in the form of parental support. I have seen many leaders of impeccable personality use different sources of power. Particularly, I know both Abraham Lincoln and Woodrow Wilson used personal, collaborative, institutional, positional, ideological and transcendent powers, among others. For instance, Lincoln and Wilson used personal and positional power to end the use of slave labor and the unlawful hegemonic state aggression that had precipitated World War I, respectively. According to Tamanaha, collaborative sources of power were used by Lincoln rallying the Republicans to vote against the use of slave labor which was rampant among Southern states. Both Lincoln and Wilson heavily relied on transcendental sources of power, as they were Separate Baptist and Presbyterian, respectively. Ideological sources of power proved very useful for their quest in social justice, since Wilson believed in mutual respect among states as international players while Lincoln believed in the abolition of slavery as being crucial to America’s full emancipation (775). Alongside the ones I am currently using, the sources of power I expect to use in the future are ideological, expert, institutional and positional power. This is because, by the time I get into employment, I will have become ideologically mature, and having immense expertise and positional power needed to muzzle through positive socioeconomic changes into fruition. These forces are not at all coercive, but cooperative in nature. In them, there is no use of instruments of coercion to effect change. Instead, all of them heavily rely on the art of persuasion and teamwork, in order to

WalMart Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

WalMart - Essay Example The city council in Chicago has even passed an ordinance disallowing Wal-Mart from opening within city limits. This paper argues whether Wal-Mart is a destructive force or is good for the local economy. Wal-Mart has 3,400 stores in the US and is largest employer in US second only to the Federal Government. It is the largest grocer and plans to open 100 Supercenters in the next five years. It is sheer size, growth and profitability of Wal-Mart that it is in a position to define corporate trends. It is now in a position that it can dictate and perfect the nature of discount stores. Wal-Mart has the image of a friendly, all-American company employing happy workers and smiling greeters who are eager to help and grateful to work at Wal-Mart (Bianchi & Swinney, 2004). As a globalizing force, Wal-Mart exerts influence on the regional, local and national economy. It has restructured the American workforce and consumer behavior (Lavallee & Boyer, 2006). Its basic strategies revolutionized the global retain industry and led Wal-Mart to unprecedented heights. Wal-Mart never avoids critics. On the contrary they respond actively as they did when the city council of Los Angeles proposed to ban the store from the city. Wal-Mart revealed through a study of the economic impact that average savings per family per ear would be $500 if Wal-Mart opened a store in Los Angeles (Bianchi & Swinney). Apart from this, new jobs would be created which further boosts the local economy as spending power goes up. Wal-Mart counters its critics with two words – low price. Its low price policy helps millions to buy more from their meager pay checks. They can even indulge in minor luxuries. This makes the entire economy more efficient and productive. In the micro level this translates into low prices with better product. At the macro level it means economic growth, more jobs and higher tax revenues. Wal-Mart has helped to hold down inflation in US. A McKinsey & Co. study

Teacher as Managers Essay Example for Free

Teacher as Managers Essay There are five behavioral steps in the differentiation of the effective delegator and the ineffective delegator. In this case, the manager of a contracts group, Ricky Lee, who is part of a large regional office supply distributor realized his limitations in terms of capacity when he received a new assignment. Ricky lee knew he needed to delegate this assignment in order to meet his current project deadline and also meet the needs of his boss. The first step Ricky needs to do is assess his employees and determine who has demonstrated a clear understanding of negotiating contracts, and also who has proven excellent results in negotiating with manufacturers. When Ricky identifies an employee who has knowledge, and demonstrated success contract negotiation like his employee, Bill Harmon, Ricky needs to evaluate if Bills workload would allow him to take on a new project. The next step Ricky needs to do is have a private conversation with Bill and clearly outline the parameters and scope of this project. Ricky needs to make sure that Bill understands what is expected by clarifying and asking open-ended questions. Ricky needs to make sure Bill does not have any unanswered questions regarding the development of the department’s new procedures manual for negotiating contracts with office product’s manufacturers. Therefore, Ricky will allow Bill to participate in the decisions since he will be held accountable for this task. Ricky needs to clearly explain that this needs to be completed by the end of the month, and make sure that Bill feels comfortable and accepting of the time commitment. Ricky needs to make sure that Bill has the ability to work this project as he see fit, however his authority is limited to only the parameters of the project. Bills needs to understand this his authority to all other aspects of his job or the job of other works has not changed. Ricky needs to ensure that Bill understands and accepts that his range and discretion are limited to the scope of the project only. In allowing the employee to participate, Ricky must understand that Bill may have his personal self-interests and biases that may cause a potential problem in not committing fully or deterring him from taking on the delegation of the new assignment. Ricky will need to listen to learn and use open-ended questions to redirect the personal biases and self-interests. Some employees find themselves facing challenges because they immediately think about themselves and have a tendency to exhibit impartial judgment, which is not always fair in a workplace environment. Employees have to do what’s right for them, but also remember that this is a business. When presenting open-ended questions, this provides Ricky the opportunity to answer all of Bill’s questions or concerns in a positive manner. Ricky is able to provide Bill with all of the answers and support and even resources that Bill needs. For instance, if Bill says â€Å"I do not have the the first written copy of the resource manual and I am not sure who has it. † Ricky may respond, â€Å"Well Bill, I have it in my office and I will commit to have it to you by 12pm. † This provides Bill with the resource he needs and Ricky may ask some more open-ended questions using who, what, where, when, and why to get Bill to open up about any questions or concerns. Personal biases influence the way another person may think about a particular object, place, or person. The employees who are judgmental may focus on ways to degrade their peers or have difficulty in taking on a new task. This creates a negative culture and does not motivate a team to perform to its fullest. Many employees can see being bias in a workplace both negatively and positively. They are normally personal biases which are formed through a person that may have been predisposed during childhood, environment, through another person’s own biases without researching, and/or experiences. The Assignment that Bill Harmon has agreed to take on will outline the steps followed in negotiating contracts with office products’ manufacturers who supply the organization’s products. It is important to inform everyone involved of the delegation. Anne Zumwalt and any other managers that may be involved with this project or directly affected by the outcome will be informed of Bill’s commitment to take on this new task. It is important that Ricky informs all employees affected by this delegation of Bill taking on this project and to inform employees on how much authority Bill has committed to. This provides a sense of pride and ownership over the project for Bill and he is fully aware that he will be held accountable for the end-product. When setting the parameters of this project with Bill it will be important to determine how Bill and Ricky will establish feedback channels. Bill must know how to communicate with Ricky about the project. It is important to know the stages that Bill may provide feedback to Ricky. Ricky should also inform Bill on how he intends on monitoring the project and how often he will be checking in. Bill should provide commitment and understanding on exact deadlines (end of the month on a specific date) and expectations. It is crucial that Bill knows if any problems should arise then Ricky should be contacted as soon as possible so they are able to work through it in the most proactive and efficient way.

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin Essay Example for Free

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin Essay The book â€Å"The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin† is a decisively written personal story of the one of the most famous Presidents in the US history – Benjamin Franklin. The book is very intimate as the author tells the story of his childhood and his way to future values and beliefs. It is necessary to agree with Franklin’s idea that people should always strive for self-improvement and self-perfection. Therefore, Franklin decided to develop effective communication skills and meaningful techniques of conduct. He seems to be the person to follow. During the years of American Revolution Benjamin Franklin showed himself as an ardent proponent of political and economic independence of the country. Actually, he had all the makings to become a clever President. The autobiography is very rich because Franklin was also one of the Founding Fathers and American ambassador to France. I liked the idea he told about printing trade and â€Å"Poor Richard’s Almanac†. Franklin allowed people to share his fears and hopes to make country powerful and independent. Furthermore, his humility for his country and citizens is to be admired. When reading the book is becomes clear that Franklin is interested in the reading habits of people. Moreover, he notes that such people are provided with poetic souls. He admired this quality in people the most. Apparently, Franklin’s though is marked bys strong pragmatic tendencies because he is less concerned with ideals, rather with functions and work. Such pragmatism results a list of core virtues and values making the book striking and impressive. Nevertheless, Franklin is considered practical men and all those virtues are practical as well. He argues if idea is simple it is easily applied. Franklin wasn’t interested in abstract morality. The mentioned above humility belongs to the list of his virtues. And I agree with him that humility is important for people as it reflects their beings. As for me, the book is brilliantly written and ensures enjoyable reading. References Franklin, Benjamin. (1996). The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. USA: Dover Thrift Publications.

Justification of a Business Plan for Hotel

Justification of a Business Plan for Hotel The Justification of a Business Plan for Rebeccas Hotel Introduction The significance of business plans in all types and sizes of business organizations can never be threaten. The entrepreneurial inquiry puts the entrepreneurs in situations that require judgment. Hence, the need and identification of an approach to address these situations arise (Foss, Foss Klein, 2006, p. 4-5). Such as the justification for business plans as one of the approaches to address business problems, particularly in the event of uncertainties. The use of a business plan is one such approach as it is defined as a formal declaration of what the business wants to achieve. During uncertainties entrepreneurs should find tools to manage them (Sull, 2004, par. 2). Guinipero, Denslow, and Melton (2008) indicated that high propensity risks increase the formality of business plans. A business plan allows the anticipation of risks and improbabilities. A carefully formulated business plan should be able to communicate to stakeholders about the intended direction of the company. Through this, stakeholders should be guided with an understanding of the business situation and subsequently enable them to execute appropriate actions (Honig and Karlson, 2004, p. 30-35). To protect their interests in the business, stakeholders can be guaranteed with action in expectation of favourable business outcomes. The justification for a business plan appears to raise the significance for business successions as they posture challenges. The transition of managerial control frequently simply do not work out (Dalpiaz, Tracey Phillips, 2014, p. 3). Since this paper is based on the succession of a family business, the case study about Rebeccas family business provides insight into the important of business plans even for a small family-run hotel. This paper shall explain the importance of a business plan for Rebeccas case and consequently convince her to undertake the preparation of a business plan. Her case shall be interpret considering the mitigating factors as to why the business plan is necessary. The mitigating factors The retirement of Rebeccas parents had generally prompt the need for a business plan. Nonetheless, the presenting scenario also questions its practicality as their business is started out by her parents, has possibly overcome various business challenges, and is still currently operating, all without a business plan. The need for a business plan is followed by these conditions. Beyond these circumstances, Rebeccas succession to manage the business also presents potential threats. Though Rebeccas work as a kitchen assistant and junior cook despite having those knowledge is useful for the business since the hotel includes a restaurant, but the operation and management of a bar and hotel would require competencies which may not be sufficiently provided by her short time because she went backpacking travel in South-East Asia. Additionally, a three-year backpack travel exposure may not be suitable for Rebecca to develop an understanding of the tourism industry in their locale since the act ivities and opportunities presented in the different locations can be varied. It is important to note the difference in the tourism needs and activities of a travel destination such as the marina compared to the tourism locale Rebecca visited in her three-year adventure. On the other hand, as part of the family, she could have obtained insight into the business operations and her parents management style and business practices. Nevertheless, family-run organizations encounter unique problems due to its inherent nature (Peters Buhalis, 2004; Agyapong Boamah, 2013). Supporting literature shall clarify this in the next section. Even though Kerstin is not a part of this family but because of her relations with Rebecca and also because of her competencies and training, she can be possibly consulted about these consequences. Though small businesses are less likely to hire specialists than large corporations (Wu, Bacon, Hoque, 2014, p. 7), by moral of Rebeccas relationship to her, Kirstens expertise might be confess or at least consulted. It is, however, uncertain that her international exposure at work and the level of training would be suitable for a small family-run hotel. The nature of family-run businesses Family businesses rely on paternalism (Peters Buhalis, 2004, p. 537). Successors operate under the path of their parents especially when the founders are still around. Successors may attempt to introduce new systems and approach which may run contradicting to the family tradition when running the business. But the predecessor may not be able to let go or to completely allow the decision making processes and the management of the enterprise under the new relative-manager. The vision and goals of this relative may be inconsistent with how the parents perceive the business. Likewise, Agyapong and Boamah (2013, p. 533) described family-based relatedness in their study, which appears to produce these problems. The dynamics of family relationships may get in the way of business operations. There may be a cause of separation of the family concerns and business matters, conflicts or inefficiency may be occurred in the business. Family-run businesses are also usually characterized by informal business practices. As a result, these enterprises lack planning or the use of a systematic approach to manage the business especially when problematic activity occur. In the family businesses they commonly use improvisation by the family members (Peters Buhalis, 2004, p. 5), which lead to inconsistencies. There are no product or service standardizations or appropriate consistent controls. The informality of the practice arises from the dynamics of the family relationship. This situation is further entangled by another informal business practice which is inaccurate financial recording that results in financial losses (Peters Buhalis, 2004, p. 6). Family members also make their decisions that tend to be irrational since there appears a lack of information to guide them. In addition, misjudgement of performance indicators also occur and consequently affect the quality of future business decisions. This information could be made consistent, reliable, and more permanent when a proper business plan is created. Succession in family businesses Succession in family businesses is considered an interesting area of research. Studies focus on examining the change which aid or hinder the transfer of power to the succeeding generation, family relationships, and the process (Dalpiaz, Tracey Phillips, 2014, p. 6). A more outstanding evaluation from the studies is the causation approach which indicates that family businesses evolve linearly. In a statistical perspective, the continuity of the family business is related to certain variables which indicate the future state of the business. In the causation approach, a set of goals is identified as one of the factors in which family businesses are described to be established on. However, the goals are recognised to lack systematic process due to the informal nature of family enterprises. Nevertheless, planning, among the other components such as intentionality and resource acquisition, are essential foundations of this approach. Therefore, the continuity of the family business relies on the continuity of establishing plans. However, this time for Rebecca, a conscious formulation and systematic approach for business planning must be used. A few studies shows the reasons why business plans become critically important for family-operated businesses. The studies of Peters and Buhalis (2004) and Agyapong and Boamah (2013) provide important insights into these types of business ownership, particularly in the hotel industry. Both types of research emphasize the need for competitiveness in the industry. Peters and Buhalis (2004) claimed that the competitiveness of destinations is characterized by the domination of small businesses in the tourism and hospitality industry, as such in the case of Austria, the studys research locale. The operations of 240 small family businesses in Austrias tourism destination industry were part of the study in 2003. Research findings suggested that training is an essential element to run family businesses. In addition, a key component of this training includes the development of plans, strategies and the development of conceptualisation of new products or services among other important areas of running the family hotel business. These specific areas are being pick to emphasize the important role of business plans in the small enterprise. This research further indicate the need to develop strategic plans, both as a competitive strategy and advantage for the small family hotels. Growth and future sustainability are indicated to be the likely outcomes when strategic plans are created and then implemented. Meanwhile, Agyapong and Boamah (2013) conduct in their research the effects of business strategies and leadership in family businesses. Family hotel businesses in Ghana were the focus of this study, covering 50 small hotels in the country. The vital findings relevant to this paper is that the use of strategies, which may be provided by business plans, offer the family business the ability to predict problems, to vision the future, and to maintain flexibility. The business environment in Ghana was described to be highly competitive, and thus, the need for well-thought of strategies enable good business performance to survive in a competitive market situation. Furthermore, the unique characteristics of family businesses can be apply in implementing particular business conditions such as cost leadership and differentiation strategies (Agyapong Boamah, 2013, p. 537). In the case of Ghanas family hotel businesses, competitive strategies were purposeful to provide the assertion of survival of the 50 small hotels. Hence, the advantage of the business plan is to help the family business to be competitive in its formation. Another advantage implied in the studies is that the business plan could help support the inherent characteristics of small family businesses. Considering the scope of these two studies and similar competitive situations, those research indicate a broad-applicable situation for small family-run hotels. Alternative studies illustrate the importance of business plans for entrepreneurs in general. Brinckmann, Grichnik and Kapsa (2010, p. 24) cleverly stated in the title of their study Should entrepreneurs plan or just storm the castle? the quote of whether to create a business plan or not. This analysis study specified that planning is beneficial, although that factors such as culture and the newness of the enterprise affect the planning-performance relationship. Relevant to this, the newness of the enterprise may not be a concern for Rebeccas case, since the business has existed during her parents time. Culture appears to be a critical factor as to refer to the norms, values, and relationships within the family. Since this is identified to affect the planning-performance relationship, the guarantee of success for Rebeccas family business is yet to be determined. Besides, another research, Zahrani, Nikmaram and Latifi (2014, p.245) specified the need for developing a strategic plan, which is especially useful for succession planning. It is important for the successor to have the right outlook about the business plans. Furthermore, according to Aronoff and Ward (2014, p. 2), shared opinion help conquer conflicts within the family organizations. It is believed that since visions are reflections of values, shared visions should also result in more unify outcomes for a family business. Visions and values can be clarify when they are justify out rather than assumed. Identifying and specifying them in a business plan should help in making decisions which link to the family expectations. Conclusion Successions in family-run businesses present potential problems. This is further complicated by the inherent features of family-operated enterprises since they lack planning and is characterized by informality which results in inconsistencies, conflict, and lack of control. Research has provided evidence based on the need to develop strategic plans to ensure the future performance of the business. The planning-performance link support needs for business plans as a family-oriented business culture is identified a plausible barrier to the business success. Business plans offer the business successor a means of continuing the business with the appropriate business outlook one that reflects family vision and values. Furthermore, business plans provide a means for avoiding the consequences arising from the inherited nature of family-run enterprises. Studies specific to the hotel industry have also identified that competitive market environments can be survived by developing strategic pla ns. Presented with the benefits of developing strategies and the analysis of Rebeccas situation, Rebecca should be convinced that a means for her successful succession of the family-run hotel is through the development of a business plan. References Agyapong, A. and Boamah, R. (2013). Business strategies and competitive advantage of family hotel businesses in Ghana: The role of strategic leadership. The Journal of Applied Business Research. Volume 29. Number 2. Accessed at: cluteinstitute.com. (Accessed 15 March 2017). Aronoff, C. and Ward, J. (2016). Family business values: How to assure a legacy of continuity and success. New York: Palgrave and MacMillan. Dalpiaz, E., Tracey, P. and Phillips, N. (2014). Succession narratives in family business: The case of Alessi. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice. Accessed at: https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/bitstream/handle/1810/245758/ETP%20Revision%20Final.pdf?sequence=1isAllowed=y. (Accessed 14 March 2017). Foss, Foss, and Klein, (2006). Original and derived judgment: An entrepreneurial theory of economic organization. Organization Studies. Accessed at: https://brage.bibsys.no/xmlui/bitstream/handle/11250/164282/soldp200601.pdf?sequence=1isAllowed=y. (Accessed 15 March 2017). Guinipero, L., Denslow, D., and Melton, H. (2008). Risk propensity, risk perception and business plan formalization: a conceptual investigation. International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management. Volume 8. Issue 4. Accessed at: http://www.inderscienceonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1504/IJEIM.2008.022312. (Accessed 16 March 2017). Honig, B. and Karlson, T. (2004). Institutional forces and the written business plan. Journal of Management. Vol. 30. Issue 1. 29 48. Accessed at: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Benson_Honig/publication/228264253_Institutional_Forces_and_the_Written_Business_Plan/links/54ae9e6a0cf21670b35862b8.pdf. (Accessed 17 March 2017). Peters, M. and Buhalis, D. (2004). Family hotel businesses: Strategic planning and the need for education and training. Department of Strategy and Tourism Management. Center for Tourism and Service Economics. University of Innsbruck. Accessed at: http://epubs.surrey.ac.uk/1109/1/fulltext.pdf. (Accessed 14 March 2017). Sull, (2004). Disciplined entrepreneurship. MIT Sloan Management Review. Accessed at http://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/disciplined-entrepreneurship/. (Accessed 15 March 2017). Wu, N., Bacon, N. and Hoque, K. (2014). The adoption of high performance work practices in small businesses: the influence of markets, business characteristics and HR expertise. The International Journal of Human Resource Management. Accessed at: http://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/26446/1/3876_Wu.pdf. (Accessed 16 March 2017). Zahrani, M. Nikmaram, S. and Latifi, M. (2014). Impact of family business characteristics on succession planning: A case study in Tehran industrial towns. Iranian Journal of Management Studies. Vol. 7. No. 2. 243- 257. Accessed at: https://ijms.ut.ac.ir/article_36616_8ced89c13f3bb574ef88de90a9581858.pdf. (Accessed 14 March 2017).

Quayle’s Views on Why Illegitimacy Rates are Rising :: Speaker Evaluation Essays

Quayle’s Views on Why Illegitimacy Rates are Rising One’s views of the problems in society and how to fix them can be quite hard to press upon the ears of the public without experience in how to use argumentation affectively. Dan Quayle, in his speech â€Å"Restoring Basic Values: Strengthening The Family,† tries to convey a point which is the more we stray from family values the worse off things are going to become in our society. Quayle gave his conservative speech while he was serving his last year as the U.S. Vice-President. Quayle explains that the lack of family values and other good virtues in our society are some of the problems that lead up to the 1992 LA riots. Quayle Believes that the main problem is not that everyone is poor but that there is â€Å"a poverty of values† in our society witch allows the would have been outcasts of the early years to now become the norm in terms of values. He uses ethos to display his credibility as someone that should be listened to, logos to back what he is saying w ith statistics and facts, and pathos to connect with the audience on another level other than a professional one. Quayle sets the tone by stating his authority as the vice president, which makes his argument hold more weight to his audience. He starts his speech off talking about his weeklong trip to Japan where he commemorated the 20th anniversary of the reversion of Okinawa to Japan, which was done by the U.S. This is one of the duties that the vice president carries out, so without stating that he was Vice President he still got the point across that he had the authority to make his claim. It is also evident that he has experience since it is his last year serving as the vice-president. In this Dan Quayle uses his ethical appeal as a person with experience in a high position in the political arena to gain credibility. He also uses ethical appeals after stating some statistics about black illegitimacy to touch basis with his audience. This happens when he talks about himself being a baby Boomer, since he was born in 1947. Quayle explains the notorious legacy of the â€Å"Boomer† generation to say, â€Å"I have been there and experienced what you are experiencing, † so I understand.

A Deadly Realization Essay -- essays research papers

A Deadly Realization I walked into school around 8:25, rolling out of bed only a half hour before. I wiped the rain from my face, I hate when it rains. As usual, I strolled in with a casual walk, like I was the coolest, because I could come in late every morning since I had no first period class. The first person I saw as I walked through the cafeteria toward the staircase was Louise. Usually an outgoing and crazy person, she strikes many as being on crack. She calmly and quietly said "hey", with her face to the floor, not even looking at me. On my way up the staircase to my locker, I passed my good friend Mike. He looked me in the face and said, "Did you hear?" I replied with intense wonder of what the latest gossip at Shoreham-Wading River High School could be. "No", I replied, "what happened?" "You'll find out at the assembly." I had a few minutes before second period began, so I walked to the library, and pulled up a seat across from my friend Ke vin. "What's up, I heard we have an assembly this morning." "Yeah, I think two juniors got in an accident last night, but I heard they're all ok." I jokingly responded, "Well, at least periods are shorter." He gave me a tiny smirk, silently telling me we shouldn't be laughing over such a horrible thing. The bell rang, and first period ended. Dr. Hayward the principal came over the loudspeaker, "All students please report to the auditorium." Kevin and I got up, and joined the crowd slowly squeezing into the auditorium through the two open doors. I looked around and saw a group of my best friends sitting together. Katie had her head on Louise's shoulder, and Mike and Kyle sat there with a blank stare on their faces. I made my way into a seat, and looked at everyone, "Hey guys." No one responded, not even a look. By this point, I was scared at what news I might hear. I didn't know what to be thinking. For everyone to be so upset, it must be really serious. I looked around. Everyone had a look of wonder on their face, or they were crying, or just didn't know what to think. I didn't know what to think. I had never seen my friends like this before. Never have I seen Mike so serious, he would laugh if I got run over by a car. But this time was different for sur... ...ast person I knew that would take their own life. He always seemed happy, never missed a good laugh, and always walked around with a smile on his face. On the last day of school, the senior class planted a tree in his honor. It was strange, only about twenty kids showed up. Those that felt really close to Wes. I think to those few, Wes will never really die, and he'll always be there. Often times, when I'm upset about something, I remember what happened to Wes, and realize, things can be much, much worse. That night, I drove down Wes's street with a bunch of my friends. We each began to talk of our fondest memories of Wes, of all our memories of Wes. His smile was unforgettable, and his personality the kindest. I'll never forget that last thing Wes told me. "I'll see you on Monday." I never saw Wes that Monday, and I'll never forgive myself for not making more of that night with him. I think one really important thing that I learned from Wes, is to treat everyday of your life as if it may be your last. I've heard that line so many times before, I never really thought about it, but now, I hope to never forget it.

U-2 Incident :: essays research papers

On May 1, 1960, two weeks prior to the United States-Soviet Summit in Paris, a U-2 high altitude reconnaissance airplane was shot down while flying a spy mission over the Soviet Union. The Eisenhower administration was forced to own up to the mission, and Khrushchev canceled the Paris Summit. As a result, The Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union continued for over 30 years. Shortly after the end of World War II, United States and the Soviet Union emerged as the two superpowers. These two former wartime allies found themselves locked in a struggle that came to be known as the Cold War. Eisenhower saw the Cold War in stark moral terms: "This is a war of light against darkness, freedom against slavery, Godliness against atheism." But the President refused to undertake an effort to "roll back" Soviet gains in the years after WW II. Early in his administration he embraced a policy of containment as the cornerstone of his administration's Soviet policy. Eisenhower rejected the notion of a "fortress America" isolated from the rest of the world, safe behind its nuclear shield. He believed that active US engagement in world affairs was the best means of presenting the promise of democracy to nations susceptible to the encroachment of Soviet-sponsored communism. Additionally, Eisenhower maintained that dialogue between the US and the Soviet Union was crucial to the security of the entire globe, even if, in the process, each side was adding to its pile of nuclear weapons. The death of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin, two months into the Eisenhower presidency, gave rise to hopes of a more flexible, accommodating Soviet leadership. In 1953, Eisenhower delivered a speech underscoring the potential human cost of the Cold War to both sides. Hoping to strike a more compatible tone with Georgi Malenkov, Stalin's successor, Eisenhower suggested the Soviets cease their brazen expansion of territory and influence in exchange for American cooperation and goodwill. The Soviets responded coolly to the speech, especially to the US's insistence on free elections for German unification, self-determination for Eastern Europe, and a Korean armistice. The two sides would not meet face-to-face until the Geneva Summit of 1955. At the Summit, Eisenhower asserted, "I came to Geneva because I believe mankind longs for freedom from war and the rumors of war. I came here because my lasting faith in the decent instincts and good sense of the people who populate this world of ours." In this spirit of good will, Eisenhower presented the Soviets with his Open Skies proposal. In it he proposed that each side provide full descriptions of all their military facilities and allow for aerial inspections to insure the information was correct. The Soviets rejected the proposal.

Commentary on Sonnet Bright Star by John Keats Essay

â€Å"Bright star, would I were stedfast as thou art† is a sonnet by John Keats. Although this poem has the structure of a Shakespearean sonnet, it is also thematically divided into an octave followed by a sestet, like an Italian sonnet. In the first octave, imagery and figurative language are used to depict the persona’s desire to be as eternal and steadfast as the star without being isolated and distant from the world. In the following sestet, the isolation yet permanence of nature is contrasted with the intimacy between the persona and his sleeping lover. Through the structure of the Italian sonnet, the steady rhythm of the Shakespearean sonnet and myriad literary techniques, Keats explores the internal conflict of the persona as he wishes to have the best of both worlds: the steadfastness of nature and the warmth and intimacy of being human. In the first octave, figurative language is used to depict the persona’s admiration of the star’s steadfastness and illustrate the cold, isolated quality of the star and all of nature. This steadfastness is emphasized through the use of the iambic pentameter and the ABAB rhyme scheme, which gives the poem a slow, steady rhythm, just like the steadiness of the star. The persona’s admiration of this steadfastness is shown through the first line, which is an example of an apostrophe as the persona addresses the star; this technique also initiates a contemplative mood through the use of the subjunctive â€Å"would†. The personification of the star â€Å"gazing† and â€Å"watching, with eternal lids apart† makes the star seem like a lone contemplative being. The star’s loneliness is emphasized as it is â€Å"hung aloft† in â€Å"lone splendor†, giving the image of a star floating high above from earth. The fact that the star is â€Å"gazing on the new soft-fallen mask/of snow† also suggests its large distance from earth, as the star is unable to see the real earth, and is so far away that it can only see a â€Å"mask†, a word which becomes emphasized when reading the poem due to the rhyme scheme. The mention of the snow also makes the tone seem cold and peaceful. The simile and allusion as the star is compared to a â€Å"patient, sleepless Eremite†, which is a religious hermit, serves to further enhance our image of the star as an everlasting, steadfast creation patiently observing earth from high above. This role of the star is similar to the role of the persona in the final sestet as he quietly observes his sleeping â€Å"fair love†, but the crucial difference is that while the persona is desirably close to his lover, the star is alone and â€Å"aloft†, which is what the persona does not want to be. The last line of the octave ends with an em dash, and there is a volta, or a change in tone and thought as the poem shifts from describing the star and the quiet nature to depicting the intimacy between the persona and his lover as the persona expresses his desire to stay in this sweet moment forever, as eternal as the star. The volta between the octave and sestet, serves to contrast the cold, distant quality of star with the warm, intimate quality of human relationships. In the first line of the final sestet, the tone changes from contemplative to more conversational as the personal declares â€Å"No†. In the following lines, the alliteration in â€Å"still stedfast, still† and â€Å"soft fall and swell† make the tone soothing and comfortable. In line 13, the repetition of â€Å"still† and the alliteration of â€Å"hear her† and â€Å"tender-taken† tends to force the reader to say the whole line in one breath, so that his/her breath becomes â€Å"†tender-taken† as well, and emphasizes the content, sensual and intimate tone. The intimacy of the lovers is shown through the imagery: â€Å"Pillow’d upon my fair love’s ripening breast†, which reflects the closeness that persona values but that the star lacks. However, there is also an undertone of conflict and tension beneath this comfort as the persona struggles with his unfulfillable desire to be as steadfast as the star while having the intimacy that only humans can achieve. This tension is reflected though the repetition of â€Å"still† in line 9 and then later in line 13, and the repetition of â€Å"for ever† in lines 11 and 12. Through the repetition of these phrases, the desperation with which the persona desires to be with his lover for eternity is suggested, but because the reader knows that the persona’s life is ephemeral, there is tension as the persona longs for an impossible wish. This tension is increased by the oxymoron of â€Å"sweet unrest† and by the climactic last line of the poem: â€Å"And so live ever-or else swoon to death.† The use of the phrase â€Å"or else† seems ominous, especially because we know that in reality, he will not be able to become as steadfast as the star, so he will eventually die. However, the tone becomes less gloomy through the use of the word â€Å"swoon†, the positive connotation of which suggests that the persona accepts a death in love. This implies that although he deeply wishes he could be eternal like the star, he realizes that this is not possible and thus embraces his status as a ephemeral human gifted with intimacy by accepting death as long as he experiences love in his life. The significance of the last two lines of the poem is emphasized, as they are a rhyming couplet. Ultimately, Keats’ masterful use of figurative language results in a deeply meaningful sonnet that contrasts the eternal but isolated qualities of nature with the ephemeral but intimate qualities humans. Although this sonnet is short, its scope is large as it explores the inner desires of the persona to have the best of both worlds. Through the many literary techniques, the poet reveals the conflict between the impossible desires and the possible, and the natural world and human world.

Troy summary

Wants nothing more than to be put into history books and known for eternity for his greatness. -strong, family man, and a lover (which ends up being the death of hector and eventually the death of him) Ajax Strong brute, loyal and respectful. Loves his people. Heart off lion (one scene pulls sword out of leg etc etc. ) doesn't die without a huge fight. Prince Hector older brother type, protecting, but wise. Strong and brave. Fearless. Successful, wishes toting but peace and happiness Prince Paris – younger brother, ignorant and arrogant. Blinded by love, Helen – a beautiful woman, that only wants to be accepted for HER, not her looks. A lover. Also ignorant. Agamemnon – Jerk, cares only for himself, blinded by power. Head strong (making him weak) fearless, but not in a good way, mischievous, apathetic Odysseus man, good friend, and better realist, an adventurous man. Bruises Godly,the girl who capture Achilles Heart important: Achilles died in deed by Paris but a long time ago before we, Greeks entered Troy.It was disgusting and very insulting to the epic story to see Achilles dies inside the burning Troy with several arrows on his chest and belly as Achilles was invulnerable because his father Pleas baptized him in a blessed water when he was an infant but as he was holding him upside down he did not sink his feet holding him from his ankles. That is why his only vulnerable spot was his heels. That means that only one arrow was enough to kill him at his heel. In these story illustrate that even the great warrior has a Heart. When Achilles met Bruises his heart suddenly change. Len these story illustrate the Love of the Man to the Woman. Like Prince Paris he follow his Heart but he become selfish. Prince Hector code is simple Honor youGods Love your Women Defend the Country. Like Samson in the Bible women is their downfall. Achilles is a great warrior when his cousin (Patrols) killed by Prince Hector . Len this story illustrate a Father love by Prima to his son Prince Hector a brother love different way of living some live for country some live for Love some live for Gods it's the people choice where they want to live. For me Achilles is great warrior even though in the ending he die. By the way he respect and value Prima the father of Prince Hector. Especially when I see the tears fall down.

Nuclear Energy as an Alternative Source of Energy in Malaysia

Zaim Afiq Zaki Morad Public Utilities 325 – Prof. Rodney Stevenson Public Utility Paper Nuclear Power plant as a new alternative source of energy in Malaysia The first time the world was exposed the enormous potential power of nuclear was when the United States of America dropped two atomic bombs into Japan which effectively ended World War 2. Almost every country stood by and watched as the bombs made by the simple process of fission of two atomic particles produced enough power to destroy two big cities.The understanding of nuclear was not at a high level during the time but there have been experiments done by scientists all over the world and after witnessing the aftermath of nuclear bombs, along came the idea of applying the potential energy of nuclear for a better use. In 1954, the Soviet Union managed to produce the world first operating nuclear power plant in Obninsk and the plant was able to produce enough electricity to support a power grid. Two years after that, the British opened the world’s first commercial power station and the United States followed up with one of its own in Pennsylvania.As of the end of 2010, there are a total of 442 nuclear power plants spread over 30 countries, with the bulk of the nuclear reactors operating in United States, France, Japan and Russia. Although there have been many demonstrations and court cases asking for the proliferation of nuclear power plant and nuclear energy as a whole, a report done by the European Nuclear Society mentions that 65 new nuclear power plants are under construction in 16 countries. In Malaysia, the main source of energy comes in the form of natural gas and Malaysia has one of the biggest petroleum companies in Asia in the form of the Petronas company.The Petronas company is owned by the Malaysian government but is under the management and supervision of a private board with little interference by the Malaysia government. Other sources of energy in Malaysia comes from coal and f uel and Malaysia also depends on renewable energy sources through hydroelectric and solar powered energy. In recent years however, the supply of natural gas has been depleting and the government has been to find a better option in the form on renewable energy resources to try to spread the imminent case of osing fuel and gas as the main source of energy in the country. History of Public Utilities In Malaysia Before we move on to the main issue context of the article regarding the production of nuclear power plants in Malaysia as the best renewable energy option, we can get a bit more background to the history of public utilities in Malaysia and the current state of public utilities in the country. As of my knowledge, a large number of industries in the country are regulated by the government and can be out under the public utilities category.Most of these industries have monopolistic traits and are fully or partially controlled by the government of Malaysia. The reason why a large n umber of industries are under the monitoring of the government is probably due to the fact that Malaysia is a developing country and lack the experience to just allow some of the main public utility industries to float in the market. Some of the most common utility companies in Malaysia include Telekom Malaysia in the telecommunication industry, Tenaga Nasional in the electricity industry, Astro in the cable industry and Syabas in the water industry.Almost all of these companies are monopolistic and are partially or fully controlled by the government. The government subsidizes almost all the operational cost in these companies but regulates important matters such as pricing and coverage. The main concern with public utilities in Malaysia is the influence of politics in the industry. Since the government plays an important role in managing utilities, it is common for people to accuse the government of abusing its powers through the use of utilities.Some of the cases that have been br ought forward include bribing in some of the utility industries, government giving away contracts to cronies in order to get money for political campaigns, and also using public utility companies to try and influence elections. While some of these allegations might be true, I personally it is best for the government of Malaysia to keep being in charge of most of the utility companies because Malaysia is still lacking not just in terms of infrastructure but also in terms of education and thinking.Allowing for an industry such as electricity to just follow the market will probably result in catastrophe since the public will have no say at all to the way a company operates and are open to abuses by a small but influential number of executives in that company. While there are still a lot of improvements to be made by the Malaysian government, the way utilities are being handled regulated now works best for a developing country like Malaysia.Building Nuclear Power Plants in Malaysia Last year, the Malaysian government announced that two nuclear reactors will be built and is projected to be up and running by the year 2022 and that finalization on the project should be completed by 2015. The government said that the reason behind this decision is due to the lack of diversity in the country’s energy sources and the realization that natural gas and fuel will ultimately run out within the next few decades.No details have been given out as to how the project is going to be done with the most pressing question from the public being whether the government will hire outside help or use local minds to build nuclear power plants. Other issues being raised by the public include the factor of expense and safety, the latter coming from highly regarded leaders in the country who fear that Malaysia’s lack of experience and knowledge in the nuclear industry would mean that the government is taking a very huge risk in building nuclear power plants.Ever since the announ cement by the government to build two nuclear power plants in Malaysia, the public have been sporadically protesting the decision and not that many have come out to support the plan. This is perfectly understandable since Malaysia has no experience with nuclear materials, be it nuclear weapons or even nuclear experiments, and add to that the nearest country with nuclear power plant is Japan, which happened to suffer a nuclear meltdown just a few months ago.All the concerns being put forward by various are legitimate concerns but in my opinion the whole project would actually be good for the country and if takes a step back and just try to get different perspective to the case, a majority of the public would see that having nuclear power plant in our own backyard would be perfectly safe and this project could help propel Malaysia into joining the elite group that call themselves modern developed countries. Safety of Nuclear Power Plants To start off, many critics are leading with the argument that nuclear power plants are dangerous and could pose serious problems for Malaysia.It is a fact that nuclear power plants are open to accidents due to human error or even worse to natural disasters. We can point out to various incidents like the Chernobyl accident, the Three Mile Island disaster, and in recent memories the Fukushima accident. But these can be counted as isolated incidents due to unforeseen circumstances and given the fact that we have more than four hundred power plants running all over the world, these accidents represent little of the total amount of nuclear power plants that we have.The weak argument on the pro nuclear side is that accidents can happen anywhere and with anything. Some try to point out the BP oil spill disaster and the Exxon Valdez oil disaster as proof that accidents can happen to anything but what most people are worried about is that the effect of a nuclear disaster are definitely more costly in terms of human life and also in the e conomic perspective. However, while we cannot say for certain that we can ensure the safety of our nuclear power plants, we can set up regulations and laws that would make an accident less likely to happen.And since Malaysia is new in the industry, we stand to have the best chance of making solid regulations and laws. Given the fact that Malaysia has no prior experience in building and operating nuclear power plants, we can take this opportunity to choose the best of regulations that we can find from nuclear powerhouse like Japan or the United States. We can use the experiences of these countries in handling accidents and draw up our own safety plan that would bode well with the infrastructure and size of Malaysia.It will be expensive for us to gather information from other countries since the professionals of the nuclear industry will charge highly for the knowledge that they have attained but if the Malaysian government can show that it is serious in its plan to build nuclear plan ts and that the government is willing to pay for vital security information on nuclear technology, this will help to deflect most of the fears that the public has on nuclear power plants and maybe even instill some confidence as to the idea of Malaysia having her own nuclear power plants.Another main concern in terms of safety is terrorist threats. Nuclear power plants have been known by some as some sort of a pre-position weapons of mass destruction. Targeting missiles or jetliners on these power plants can definitely inflict unimaginable harm to any country. Some nuclear power plant engineers have pointed out that these nuclear facilities are built to withstand the impact of jetliners with the thick walls and various other measurements.But any decent educated person could guess that a fully loaded jetliner would at least crack some of the walls on the power plant and any explosion from the plane could cause fire and heat up the whole power plant. That is why countries have regulat ions regarding flying over nuclear power plant and if Malaysia is concern about it, we should start drawing up our own regulations regarding air traffic and making sure we put this regulation in place before we even start to think about building nuclear power plants. One other concern regarding the safety of nuclear power plant is on radiation and leaking of radiated nuclear materials.While studies done on radiation surrounding power plants have been inconclusive, with some suggesting that those surrounding nuclear will definitely get exposed to some sort of nuclear radiation while other studies suggest that no such effect is taking place, we can take precaution by installing the power plant at a strategic location that would ensure the safety of the public with or without any possibility of radiation. It is not reasonable to put a power plant in a place far from generators or cities but the government has found a few places of which are sparsely populated but are also safely locate d within range of electricity generators.Leaking of radiated materials is a topic that I did not get much chance to learn about but from what I hear, the public is worried that the lack of government supervision might result in radioactive waste being stolen by terrorist or even worse if they are accidentally lost by untrained employees. That might have sounded funny but only a few years back the government of Malaysia suffered a public embarrassment when the engines of two fighter jets were lost for a year before the engines were found in Uruguay of all places.But while this particular concern is perfectly legitimate and something that we should all ponder about, I am sure that the government can put certain procedures into place to ensure proper removal of radioactive waste are in place and we could even hire professionals from Japan or the United States to help out for a few years in order to gain the trust of the public before we go local with the handling of nuclear materials. Cost As A Major Concern Moving on, another major opposition of the power plant centers on the cost of trying to build a new power plant.The government of Malaysia has not put a specific cost on the table yet but approximate figures to build one power plant in the country would be at around 3. 2 billion U. S dollars with the cost of managing the plant coming up to a couple more billions of U. S dollars. It is definitely a costly amount especially for such a small country like Malaysia but the public has to remember that the product of nuclear energy could give us a return of more than five billion dollars.To add to that, the public will probably have to incur a lesser cost when it comes to paying electricity bills and the construction of two nuclear power plants would open up job opportunities for local employees. The accounting benefit of the project might be hard to be seen by the public but the total economic cost of building two new nuclear power plants will be massive to the Mal aysian economy. Another benefit that most of the Malaysian public cannot see is the fact that having nuclear power plant can actually propel Malaysia to become a leading industrialized nation in the region of Asia.One thing about nuclear power plants is that is symbolizes power. Similar to having an aircraft carrier demonstrates a country’s military prowess, having nuclear energy can demonstrate that a country is successful in the production section and that the economy of the country will continue to generate positive results in the future. Malaysia is still considered a developing country even with our massive economic growth and quality infrastructure but having nuclear power plant in our own backyard might give the impression that we are serious about moving forward and trying to be on par with nations such as China and France.Being the first country in South East Asia to have nuclear power plants will help Malaysia to move ahead of the group and put us under the impressi on that we have moved forward and not tagged along by some of the poor countries in that region. While some might argue that Malaysia can still move forward with the option of using hydroelectricity as a main source of renewable energy, they must also consider the strategic planning of building hydro electrical dams. Malaysia consists of two peninsular, one surrounded by natural habitat and rainforest and the other filled with cities containing high rise buildings.Malaysia has already built one of the largest concrete dams in the world to generate electricity through hydro-electric technology but what the public is not aware of is the fact that we do not have the spaces to build another large dam, especially since the peninsula most people are talking about is bustled with buildings. When the government made that policy decision to expand the country’s renewable energy to include nuclear energy, it did so at the consideration of the public. he decision made by the Malaysian g overnment can be considered as a social policy because in a way, they had to factor in all the needs of the public in terms of cost, location, distribution and many other factors and the decision they made was in the best interest of the public. Politics And Social Policies What the government has to worry about right now is trying to convince the public that there will be no politics when the nuclear power plant project starts and that massive regulation will be in order when the nuclear plants are up and running.One way of disseminating the problem is making sure due diligent is done before we even start to open bids to companies. When Malaysia announced that it was going to build two new nuclear power plants, companies from Russia, Japan and even China rushed to try and lobby the government of Malaysia into choosing their company as the preferred choice because they are well aware that Malaysia has no prior experience in building nuclear power plants and that the Malaysian govern ment will surely look for foreign help in the process of building those nuclear power plants.Since the public will have no knowledge of these foreign companies, what the government must do is ensure that highly qualified local companies must go through the process of thoroughly checking over foreign companies so that we will not get deceived in any way. This is an important issue because Malaysia has already suffered an unpleasant experience when trying to get their hands on navy submarines. It was a similar case of lacking experience in the industry and being lackadaisical when looking for companies to build us our first ever submarines.The cost was also in the billions and the government really got into trouble with the public when the first arriving submarine was not able to function and properly and had to be shipped back to France to be repaired at additional cost. While there was no evidence that the French company was trying to deceive anyone, it was clear that the company wa s not good at doing its job and that the Malaysian government could have saved a lot of money if it had gone through the proper process of picking out the best available company to do the job.With this experience in hand, the government should be more careful when doing business in uncommon territory and take all the precaution necessary in order to make sure it does not waste tax payers money again. Still on the social policy of the topic, one thing the government has to worry about is on who will get the most out of having nuclear power plant in the country. While the board in charge of overlooking the project has already identified some of the most strategic locations to be the bases of two huge nuclear power plants, what they did not mention was on who will be getting the most of the supply.The options given out by the government did not mention that some of the locations were nearer to residency areas, providing massive amount of electricity to some of the residential areas wou ld be a major boost to the real estate industry and will help increase the support from the public since they will be getting the most of having nuclear power plants. Another part of the option was located nearer to the industrial complex of the country, near enough to generate a large amount of power to help support factories and will probably help to increase production from those factories.This will generate the economy but the public will not get to see this even if the government can then create more jobs and reduce unemployment rate in the country. The government will be in a dilemma since both options differ in terms of public support and in terms of economic growth. But I mentioned before that having nuclear power plants will help boost Malaysia to join the developed countries category and if we really want to see that happen than the best option is for the government to locate the power plants near the industrial complex.Apart from the effects it will have on the Malaysian economy, this will also prove that Malaysia is serious in its efforts to become a major industrialized nation and that having nuclear power plant to support its efforts. The public might not see directly the effects of putting nuclear power plants near factories instead of residential areas which would be more beneficial for the public but if everybody can take a step back and really look at the larger picture, they will clearly see that having nuclear power plants will be a major boost to Malaysia’s effort of becoming an industrialized nation. Regulation and PricingA part of production commonalities mention on natural monopoly and capital intensity and it would be good for the government to approach this matter and inform the public of it. In the case of building two new nuclear power plants in Malaysia, it would probably not be in the best interest of the public for the government to make it a natural monopoly. This will be a new thing for the whole nation and these two nuc lear power plants will be some sort of a highly looked upon experiment and the best thing the government can do is to appoint two different companies to handle those two separate plants, be it local or foreign companies.Having two different companies handling two different nuclear power plants in the country will help in getting some sort of a check and balanced system. It will prevent one company from overcharging the government since the other company will also try to set a good standard and having two companies will help to ensure that there will be less political ploys and decrease the possibility of corruption.Having a small competition between these two companies will also help make sure that good service is going to be provided to the public and since the Malaysian public have no prior experience on nuclear energies, having two competitive companies will surely lead to more information being put out on the table for the public to see. Still with regards to competition, the go vernment should set up a structure to ensure that we have an effective competition in play.While it is best for a government not to get involved in an effective competition market, in this case, the public would benefit if the government can play some influence as to regulating the structure of the market. The government should regulate as to the entry and exit of firms in the industry and the government can always keep track of the market price to ensure no overcharging in terms of rate is occurring since the Malaysian public will have no idea on what the normal rate for nuclear energy would be.In terms of product differentiation, there is nothing much since the main function of nuclear power plants are to produce energy but the firms involved in handling these plants should not be allowed to expand and diversify their businesses for the first few years. The reason would be because Malaysia will be new to this industry and we are already taking a huge risk by building these power p lants and we cannot afford to spread our capital and attention as to diversifying products but stay focus to the main focus of having nuclear power plants which are to create renewable energy to support the growth of our economy.As for capital intensity, it is hard for me to delve into the matter since I lack the knowledge on the infrastructure needed to run a nuclear power plant but I think the policy the government should be going for here would be to ensure there is enough capital to support the nuclear power plants during the first few years since there will be a lot of mistakes and errors at the start of the process.The government should make a policy to ensure they have enough budget to support the capital needed to ensure the nuclear power plants are going to run smoothly. Revenues will probably be low during the first few years as we try to figure out the best rate and how we can effectively use all of the resources we have but it is of the most important for the government and the public for that matter to keep being optimistic regarding the project and to provide full support the original policies and not to alter anything halfway.Another important policy is to make sure that we get local engineers and other important players in the industry to get properly trained so that they will be well equipped to handle all the technical and logistical problems that we might have when running the two power plants. Since the government plans to get the two nuclear power plants up and running before 2022, the government should start implementing new policies that would create more opportunities for students in Malaysia to pursue degrees in nuclear technology or any other field related to running a nuclear power plant for that matter.The government should also start identifying workers for the nuclear power plants and start sending them to other countries like Japan and the United States for specific training. Working at a nuclear power plant will definitely requi re certain level of knowledge and skill and these workers should be immersed with all the experience they can get so that when the power plants in Malaysia are up and running, this group of people will be more than able to handle any sort of problems that might arise at the nuclear power plants.The issue mentioned above might be viewed as unimportant as compared to the issue of safety and cost but having locals to work on Malaysia’s very own nuclear power plants would be a matter of utmost priority for me. The main reason is that having nuclear power plants will definitely generate the economy but if we want to maximize our revenues from this nuclear power plants, we cannot expect to continue to get foreign help for free and that foreign expertise will definitely cost a lot especially in the niche field of nuclear technology. The government will have to seek out help from foreign sectors to help start f the program but the government should also set a dateline on when we can start to fully employ local contractors and local companies to manage our products because that will be the time when we are fully maximizing our use of building two nuclear power plants. Making this policy will help set the tone that the government are interested in not just finding out a new renewable source of energy but are also keen to delve into the nuclear technology world and put our own bright young talents to the test by teaching and letting local Malaysians to handle our own nuclear plants.Another question that should be raised is if building nuclear power plants in Malaysia is a necessity or if it is just a political ploy or maybe even an investment into the future. This would fall under the concept of demand commonalities. The fact is Malaysia needs a new alternative source of energy and even though we have many other options such as hydroelectricity or expanding our solar power abilities, we actually can consider building the nuclear power plants as a necessity because of various reasons.There is no need to repeat previous arguments on how having nuclear power plant would proper Malaysia forward so a fresh new idea would be that having nuclear power plants would actually help label Malaysia as a green country. Everyone knows nuclear power plants are considered to be green an environmentally friendly despite all the radioactive toxic waste they produce.While hydroelectricity can also be considered green, the vast amount of land needed to build a hydroelectric dam would cause disturbance to the natural habitat of various animals and plants because the only large land areas that can accommodate building a dam in Malaysia would be the rainforest and jungles. Nuclear power plants are definitely a better option when we put the environment into play and since all major countries are going green, building our own nuclear power plants would help put Malaysia on the map as a green country. Nuclear Power Plants as a â€Å"Green† Way ForwardThere are many doubts that nuclear power plants are truly green as the radioactive waste they produce are harmful to the environment and Chernobyl is an easy case in point where there are no living beings in the area due to continuing leak of radiation. However, with nuclear energy getting the attention of top scientists all over the world and getting the focus from premier academic institutions, there will be new technologies that can help to better secure radioactive nuclear waste. And while it may be expensive for the Malaysian government to acquire those technologies, it will definitely be a positive way to ease to worries of the public.The Malaysian government needs to make it a regulation to ensure we get the latest of technologies no matter how costly it could be because Malaysia has no experience in handling nuclear materials and we cannot accept the possibility of suffering a nuclear accident at the expense of a fraction of the country’s budget. In the context of legal foundat ion or constitutional foundation, there is not much to go on with. This will be a totally new path for Malaysia and there are no legal precedence for this matter.While there have been cases which directly or indirectly involved the utility industry, none have or will be similar as to the legal matters surrounding the nuclear industry. And this is a good reason why the Malaysian government will have to thread very carefully because any policies or regulations they set can be challenged by the public and even after the government announced its intention to build nuclear power plants, there were advocacy groups getting ready to challenge the decision under the legal context that it would harm the public and that a referendum should be held to find out the consensus on this issue.Legal and Constitutional Issues The constitutional powers of Malaysia is not as strong and tight as the U. S constitution because Malaysia is a relatively new country, gaining independence just over 50 years ag o. Any solid constitution will take hundreds of years of amendments and challenges in order to be a solid constitution and the loopholes in the Malaysian Constitution will ensure that there will be many groups ready to take action if the government slips up in any way.The Malaysian government will have to start drawing up legal process to add fundamentals into the constitution that would ensure the nuclear power plant project would not be halted by court processes. That might sound extremely harsh especially in this democratic world but sometimes tough decisions have to be made on order to get something started and since Malaysia is lagging 50 years behind other countries in the nuclear industry, we need to make sure we get through the project as smoothly as we can.One main concern regarding the judicial process that can be discussed now is will the state governments be given authority to regulate or even monitor the nuclear power plants or are the federal government going to take f ull control over the authority of the plants. Given that these power plants are going to be public utilities, this issue would be important to address and if a situation comes up within the nuclear power plants, which government is going to be held responsible for it.The most logical answer would be to put the federal government in charge of the whole thing and leave state authorities totally out of it. This would simplify the bureaucratic process that has been pretty common with Malaysia and it will also make it easier to oversee the project with just one authority on deck. The federal government should take full responsibility for anything that happens to the plants and this will help because the federal government would then need to do a better job since it will not have anybody to blame for if anything goes wrong with the project.Pricing would be difficult to touch upon now since we do not know how much the project will cost and how much of taxpayers money are going to be used. One thing for sure is that the government should make sure the cost of the nuclear power plant project should be distributed equally among all parties involved including the public. To add to that, the government should also make sure that it uses resources from Petronas, a large petroleum company owned by the federal government to try and subsidize as much as possible as to the cost of the project.This seems ironic since a petroleum firm would have to pay to help build another source of energy that would eventually take over the petroleum industry but the Petronas firm has been really successful with the support of the public, being one of the highest revenue making firm in Asia. Making sure that Petronas plays a huge role in the nuclear power plant building project would be like an effective social policy since Petronas have been playing a huge role for the Malaysian public in many other issues.Rate Structuring and Utility Commissions In terms of rate structures, it will depend he avily on the type of customers the power plant will be going for. If the government decides to generate power from the nuclear power plants for the residential areas, they are going to have to keep the rates low since the main consumer base would be the working class who probably will not be able to afford a high rate on electricity.If the government decides to go for supplying energy to the industrial complex, they can then probably charge a higher rate since their main consumer will consist of firms who can probably afford high rates in terms of electricity. Rate design elements do not really apply in the case of nuclear power plants since they are going to be producing energy day in and day out and also the fact that Malaysia does not have 4 different weather seasons, providing the opportunity for the power plant to function all the time.Since Malaysia does not have a public utility commissions with regard to nuclear energy, there should be foundations to start making plans to se t up a public utility commissions for nuclear energy. And as far as my knowledge goes, Malaysia does not that many public utilities commissions with regards to other industries as well, given that most prices and regulations are actually being done by the firms involved and the public has not had much to say about how most of the utilities in Malaysia are being priced.However, with nuclear industry it is going to be a whole new world and since Malaysia will be joining an elite group of countries in the world with nuclear power plants, the public will want to understand more on this particular issue and having a nuclear commission on the ready would help to strengthen the support from the public. The decision to start building Malaysia’s own nuclear power plant is a big decision, the kind of decision that will have a lasting impact on Malaysia’s social and economic policy.In order to make sure that the public will be along the same line, the government needs to appoint people who are highly respected and have some knowledge on this particular area to lead the project. The government cannot afford to choose base on political affections or even factor in cronyism because a project of this caliber will require the trust of the public and one of the most important aspects the public is going to look for is on who will be in charge for the project. If the government can play its cards right this time, it can also mark a change in a policy that has been known for so long to involve corruption, politics and cronyism.While the paper has discussed a lot on how much the cost of the nuclear power plant project, the regulations and policies that we need to put in place and even the environmental effect of nuclear power plants, we did not touch on the industry itself and how Malaysia is going to fit in into an industry worth billions. Getting foreign expertise during the first few years of operation is perfectly understandable and we already mentioned on getti ng the locals to come in so that the power plants can be totally domestic but what the government should consider is to try to delve into the industry while we are in it.We lack the experience necessary to just join the industry but while we start to get foreign help, what we can do is build contacts and start to expand our networking in the nuclear industry. It will definitely take decades for Malaysia to even be considered a player in the nuclear industry but since we are going to spend billions of dollars on building nuclear power plants, why not add a couple more and make it a long standing policy to push us into the nuclear arena.The government can start giving out subsidies to help support companies that are interested in field and make sure we are in constant supply of nuclear engineers and scientists. It might take us 30 to 40 years to start building our name in the industry but nuclear power plants have a life cycle of 40-60 years and there will be ample time for the govern ment to set and amend policies that will help to get Malaysia into the nuclear technology field. The most dangerous yet seemingly reasonable fear that we could have on the issue of building power plants in Malaysia was never put on the table by anyone.While we mentioned that we fear of terrorist threats and how we can protect nuclear radioactive waste, we never mentioned that setting policies on learning more about the nuclear weapon might lead to increase interest in building interest in acquiring our own nuclear weapon. Even worse, some of our future nuclear scientists might run of with whatever knowledge and materials they can get on nuclear and start building their own nuclear bombs. It might sound ludicrous but these cases have happened before and Malaysia is also located next to Indonesia, a country that has long been affiliated with terrorist groups in the Middle East.A small country like Malaysia getting its own nuclear material and located next to a known terrorist hub will likely make Malaysia a soft and viable target for major terrorist organizations who would want to acquire nuclear materials and knowledge. If this were to happen, it would a major disaster to Malaysia, and probably to the world for that matter and we do not want to put ourselves on the map for all the wrong reasons. What the government needs to start preparing is stringent laws that would scare off potential threats and the government also needs to start beefing up its police and military power in order for the country to be able o protect itself from terrorist threats. The bigger picture would be to toughen up our laws on the borders and start changing our policies with neighboring countries but that should fall under a completely different category under foreign policy and immigration. Securing our country should be a major policy before we start to worry about making it in the nuclear industry or what rate we are going to charge for our nuclear energy products because these terr orist threats are real and the government should be aware of that.In conclusion, the decision made by the Malaysian government to build nuclear power plants in the country by 2022 was a good decision but we need to make sure we cover all the important aspects before we start to step up our gears in the nuclear plant project. The government needs to win the support of the public and we cannot get it if we do not start to change our policies with regards to the safety of nuclear power plants.Our educational policy should be amended in order to equip ourselves with bright young minds and we need to start doing so as early as possible because the process does not just include education but training and working experience as well. Getting nuclear power plants of our own will make Malaysia a force in the industrialized country and we need to prepare to make changes in our social and economic policies as this will be a big transition for the country. Malaysia will also need to make some ch anges in its environmental policies since having nuclear power plants provides Malaysia with the opportunity to display that we are a green nation.It will be hard to change the mentality of Malaysians who are not as interested about the environment as people in other countries but we need this change and this will be the perfect time to do it. Getting Malaysia’s very own nuclear power plants will definitely mark a change in our history and if we want to make it a success, we need to make sure we get it right every step of the way and enjoy the interesting journey of building our own nuclear power plants at the same time.