Management and leadership style Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Management and leadership style - Essay Example Some of the key differentials that exist between management and leadership also translate to the means by which both of these forms of direction are accomplished. To begin with, one should consider the management style as something of an administrative expertise that focuses on maintenance, systems structures, a focus on the bottom line, imitation, and accomplishing tasks in the specified way. Conversely, good leadership styles tend to focus upon innovation, originality, development, a focus on the shareholders, inspiration and development of trust, and keeping an eye on the future. As a function of such a definition, the reader can and should understand the management style as more of a nuts and bolts approach that tends to be somewhat formulaic and rigid whereas leadership engenders the unique ability to mold and integrate with changes as a means of seeking the best path. It is further important to understand that such a level of approach does not specify one or the other must be e ngaged upon. As such, it is possible and desirable for an individual to accomplish both of these styles of oversight in order to be an effective vehicle for change within a given institution. Although not all individuals can fulfill the requirements of each of these categories, the individual that does is able to see from both perspectives and seek to direct the firm/group/ or entity in the most appropriate way (Paul & Berry, 2013). With regards to ethics, the leadership and management styles play an integral role in determining the priorities of the given individual. One could even argue that ethics violations only spring from management styles if and when the management style is engrained within the company’s culture. This is due to the fact that management styles are almost always formulaic and required attributes that the individual most ascribe to in order to meet the standards of the organization or group he/she is representing to the employees. Conversely, leadership s tyles fall prey much more easily to ethical violations due to the fact that these are almost always more innately tied to the ability of the individual to incorporate what they heave learned from past experience, as well as their own personality into the change mechanism they are attempting to integrate with. In order to create an ethical environment, it is incumbent upon the culture and oversight mechanisms of the firm to seek to instill a strong level of ethics into the management styles that they engender with the leadership (Dong et al., 2012). In such a way, ethical decision making and a culture of morality can be attempted to be grown from the very base levels of the way in which decisions are made within the organizations culture. As a means of integrating this with the leadership and the styles by which they ultimately manage, the organization will maximize the potential of this having a carry-over effect and impacting upon the means by which even personal attributes impact upon management and leadership within such a culture. Good management can be considered as the ability to meet deadlines, evoke utility, and ensure that one’s team meets or exceeds output standards. This process in and of itself is important; however, it has a distinctly impersonal side to it. Ultimately, the metrics of management are somewhat distinct from what the metrics of

Global HRM (BUS 303) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Global HRM (BUS 303) - Essay Example This impacts the HR planning in the domain of cultural diversity and cross cultural dimensions because the workforce in today’s world is highly consist of culturally diverse employees (Brewster and Harris). The implications of HRM in the context of Hoftede’s model of cultural dimensions become vast in the domain of humanistic and cultural diversity. The HRM managers are required to have knowledge regarding to every culture which exist in the workforce of organization including individualism and collectivism, power distance, orientation and gender dominance (Brewster and Harris). In Trompenaars’ model, several differences are illuminated in order to create a balance in the workforce which is the responsibility of HRM (Youssef). These differences include universalism and particularism, individualism and collectivism, specific and diffused, and inner directed and outer directed which varies from culture to culture. HRM managers in the international context must acknowledge these differences on certain circumstances in concordance with the culturally diverse workforce (Brewster and Harris). The GLOBE model proposes several cultural aspects which must be understood by international HRM managers and HR planning. These aspects include diversity in humane orientation, assertiveness, avoidance of uncertainty and performance orientation (Brewster and Harris). International HRM is the contemporary issue which mainly deals with the cultural aspects because of the incorporation of cross cultural workforce. Cultural studies and models must be implied by each HRM manager in conformity with the culture of its workforce by which the deliverance of successful HRM can be

John Snow The Father Of Epidemiology History Essay

John Snow The Father Of Epidemiology History Essay John Snow (1813-1858), the father of epidemiology, has a legacy that still exists today. His use of epidemiological methods helped identify the risks of certain diseases and has also helped establish what preventative actions should be taken in response to an outbreak. He was a great man that is known for his work involving anesthesia and cholera. In Snows short lifetime, Oleckno claims (2008), He is credited with writing over 100 books, pamphlets, essays, articles, and letters to the editor on a variety of medical topics(p.1691) including his very famous book, On the Mode of Communication of Cholera, which describes the cholera outbreak that took place in Soho in 1854 (Oleckno, 2008, p. 1691). Snows studies have shaped the worlds views on epidemiology as a science, and they have changed the way we confront public health problems that still exist today. Snows experiments provided a perfect example of this science since epidemiology is concerned with who gets sick, and why they get si ck. Research by Blank and Jameson (2007) proves that, Snows work still serves as an example of how prevention can be effective without an explicit understanding of the exact mechanism of underlying pathogenesis (p. 3). Although his ideas were highly debatable at the time when it came to the spread of cholera, Snow still pressed on and eventually got his point across. Through his hard work and persistent determination, John Snow is seen as a pioneer who brought the use of anesthesia out of the dark ages, and a savior who contributed to rescuing London from the terrors that cholera produced (Oleckno, 2008, p 1692). Snow was born on March 15, 1813 to a working class family in York, England. As a young boy, Snow proved that he was very bright. He particularly excelled in mathematics. His mother recognized his intelligence and eagerness to learn, so she placed him in a private school where he could shine. Snow had a desire to become a doctor, and when he was fourteen he attained an appre ntice job alongside Dr. William Hardcastle, a pharmacist, in Newcastle-upon-Tyne (Old News, 2005, p. 8). Hardcastle exposed Snow to cholera patients during an outbreak in Killingworth in 1832, effectively giving him a medical understanding. In 1836, Snow entered the Hunterian School of Medicine in London. While in school, he also gained more clinical experience at the Westminster Hospital. In 1843 he received his bachelor of medicine, and in 1844 he graduated as a MD from The University of London (Simmons, 2002, p. 163). At this time, and for his lifetime, John Snow was described as a modest bachelor who was very healthy. He followed a strict vegetarian diet since the age of seventeen (Mawson, 2009, p. 498), and he abstained from drinking alcohol. On occasion, he would even publicly support temperance. John Snow lived in Soho, London on Frith Street. After moving to Soho, Snow distinguished himself by making the first scientific studies on the effects of anesthetics. He focused most of his scientific experiments on the usage of ether and chloroform. According to Hempel (2007) Snow, Was looking for the perfect narcotic vapor; effective, easy to administer, and completely safe (p. 97). Ether and chloroform are colorless, unstable, liquids that come from ethyl alcohol. They were formerly used as inhalant anesthetics. Chloroform however, was known to cause heart problems. John Snow is very interesting to me in the fact that he experimented with anesthetics on himself. He did this for nine years, and ahis goal was to identify a drug that had the properties and advantages of chloroform, but was similar to ether in not causing cardiac arrest (Mawson, 2009, p.498). Snow studied the advantages and disadvantages of each of the narcotics, and eventually he developed an anesthetic inhaler with a mouthpiece. After putting the inhaler on his f ace, Snow would record the dosage he was about to give himself, and then release the gas he was testing. He would fall unconscious very quickly, and would remain knocked out for different periods of time depending on the drug and the amount he was using. When he would awake, Snow would record the amount of time he was unconscious for. These tests helped determine how much a patient could handle, especially when being operated on. Because Snow made the usage of these drugs more safe and effective, surgeons no longer risked killing their patients by using the wrong amount of a certain anesthetic. Also, in 1847, Snow published a textbook entitled, On the Inhalation of the Vapour Ether in Surgical Operations. This book classified Snow as an anesthesia expert in England. Snows newly gained fame as becoming a pioneer in anesthetics led to his invitation to assist in delivering Queen Victorias children, Prince Leopold and Princess Beatrice (Oleckno, 2008, p. 1691). The mask he had invented was used to administer chloroform to Queen Victoria. It aided her while she was giving birth to her last two children. After his work in anesthetics, Snow moved on to investigating cholera. According to Codeco Coelho (2006), His work on cholera was fundamental in many ways: he proposed methods and ideas that are still part of the basic toolkit of modern epidemiology, such as time-spacial analysis and notions of source exposure and incubation periods (p.16). Even before John Snow decided to take on cholera, it overwhelmed civilization for many years prior. Cholera was present in India in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Cholera occurred in three main waves, each one its own pandemic. The first pandemic took place from 1817 to 1823. The second pandemic carried cholera to Europe, and then across the Atlantic Ocean to North America in 1826 and 1837. When the third pandemic began in 1846, John Snow decided to step in. Microbiology has proved that cholera is caused by the bacteria, Vibrio cholerae. This can enter the body from contaminated food, but mainly from contaminated water. The bacterium e ffects a persons digestive system; mainly the small intestine. It causes severe diarrhea and vomiting, which leads to dehydration. According to Ball (2009), As the concentration of the water in the bloodstream decreases, the blood becomes thick and tarlike. The heart rate becomes irregular and dehydrated limbs begin to shrivel (p. 106). If a cholera patient is not rehydrated with a saline solution, death can occur very quickly. At the time, physicians knew little about the origins of cholera. The common belief was that cholera was caused by miasmas; bad odors that came into the atmosphere from foul smelling areas. Cholera was also thought to be a disease of the blood, not of the digestive system. John Snow, a member of the Cholera Inquiry Committee (Paneth, Vinten-Johansen, Brody, Rip, 1999, p.1545), had his own revolutionary ideas. He had done a lot of work with identifying the causes of contagious diseases in the past, and when it came to cholera, he felt that people were getting sick because there were tiny parasites in the water. According to Oleckno (2008), Cholera was transmitted primarily through contaminated drinking water via the fecal- oral route and not through miasmas (p. 1691). It had not been proved yet that miniature organisms could make people sick, and Snow was not widely supported. Vachon (2005) reinforces this idea, claiming, This was not an original idea, but it was an unpopular one dur ing the first half of the nineteenth century (p. 1-2). When cholera struck London in 1848, Snow decided to track the progress of the disease. He wanted to prove that his ideas about the cause of cholera were correct. In August of 1849 Snow published a pamphlet entitled, On the Mode of Communication of Cholera. This pamphlet proved his theory on the cause of cholera through the many examples given. Publishing a highly debatable essay like this was done at his own risk, but Snow felt that he had demonstrated a relatively reasonable argument in his pamphlet. He felt that the conditions in which cholera developed were spread throughout many neighborhoods. If theses cholera epidemics were ever going to end, something would have to be done. Snows ideas expressed in, On the Mode of Communication of Cholera had little effect on what his colleagues had thought. Despite this setback, Snow pushed on, and stuck to his original ideas. He carried out more experiments from this time on proving that his ideas were correct. Snow is best known for two experiments that he conducted in London. While the third pandemic of cholera was still raging through London in 1854, Snow began a project that he called his Grand Experiment. Snow compared the cholera death rates in each household supplied by two rival water companies; the Southwark and Vauxhall Company and the Lambeth Company. According to Ball (2009), He demonstrated that six out of every seven cholera deaths occurred in houses that received water from the Southwark and Vauxhall Company, instead of the Lambeth Company (p. 107). The question was, why were people who received their water from the Southwark and Vauxhall Company sick with cholera when both companies received their water from the Thames River? When it was discovered that the Southwark and Vauxhall Company drew their water from a more polluted area of the river, Snows proposed connection between cholera and contaminated water began to make sense. People that drank water from this source were m ore likely to contract cholera than people drinking from other sources because of the dirty water that was being used. Oleckno claims that (2008), Through painstaking investigation, Snow provided credible evidence that cholera was transmitted by sewage contaminated water years before the germ theory of disease was firmly established (p. 1691). This experiment, in my opinion, was a big step for not only John Snow, but a major contribution to society. This new discovery would help convince the population that cholera was a waterborne bacterial disease, and would lead to better public sanitation. Snow also conducted a localized study in the Golden Square of the Soho district, where he lived. This experiment is probably the most widely known of the two. The events that took place on Broad Street, now Broadwick Street, started with a five month old baby named Francis Lewis (Ball, 2009, p.107). The child had developed cholera, and to this day no one knows how she contracted it. After Francis died, her mother washed her soiled sheets and clothes and emptied the dirty water into a cesspool in the front of their house. It didnt take long at all for the residence on Broad Street to contract the disease, and the number of deaths from cholera had risen to over five hundred after only ten days. Snow now had to determine where the outbreak started. According to The Lancet (2005), Snow also faced considerable difficulties: he personally visited the homes of 658 people who had died of cholera; he had to abandon his anesthesia practice for weeks at a time to do his cholera investigations; and The Lancet and Parliament both pilloried him (p. 957). Snow started first by knocking on all the doors in the Golden Square neighborhood. He visited every house, and while he was there he questioned the familys consumption of water. After Snow gathered all of this valuable information, he drew a map with a black spot representing every death where it occurred. This map emphasizes Snows genius because the technique he used, now called disease- mapping, is a vital tool used in epidemiology. He noticed that at the center of his map was the Broad Street Pump. Snow had an idea that the pump was the cause of the outbreak, but because the deaths were inconsistent, he had no evidence to support his prediction. Ball (2009) says, Broad Street water had a reputation for being colder and more carbonated than the water from surrounding pumps, so it had attracted a clientele from adjacent neighborhoods (p. 108). After Snow interviewed the people who had a family member die, he discovered that many people stopped to drink from this pump when they were on their way to school or work. Two observations after his investigation really stood out to Snow. One was that there had been no deaths among the workers at the Lion Brewery on Broad Street. When Snow learned that the workers received liquor as a part of their wages, and barely drank water from the pump, the reason why there had been no casualties made sense. The second baffling observation was the death of a woman named Susanna Eley. Eley was a widow who moved from Broad Street to Hampstead (Ball, 2009, p. 108). After Eley died, Snow interviewed her surviving sons and discovered that she loved the taste of Broad Street water so much, that she had it delivered to her new house in Hampstead from the pump on Broad Street. This information was exactly what Snow needed. He now had evidence that the pump was in fact the source of the outbreak because an outside person had deceased after drinking the pumps water. Now that he had an adequate amount of data and some solid evidence, Snow requested to talk to the Board of Guardians by St. James Parish to come up with a plan to deal with the cholera outbreak. After some persuasion, Snow convinced the local parish officials to remove the handle of the Broad Street pump, and on September 8, 1854 it was done. According to the MMWR (2004), Snows studies and the removal of the pump handle became a model for modern epidemiology. (p. 783). This gesture had little to do with ending the epidemic because the outbreak was nearly over. However, when he convinced the parish officials to remove the handle of the pump, this became a historic example of a public health intervention. After the pump was dug out, it was revealed that the well that served the pump ran near broad street sewage pipes and cesspools. Although it was never determined how the well became contaminated with the bacteria that spread cholera in the first place, it is assumed that the dirty wat er Sarah Lewis dumped outside her house upon the death of her infant caused the entire incident (Ball, 2009, p. 108). On June 16, 1858, John Snow, a legend, died at the age of forty five. On June 10, 1858, while finishing his book, On Chloroform and Other Anesthetics, Snow fell off his chair. He became paralyzed on his left side, and started vomiting blood (Hempel, 2007, p. 246). The cause of death appeared to be a stroke caused by chronic renal failure. He was buried at Brompton Cemetery in London, England. Today, there is still a replica of the Broad Street pump in Soho, London (Ball, 2009, p.105). This tribute reminds us of Snows legacy, and his perseverance in tackling cholera in the 1800s. Snow is still recognized today as a contributor to public health history because he proposed the waterborne theory of cholera and proved that it was right. He was known first for his continued efforts and work in anesthesiology, but his extensive experiments dealing with cholera led to a greater impact. Snows constant persistence and desire to never give up, led people to finally believe what he was saying wa s true. His experiments also helped us deal with later outbreaks. The mapping and the field studies he did, now have their own modern names, proving their lasting impact. Medical cartography and shoe leather epidemiology are what these techniques are known as today. Although Snows death was saddening, he did leave behind a great reputation for himself. According to Oleckno (2008), Today there is a professional society, a college, a government building, a public health consulting firm, and a tavern bearing his name (p. 1691). Snows medical significance is still so apparent that in 2003, a medical magazine called Hospital Doctor, voted Snow as the greatest doctor in history. Cholera has been eradicated in most of the developed countries in the world, and according to WHO (2005), In 2004 there were 36 reported cases of cholera in the Americas and 21 cases in Europe (p. 957). Figuring out the mystery of cholera would be just as great as if we found a solution to AIDS today. Snows logic is considered to be very influential in the field of public health, and his methods have affected the way we solve public health issues today.

tupacs music Essay -- essays research papers

MUSIC ANALYSIS: Changes by Tupac Shakure   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   For most people that listen to music, a song can be classified as simply a plethora of words constructed into verses in the midst of an appealing tune playing in the backdrop. But it is when an artist can take all of this and add even more to it to make it memorable and even sometimes controversial he or she is considered a great artist. Perhaps one of the most misunderstood rap, along with hip hop artist of the 20th century is the late Tupac Shakure. ... However, to his fans and critics, he was perceived as a political poet and a lyrical genius. Though I wasn’t supposed to, I have listened to Pac since I was a child...and Ill have to admit I haven’t always liked him or his style of rappi...

Background of Benjamin Franklin Essay

â€Å"The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin† was thought by himself to be â€Å"the bold and arduous project of arriving at moral perfection†. It refers to when he was in his twenties, around 1726, he found himself jobless; penniless; in debt and suddenly a single father. He was very intelligent and he knew there was definitely something wrong in his life and he was eager to make a change. So he wrote this autobiography not only to tell his son about his life but also to improve his financial situation and to provide a model for self-improvement for anyone interested. In order to achieve his goal, Franklin developed and committed himself to a personal improvement program that consisted of thirteen virtues. Actually, Franklin found twelve virtues out of thirteen in the reading (124). And another one was from the suggestion of his friend (133). Franklin made a list of thirteen virtues as follow: silence; order; resolution; frugality; industry; sincerity ; justice; modera tion; cleanliness; tranquility; chastity and humility (125-126). The first eight virtues relate to people’s attitudes towards their daily activities and their challenges, which belongs to personal virtues . The last five virtues that Franklin stated concern one’s attitudes toward people with whom one has to be dealings, which fall into social virtues. Franklin set forth the thirteen virtues in a very practical and rational way. Simultaneously, he gave reasons for the order of these virtues (126). He put temperance at the top of the list, while humility came last. If a person can conquer temperance, such a primal urge for food or drink, he can keep a cool and clean mind to do something more important, thus making self-development in other virtues. Overall, his rational arrangement for the virtues makes each prior virtue help Franklin acquire each following virtue. In order to acquire these thirteen virtues, Franklin charted his daily progress, focusing his attention on one virtue each week, so after thirteen weeks he had completed all the virtues (127-128). Keeping track of his successes and failures in a small book, he kept it with him at all times for many years. Every night before going to bed, he would reflect and evaluate himself on what he had acquired and what he had failed. His goal was to minimize faults in his life, thus indicating he was moving toward living a more â€Å"virtuous† life free of mistakes. Although Franklin tried to follow the virtues himself, he sometimes strayed from his good intentions. The most troublesome virtue he met with was order (130-132). It was partly because Franklin’s good memory made order not as necessary. When he was young he remembered whenever he left anything. As he grew older, his memory became poorer and poorer, which caused him problems with order. Partly because he was a business man to be interrupted from the public frequently so that he could not focus on something as it was expected. Another troublesome virtue Franklin confronted with was humility (133). Virtually, Franklin was born to be proud, but he had to pretend to be humble in public so that he could establish a good social status. Though Franklin admitted in his autobiography that he often fell short, he believed the process helped make him a better man and contributed to his success and happiness (131-132). For example, temperance contributed to his long life and good health. As for persisting in Industry and Frugality, he accumulated a lot of wealth and gained a large scope of knowledge to do scientific research. All those virtues together had shaped Franklin’s very pleasant personality. Furthermore, the autobiography indicates Franklin was very intelligent. Initially, he could list out these virtues in the reading (124) and the method of virtues was very rational for people to follow(127). In all his life, Franklin had followed his plan of virtues and become a person full of virtuousness. He also set a good model for the descendants to follow and expressed his good will for them (132). As for the autobiography itself, I completely agree with his consents â€Å"the bold and arduous project.† It means that it was not easy for people to follow. But Franklin himself had proved to be very successful in many fields by following his plan of thirteen virtues. Franklin was also a very responsible person because he educated and raised his son on his own. He was passionate about science, that’s why he had made great contribution to our society, making a lot of inventions: lighting rod, Franklin’s stove and odometer, so on and so forth. The autobiography can be of great use to others. If only we descendants can follow his virtues, we can make great self-improvement in our own fields and in moral standards. I have been reckoning how Franklin made his own name? When he was twenty-two years old, he was strikingly impoverished and a single father. But by the age of forty-two, Franklin had achieved all his goals, which were not acquired by accident, but by his strong faith in his virtues. For more than twenty years, six days a week with dirty hands, Franklin had been doing the routine work in the printing house. Every night he constantly made self-criticism on what he had achieved and what he should have to acquire. If only I can follow some of Franklin’s thirteen virtues, I am definitely making great progress in my study overseas and in my future teaching career. Take the virtue order for example, it sounds so minor that we can easily neglect in our daily life, actually, searching for items for class every day is always time-consuming. If I can arrange everything in its place, I would study more efficiently and achieve much higher grades. Of course, the thirteen virtues are a good guide for me to follow. In fact, keeping track of how well I do in maintaining the virtues and having positive character traits, as Franklin did, is worth trying.

Legalizing Marijuana in the United States

I. Introduction Marijuana has been one of the most researched drugs in the history of pharmacology, and there is still considerable disagreement about its short-term and long-term effects. It was made an illicit drug in the United States, and many states have established harsh penalties for those convicted of possession of even small amounts. In the recent years, there has been a move toward decriminalization of marijuana (Bock, 2000). Marijuana is the name given in the United States to the drug produced from the hemp plant Cannabis sativa. The use of cannabis derivatives under such names as hashish, charas, bhang, and ganja is widespread throughout the world. The most active ingredient of the plant derivative is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). The potency of this chemical is indicated by the fact that the average street sample of marijuana contains less than .5% THC (Weisheit, 1992). Some samples are considerably higher in THC content; thus, effects from the drug vary according to its quality, meaning its THC content.   The flowering parts of the plant contain the greatest amounts of THC (Goode, Pp. 567-575). These are usually dried and smoked, but they may be made into a drink somewhat like tea or blended into various cooking recipes. Somehow, marijuana has been used for some medications but it is not a valid ground to legalize it because it has negative effects to human bodies. Moreover, marijuana is still illegal in most places. Under federal law a person can be sentenced to up to one year in jail or a $5000 fine, or both, for simple possession of marijuana. Every year about 400,000 people are arrested for possession; about 80 percent are under age 26. II. Background A. Why should it be legalized? I personally agree that marijuana should be legalized because it is being used as legal medical therapy for several conditions. Careful studies have shown that it is effective in treating severe nausea in cancer patient undergoing chemotherapy. Older patients seem to respond less well than younger patients and complain more about side-effects, including feeling â€Å"stoned.† Researchers are continuing studies of marijuana’s possible usefulness in reducing pressure within the eye in glaucoma and in treating muscle spasticity (Earleywine, 2002). Most people use marijuana for the altered states it produces. These states are a little easier to control than those produced by other hallucinogenic drugs, unless the dosage is very high. At low to moderate dosages, hallucinations are not present. Instead, the person typically reports of calmness, increased sensory awareness, changes in space and time, and increased appetite, often with a craving for sweets. In addition, marijuana has been used for thousands of years, both as a medicine and for its intoxicating effects. In the form of tablets, marijuana is frequently prescribed to relieve the nausea and vomiting that often accompany chemotherapy. Moreover, most people use marijuana for the altered states it produces (Kreit, 2003).   These states are a little easier to control than those produced by other hallucinogenic drugs, unless the dosage is very high. At low to moderate dosages, hallucinations are not present. Instead, the person typically reports of calmness, increased sensory awareness, changes in space and time, and increased appetite, often with a craving for sweets. Many researchers too have concluded that smoking marijuana is no more dangerous, and perhaps even less so, than smoking cigarettes or using alcohol (Nadelmann, 2004). B. Pros and Cons Many perceptual and emotional effects follow marijuana smoking. Sensory experience may become more intense; smells are richer, textures feel more sensuous, objects are seen as more beautiful, sounds are more brilliant, and ideas flow more freely, although they may be disjointed. The person may experience an emotional high in which he or she feels joyful, tranquil, and happy. The effects of marijuana, however, are like those of other drugs; they very much depend on the person and the setting. Taken in a pleasant, relaxed social situation, marijuana can be quite unpleasant (Earleywine, pp. 123-156). Also, people who are naturally paranoid, suspicious, or aggressive may become more so under the influence of marijuana; the calm, better-adjusted users are more apt to experience a euphoric high. Its non-medical use, however, is illegal in the United States and most other countries. The penalties for possessing or using marijuana are, in many states, as severe as those imposed for the possession or use of much more potent drugs (Goode, 2000). Many argue that marijuana is no more harmful than cigarettes and liquor and should be legalized. The growing consensus of research on marijuana would suggest that it is not a safe drug. Indeed, it is doubtful whether any drug taken frequently by choice is advisable. The issue, though, is frequency of use. The literature on chronic users of marijuana—that is, people who use it a lot and over a long period of time—suggests rather strongly that there are serious deficits in some cognitive abilities such as memory. In addition, heavier users experience some undesirable personality changes, problems with sleep, deficits in psychomotor abilities such as driving, and changes in motivational levels that produce apathy and a lack of striving for achievement (Schlosser, 1994). Finally, there are a number of factors that influence the effect of a particular drug. There are factors associated with the drug, including its purity and the method of its purity and the method of its administration. Subject variables that are important include body weight, metabolic rate, whether or not the person has eaten, general state of health, and previous experience with the drug. In trying to predict how any one person will react to a drug, these factors, and many others, must be taken into account. But there is another important variable that plays a major role in drug reactions, and too often its effects are overlooked (Souder, 1998). That variable is the user’s expectation of the drug’s effect. Research has shown that the experience many drug users will have is not just a result of the physiological and biochemical changes produced by the drug, but also depends on how they think they are supposed to respond, or how they see others around them responding. These factors must also be considered when evaluating the reasons for altered states of consciousness through drug use. a.) Respiratory effects: Because marijuana smoke is deeply inhaled, retained in the lungs, and contains many of the same harmful ingredients as tobacco smoke, users show signs of impaired lung functioning when compared to nonusers. Like tobacco smoke, marijuana smoke contains carcinogenic agents, but since many pot smokers also tobacco, it has been hard to isolate marijuana’s impact on lung cancer. At this point, the evidence is merely suggestive (Earleywine, 2002). b.) Immune system:   Animal studies have suggested that marijuana can dampen the body’s resistance to disease, but no studies have been done to confirm or refute this danger in human beings (Earleywine, 2002). c.) Mental effects: While there is no evidence that marijuana causes the brain to shrink, it can lead to amotivational syndrome, which researchers define as a mental dulling, emotional blunting, and loss of drive and goal-directedness (Earleywine, 2002). III. Conclusion In conclusion, in the last decade marijuana dealing has become a multibillion-dollar business, ranking right behind General Motors and Exxon. Throughout the world, marijuana seems to be the fourth most popular mind-altering drug, following caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol. However, marijuana use seems to be on the decline nationally, especially among young people in high school and college. At low moderate doses, marijuana acts somewhat like alcohol and some tranquilizers, and like alcohol, the drug takes effects within minutes. Unlike alcohol, marijuana at low doses does not dull sensation but may cause slight alterations in perception, so that it is unsafe to drive a car for as long as 4 to 6 hours after a single joint. After the thorough studies, I therefore conclude that marijuana should be legalized because it has positive effects if properly used. On the other hand, the use of marijuana should be case to case basis and should only be used for medications. Reference: 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Belenko, S. R. (2001). Drugs and Drug Policy in America: A Documentary History. Greenwood Press. Westport, CT. Pp. 34-67. 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Bock, Alan W. (2000). Waiting to Inhale: The Politics of Medical Marijuana. Seven Locks. Santa Ana, CA. 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Earleywine, M. (2002). Understanding Marijuana: A New Look at the Scientific Evidence. Oxford University Press. New York. Pp. 123-156. 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Goode, E. (2000). Marijuana. Atherton. Chicago. Pp. 567-575. 5.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Kreit, Alex (2003). The Future of Medical Marijuana: Should the States Grow Their Own? University of Pennsylvania Law Review, Vol. 151 6.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Nadelmann, Ethan A. (2004). An End to Marijuana Prohibition: The Drive to Legalize Picks Up. National Review, Vol. 56 7.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Weisheit, Ralph A. (1992). Domestic Marijuana: A Neglected Industry. Greenwood Press. New York. 8.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Schlosser, Eric (1994). Marijuana and the Law. The Atlantic Monthly, Vol. 274 9.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Souder, Mark (1998). Q: Is the Government's War against Marijuana Justified as Public Policy? Insight on the News, Vol. 13.   

Kin Words

Kin Words Kin Words Kin Words By Maeve Maddox The other night a local television anchorman, not noted for a large or literary vocabulary, surprised me with the following: I feel such a kinsmanship with these survivors. The anchor’s sentiment was kind, but kinsmanship is out of place in modern English. Kinsmanship has an entry in the OED, and Emily Dickinson (1830- 1886) used it. It shows up on the Ngram Viewer, but at a minuscule percentage compared to the far more common kinship. And Word’s spellchecker underlines it in red. It’s safe to say that kinsmanship has been replaced by kinship as the modern English word to describe a sense of fellow feeling. A kinsman is â€Å"a blood relation,† but the word is not common in ordinary speech. It has a literary feel, as in the title Two Noble Kinsmen. Both kinsman and kinship derive from the same Old English noun: cynn, a word with several meanings, one of which is â€Å"people related by blood.† From the same word we also get kind in the sense of class or group. Kinship is what one feels for people with whom we identify in some way, people who are of the same kind as we. Here are some recent uses of kinship on the Web: Quecreek  survivor feels kinship  with Chile miners.   When two  firefighters  meet for the first time, they will  feel  a  kinship  with each  other that transcends many other examples of mutual hobbies or interests. Why do so many feel a connection - be it kinship or competition - with utter strangers just because they share a name? Kids who’ve lost limbs find kinship at Camp No Limits on Lake  Coeur  d’Alene The nouns kin and kinfolk refer to people related by blood ties: I had, it seemed to me, hundreds of kin- aunts, uncles, cousins, second cousins- near the small town of Oak Hill, Ohio. By adolescence, â€Å"what to do with Eleanor† began to concern her Roosevelt kin. Arab immigrants are bound to each other by strong  family  ties, and most want to live and work  close  to  kin.   While Arthur was serving in the New York militia during the conflict, his wife privately sympathized with the Confederacy, for which many of her Virginia kinfolk were fighting. A qualitative approach was used to look into the experiences of male caregivers in offering to look after kinfolk with harsh psychological sickness. The expression â€Å"next of kin† means â€Å"the closest living relative† and is often used in a legal context: Historically, the next of kin have exercised proprietary rights in the control of dead bodies. If the person is under 18, the parent, legal guardian, custodian or next of kin may have authority to apply on the person’s behalf. Police are withholding the name of the deceased, pending notification of next of kin. Finally, the idiom kith and kin means friends and family. The noun kith is related to the archaic adjective couth, known or familiar. Kith are people one is acquainted with. Here are examples of this idiom: People helped each other and expected help in  return. This included soldiers who assumed  kith and kin  would help the wives and children they left behind. As the album title suggests, Selways songs are laced with references to his  kith and kin. I had  neither kith nor kin  in England, and was therefore as free as air.   â€Å"Mind you,† said the  old man, â€Å"even if I make good on this reef, Ive  neither kith nor kin to leave my money to.   Note: Kin is frequently used alone, but kith seems always to be linked to kin Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Regarding Re:25 Russian Words Used in English (and 25 More That Should Be)Sentence Adverbs

Free Template How to Format a Romance Novel

Free Template How to Format a Romance Novel A new romance book template... that's made for you Earlier in the year, we sent out an April Fool's email suggesting that we were turning Reedsy into a dating service for lovelorn authors. From the kind replies we received, it became clear that more than a few of you have a soft spot for romance...If you're one of the 10% of Reedsians currently writing romance, we've prepared a little surprise: a belated Valentine's gift, you could call it.Typeset your love story for free, with our new romance export  template for the Reedsy Book Editor! I hope you'll enjoy this new EPUB and print-ready PDF template. The team and I really look forward to seeing the books you create with it. Why not launch the Reedsy Book Editor  and export your book to check it out!But what even is the Reedsy Book Editor? And how do I access it?Great question! The Reedsy Book Editor is a free, but  advanced book production tool. Import your manuscript then typeset it  to beautifully formatted print-ready PDF and EPUB files. Liberate your prose  from Word and give our typesetting tool a spin. Exporting your book with the romance book templateOnce you are happy with the formatting of your book, hit the  export button located in  the top right-hand corner of the Reedsy Book Editor. Then hit export! Simple, your files will be available to download within seconds.  You'll be on your way to the romance hall of fame in no time!To learn more about the Reedsy Book Editor check out our post on how to format  your book.  Ã‚  Alternatively, if you can stand the sound of my voice check out this short video:

25 Active Adjectives for Your Résumé

25 Active Adjectives for Your Rà ©sumà © In the United States, distance learning at the college level has some advantages, but also some disadvantages that are pertinent to your ability to get the job you want with your online degree. It  becomes especially important for graduates of distance learning institutions to take steps to overcome this deficit when applying for a job. Your rà ©sumà © is where youll start. Deficits the Rà ©sumà © Can Help Overcome Employers often have some reservations about hiring graduates of online institutions - an attitude confirmed by a doctoral research study, The Market Value of Online Degrees as a Credible Credential, as well as by reports in U.S. News and World Report,  The New York Times  and elsewhere. The research study and news reports indicate that some reservations about distance learning graduates are simply the consequence of a lack of familiarity with the quality of education some online institutions offer - a reservation probably exacerbated by the well-publicized downfalls in 2016 of a few online degree institutions, especially the widely reported failure of The University of Phoenix. Beyond general (and sometimes not fully informed) objections to online learning by corporations considering new hires, there are some recurrent specific objections expressed by HRTs in the research study and in these news report that you will need to address. These are: Objections to degrees from unaccredited institutionsObjections to degrees from unfamiliar institutionsThe belief that science and engineering (and some other) courses require hands-on classroom experience unavailable onlineThe absence of the kind of social experience available in bricks and mortar institutions that prepare students for corporate employment - especially experience working in teams. How to Overcome These Deficits in Your Rà ©sumà © Herere some of the things you can do in your rà ©sumà © to combat these deficits. Make it easy for whoever reads your rà ©sumà © to believe in the validity of your institution. Theres no one right way to do this but consider footnoting the first mention of your institution with a short, but specific reference to its government accreditation. Dont simply supply the U.S. Department of Educations general website. Report concisely on the specifics of the governments accreditation of your particular institution. In no more than a sentence or two, do what you can do differentiate your institution from others of lesser repute. If your institution has some famous alums, mention one or (at most) two.  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹Briefly (this is the most important word to remember when drafting your rà ©sumà ©) point to whatever you can that establishes that while your institution may not be widely known, its an institution thats been in business for a while and is widely respected. This might be combined with the first suggestion, above.If youve had other kinds of hands-on experience, and many distance learners have, state this early in your rà ©sumà © to dispel the idea that your online degree hasnt provided you with real-world experience. Make it clear youve had other experiences related to your field that are equally valid. Do what you can - again, being both specific and concise - to show that youre comfortable and experienced working with others, either in some program that your online institution provides or through your life experiences.Help your rà ©sumà ©Ã‚  reviewer understand your strong points by using adjectives (but not too many of them!) that point them out. Several of these also address the points raised in 1-4, above. You are: DeterminedHard-workingDiligentTrustworthyA team-playerMotivatedReliableA self-starterLoyalStudiousAttentiveConscientiousIndustriousPersistentDynamicEnergeticEnterprisingEnthusiasticAggressiveConsistentOrganizedProfessionalMethodicalSkillfulPassionate

S4 W7 one pager Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

S4 W7 one pager - Assignment Example This scenario seems not to change as the organization sticks to mediation rather than the use of force. A good example is the situation in Syria where the organization has all the reasons to use force to restore peace in Syria. However, the organization opted to provide mediation chances between the government and the rebellion. This decision was questionable as many Arab nations felt that the organization would have used force to restore the peace in Syria. Clement & Smith (2009) argues that even if the organization wanted to use force in Syria, they would have lacked an experienced group to deal with the situation. The only option was to outsource peacekeeping troop from the United Nations. This move would be a breach of the organization’s rules and regulations. The capabilities of the League of Arab States are not beyond finding other means of resolving conflicts other than mediation. Their peacekeeping ambition may be only implemented if the member states change the constitution and amend the clause on using force in its member

HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT ASSIGNMENT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT ASSIGNMENT - Essay Example This ensures commitment of the staff in achieving company objectives leading to improved performance and productivity and consequently profitability and competitive advantage for the firm. Banco is a medium sized bank with over 300 branches and operates 24hours, seven days thus making its HR function complex. It faces stiff competition from other companies and needs to fulfil the needs of increasing customers prompted by rapid development in service industry of two nearby towns. Being located in an area of low unemployment, Banco needs to formulate policies and strategies that ensure employee retention. Banco policies are formulated at the head office and imposed on the branches despite the difference that exist in different localities and therefore do not consider diversity and cultural issues when making decisions. The management is bureaucratic in nature as no communication channels are available for the staff to communicate with senior administration except through union represen tatives. The company has training and development policy whereby responsibility is put on team leaders. The recruitment policy entails external recruitment by agencies and at the headquarters. Team work is encouraged and performance is measured through set targets which are supposed to be accomplished individually and through team work. The overall goal of the organization is to ensure quality services so as to retain customers and remain competitive in the service industry. Despite all these measures, its HR policies and procedures is not effective leading to labour turnover, absenteeism and declining profitability. The paper will discuss the various HR issues in the bank and appropriate recommendations to ensure the bank achieves its goals. Human Resource Issues and Recommendations Management One of the problems facing Banco is the manner in which it is managed. It is evident that all policies and procedures are formulated at a headquarters and implemented on other branches. The s trategies may be applicable in one branch but not the others due to cultural diversity. For example the rewards given to motivate workers are viewed differently by different individuals and cultures; some appreciate monetary rewards while others may appreciate non monetary rewards such as promotion so as to climb the social class. The local managers are not involved in formulating the policies and therefore they are not committed to implement the same in order to achieve results. The management team is also inexperienced and therefore cannot handle employees at the call centre if they themselves are not confident. The management also does not communicate directly with the staff but does so through the trade union and therefore may not realise the problems the employees are facing and handle them in order to gain loyalty and commitment. Banco can change its management techniques in order to achieve its objectives. It should appreciate diversity at workplace and hence involve local br anch managers in formulating policies and give them autonomy to formulate some policies at branch level in accordance with local needs. This is important in getting the local managers to feel they own the decisions thus are committed to achieving the company objectives. The managers also have knowledge of the area in which the call centres are located and are close to the customers

Stem Cell Research Legislation Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Stem Cell Legislation - Research Paper Example It is hoped that such cells can be developed to replace dysfunctional cells in conditions like spinal cord injury, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, and various other medical conditions. A look into the American stem cell research legislations proves that the country needs to make such laws regarding patents and intellectual rights to ensure that the government and the federally funded researchers have access to stem cells. In addition, there should be clear government guidelines regarding the agreement between patent holders and researchers. The advancements in research were not free from ethical issues and legal disputes. As reported by National Bioethics Advisory Commission (1999) this is mainly so because the sources for stem cells are one week old embryos called blastocysts which are usually created through in vitro fertilization to treat infertility, five to nine week old embryos of fetuses obtained through elective abortion, embryos created through in vitro fer tilization for research purposes, embryos created through cloning or somatic cell nuclear transfer, and finally, adult tissues like umbilical cord blood and marrow. The controversy almost entirely surrounds taking stem cells from human embryos and fetuses because the process destroys them. Admittedly, the American administration has always been open to the ethical concerns surrounding embryo research. Throughout history, the government did not provide any funding to support researches on stem cells from human embryos. So, the federal law rightly prohibited the HHS from funding any such research. In the year 1994, President Bill Clinton issued an executive directive to the NIH that it should not allocate funds to develop human embryos for research purposes. Two years later, in 1996, there was a legislative ban on NIH’s spending on stem cell research from human embryos. Thereafter, every year, the government passed such a ban. As Wertz (2002, p. 674-678) points out, according t o the ban, federal funds could not be used for the development of human embryos for research purposes where human embryo is destroyed, discarded, or knowingly subjected to risk of injury or death. However, as the Wisconsin scientists successfully grew embryonic stem cells into specialized cells, there arose increased demand from NIH to again look into the governmental ban on stem cell research from embryos and fetus. The opinion of the HHS’ General Counsel was that the existing law that only prohibited the use of HHS funds for human embryo research would not ban research on stem cells because stem cells are not within the legal definition of human embryo. According to the definition provided, embryo is an organism that is capable of developing into a full human being when implanted in the uterus. It is claimed that the pluripotent stem cells are not able to grow into a human being. Thus, the opinion reached was that HHS could fund such stem cell researches that manage to get the stem cells from embryos using private means. The restriction only applied to those researches that want to derive stem cells from embryos using federal funds. Though there was congressional opposition, NIH made it clear that it would support stem cell research once it managed to issue guidelines and to establish an oversight committee. Thus, the NIH guidelines appeared in August 2000 that made it clear that researches using pluripotent stem cells from human embryos can be conducted using NIH funds. However the condition was that the stem

An understanding of the term One Man Bridge Operation Dissertation

An understanding of the term One Man Bridge Operation - Dissertation Example This study looks into IMO, COLREGs and the STCW 95, that have laid down regulations and norms that govern one-man bridge operations and these have caused a reduction in the incidents at sea and thereby increased the safety of vessels at sea. Yet, the situation has not been brought totally under control and as seen human fatigue in combination with one-man bridge operation is still a problem area. My humble viewing of the situation and the manner in which this can be addressed runs this way. Incidents at sea due to human fatigue and one man bridge operations is due to the improper manning of ships and the navigation team and the Master of the vessel and the navigation team pay the price even though they are not responsible for the manning policies on board the ship. A minimum complement of four navigation officers and four navigation ratings should be made mandatory on board all seagoing vessels irrespective of the type of vessel, size of vessel and length of voyage. Inspections of sh ips can be utilized to ensure proper manning of vessels. The fines for improper manning of vessels should be high so as to act as a deterrent. These fines should be imposed on the ship owner or ship Management Company. The quantum of the fine should be similar to those imposed for polluting the environment as this measure has been effective in making tankers wary of polluting the seas. Such steps would cause ships to be manned in an optimum manner and if not remove at least reduce the problem caused by human fatigue and the one-man bridge operation.

Retailing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Retailing - Assignment Example The responsive nature of the store representatives also added to the shopping experience although the retailer could do more with the displays and other equipment to provide a more engaging shopping experience to its consumers. 2. Retail strategy is a combination of the retail mix and the external environment. The chosen retailer had a department store particularly targeting towards its traditional as well as its well-informed consumers that are aware of the trends. With the ambience of the store, it was evident that the store was equally welcoming to any new and existing customers, thereby especially focusing their product mix at the traditional and well informed market segment. A key strength for the store was its helpful staff that could win consumers by being attentive to their problems and to respond to them in helping ways. However, the amount of technical equipment to keep the customers entertained were lacking although this could help the store attain a sustainable competitive advantage by maintaining customer loyalty. 3. The stores of our chosen retailer are located in a clean local neighborhood with minimal obstructions along the way to the store. The road patterns are steady and clear that add comfort to the journey to the store. The roads and footpath outside the store appears quite decent although improvements could be made. The inviting window display was attractive and visible so that consumers could figure out the location of the store. The surrounding area was also well planned although there was room for improvement. The parking lot was located near the store and a pathway lead customers to the store. The space in the parking lot was enough to accommodate an ample amount of cars although some peak seasons may experience traffic and congestion. Overall, the store had relatively easy accessibility with smoothly flowing traffic nearby, and easy

Selecting a Supplier or Contractor Research Paper

Selecting a Supplier or Contractor - Research Paper Example The four different projects chosen include that of production of electronic products, construction of a retail outlet, manufacturing glass containers and construction of residential buildings. The criteria for supplier selection followed by these projects include that of quality, the speed of delivery, cost and reputation respectively. After analyzing these criteria, a comparison of these supplier selection methods has been given along with the critique that identifies the best method of supplier selection. Every business has the impact of competition in the market due to increased globalization and various technological advancements. In such a competitive scenario, good supply chain becomes an important part of the corporate strategy. Coyle, Bardi, and Langey (2003) say that this prime need has driven the logistics managers to concentrate more on supplier capabilities, conceptualizing and designing and implementing the supply process. Traditionally, there were only a few criteria like cost, delivery time and quality of the goods that were mainly concerned with supplier selection says Smith et al (1963), in the recent there are many other criteria in selecting a suitable supplier. Selecting a competent supplier becomes the key to the production and delivery of high-quality products. Hence the supply chain managers need to adopt a proper strategy for selecting the suppliers based on some criteria. Selecting and maintaining a good supplier involves an important decision regarding the purchase of quality goods as it leads to quality products. The selection of competent suppliers can be based on various criteria as prescribed by Dickson (1996) are the net price quoted by the supplier, the reputation of the supplier, the extent up to which the supplier is able to meet the quality requirements, the replacement or

Retailing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Retailing - Assignment Example The responsive nature of the store representatives also added to the shopping experience although the retailer could do more with the displays and other equipment to provide a more engaging shopping experience to its consumers. 2. Retail strategy is a combination of the retail mix and the external environment. The chosen retailer had a department store particularly targeting towards its traditional as well as its well-informed consumers that are aware of the trends. With the ambience of the store, it was evident that the store was equally welcoming to any new and existing customers, thereby especially focusing their product mix at the traditional and well informed market segment. A key strength for the store was its helpful staff that could win consumers by being attentive to their problems and to respond to them in helping ways. However, the amount of technical equipment to keep the customers entertained were lacking although this could help the store attain a sustainable competitive advantage by maintaining customer loyalty. 3. The stores of our chosen retailer are located in a clean local neighborhood with minimal obstructions along the way to the store. The road patterns are steady and clear that add comfort to the journey to the store. The roads and footpath outside the store appears quite decent although improvements could be made. The inviting window display was attractive and visible so that consumers could figure out the location of the store. The surrounding area was also well planned although there was room for improvement. The parking lot was located near the store and a pathway lead customers to the store. The space in the parking lot was enough to accommodate an ample amount of cars although some peak seasons may experience traffic and congestion. Overall, the store had relatively easy accessibility with smoothly flowing traffic nearby, and easy

The most dangerous game Essay Example for Free

The most dangerous game Essay General Zaroff’s refined emotions conceal a disturbing desire to inflict suffering and death for his own amusement. In many ways, Zaroff considers himself a god who can go about life as he pleases. Zaroffs’s madness stems from a life of wealth, luxury, and militarism, which inflate his ego and sense of entitlement and impose few limits on his desires. Zaroff began hunting at an early age when he shot his father’s prized turkeys and continually sought out bigger game in his family’s tract of wilderness in the Crimea, a peninsula on the Black Sea. Commanding a division of Cossack cavalrymen in Russia, meanwhile, familiarized Zaroff with the horrors and atrocities of warfare. He continued to hunt after the czar had fallen when he came to America. He eventually tired of hunting animals and claimed it was no longer a challenge but a â€Å"mathematical certainty†. He decided he had to do something to keep from â€Å"going to pieces†. His bloodlust and passion for hunting eventually prompted him to hunt men, the most cunning and challenging prey he could find. Accustomed to death, General Zaroff has lost the ability to distinguish men from beasts, suggesting that he has slipped into barbarism and lost his humanity. The sanctioned violence of his youth and early manhood drained the general of his empathy and capacity to make moral judgments. His passion for the hunt and love of the refined, meanwhile, led him to devalue human life. In fact, Zaroff even praises his thoroughbred hounds over the lives of the sailors he hunts. Straight from the text, â€Å"I hunt the scum of the earth: sailors from tramp shipslassars, blacks, Chinese, whites, mongrelsa thoroughbred horse or hound is worth more than a score of them. † He has strayed so far from any ethics that he believes that his hunting dogs are more important than what he considers â€Å"scum of the Earth†, or minorities. The only reason he praises his dogs so is because he uses them to hunt men. Connell describes Zaroff’s sharp pointed teeth and smacking red lips to dehumanize him and highlight his predatory nature. Ironically, Rainsford discovers that General Zaroff is far more repulsive than the â€Å"scum† he disdainfully hunts, devoid of all emotion and humanity despite his seeming gentility. At the end, the real question: is Zaroff a hunter or a killer? Zaroff himself clearly believes himself to be a hunter, as he thinks that minorities have no value and can therefore be hunted. Rainsford on the other hand thinks that Zaroff is a cold-blooded murder. I personally agree with Rainsford. Zaroff claims that he hunts men to get away from the â€Å"mathematical certainty† that he supposedly has against any quarry he would usually hunt. However, when he hunts men, he gives them just a knife. Meanwhile, Zaroff is equipped with any hunting rifle of his choice, as he is very wealthy, his hunting dogs, his living tank Ivan, and just about any other thing he could think he may need. This gives Zaroff an extremely unfair advantage over the man he is hunting. I think that while he is trying to take away the â€Å"mathematical certainty† of always catching his quarry, he has just walked in a circle. It is nearly impossible to stay alive with nothing but a hunting knife against Zaroff’s arsenal of guns, dogs, and his Cossack Servant. When you look at all the details and fine print, Zaroff is no hunter. He is a cold-blooded killer.

A Brief Description Of Singapore

A Brief Description Of Singapore A Journey into Singapores Past While the earliest known historical records of Singapore are shrouded in the mists of time, a third century Chinese account describes it as Pu-luo-chung, or the island at the end of a peninsula. Later, the city was known as Temasek (Sea Town), when the first settlements were established from AD 1298-1299. During the 14th century, this small but strategically located island earned a new name. Legend, Sang Nila Utama, a Prince from Palembang founded a city The Lion City or Singapura, from the Sanskrit words simha (lion) and pura (city). At this time, the city was then ruled by the five kings of ancient Singapura. Located at the tip of the Malay Peninsula, the city served as a flourishing trading post for a wide variety of sea crafts, from Chinese junks, Indian vessels etc. The next important period in the history of Singapore was during the 19th century, when modern Singapore was founded. At this time, Singapore was already an upcoming trading post along the Malacca Straits, and Britain realized the need for a port of call in the region. British traders needed a strategic venue to refresh and protect the merchant fleet of the growing empire, as well as forestall any advance made by the Dutch in the region. The then Lieutenant-Governor of Bencoolen (now Bengkulu) in Sumatra, Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles landed in Singapore on 29 January 1819, after a survey of the neighboring islands. Recognizing the immense potential of the swamp covered island, he helped negotiate a treaty with the local rulers, establishing Singapore as a trading station. Soon, the islands policy of free trade attracted merchants from all over Asia and from as far away as the US and the Middle East. In 1832, Singapore became the centre of government for the Straits Settlements of Penang, Malacca and Singapore. With the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 and the advent of the telegraph and steamship, Singapores importance as a centre of the expanding trade between the East and West increased tremendously. By 1860, the thriving country had a population that had grown from a mere 150 in 1819 to 80,792, comprising mainly Chinese, Indians and Malays. But the peace and prosperity of the country suffered a major blow during World War II, when it was attacked by the Japanese aircrafts on 8 December 1941. Once regarded as an impregnable fortress, Singapore fell under the Japanese invasion on 15 February 1942. It remained occupied by the Japanese for the next three and half years, a time marked by great oppression and an immense loss of lives. When the Japanese surrendered in 1945, the island was handed over to the British Military Administration, which remained in power until the dissolve of the Straits Settlement comprising Penang, Melaka and Singapore. In March 1946, Singapore became a Crown Colony. In 1959, the growth of nationalism led to self-government, and the countrys first general election. The Peoples Action Party (PAP) won a majority of 43 seats and Lee Kuan Yew became the first prime minister of Singapore. In 1961, Singapore joined Malaya and merged with the Federation of Malaya, Sarawak and North Borneo to form Malaysia in 1963. However, the merger proved unsuccessful, and less than two years later on 9 August 1965, Singapore left Malaysia to become an independent and sovereign democratic nation. On 22 December that year, Singapore finally became an independent republic. Today, you can experience Singapores rich historical heritage by visiting many of the national monuments, museums and memorials located around the city. On your trip here, remember to take a walk along one of the many heritage trails or visit the well-known landmarks for a complete Singapore journey. ECONOMY OVERVIEW Singapore has a highly developed and successful free-market economy. It enjoys a remarkably open and corruption-free environment, stable prices, and a per capita GDP higher than that of most developed countries. The economy depends heavily on exports, particularly in consumer electronics, information technology products, pharmaceuticals, and on a growing financial services sector. Real GDP growth averaged 8.6% between 2004 and 2007. The economy contracted 1.0% in 2009 as a result of the global financial crisis, but rebounded 14.8% in 2010 and 4.9% in 2011, on the strength of renewed exports. Over the longer term, the government hopes to establish a new growth path that focuses on raising productivity, which has sunk to a compound annual growth rate of just 1.8% in the last decade. Singapore has attracted major investments in pharmaceuticals and medical technology production and will continue efforts to establish Singapore as Southeast Asias financial and high-tech hub. ECONOMIC SITUATION OF THE COUNTRY Singapore is widely acknowledged as having one of the best business environments in the world one of the worlds most competitive (Institute for Management Development World Competitiveness Year book), most profitable (Business Environment Risk Intelligence Report), most transparent (Transparency International Survey), with world-class intellectual property protection and enforcement (World Economic Forum Global Competitiveness Report). The presence of many leading global companies and local enterprises here is a testimony to Singapores excellence in manufacturing and services. There are more than 7,000 Multi-National Corporations in Singapore now days. Singapore is an attractive and competitive manufacturing location, possessing world class capabilities in the design, development and manufacture of cutting edge products for the world. As MNCs are always looking for the most cost efficient for its investment, Singapores high labor rate loses out to other developing countries e.g. Vie tnam and China. As some manufacturers have left Singapore to other countries with cheaper labor, we can see the transformation from the manufacturing activities into trading and services. In addition, by leveraging on its strength as the regional hub for services such as logistics and education, Singapore is poised to become Asias leading services hub, providing an array of world-class services. The following sections will analyze the factors (Politic, Economy, Social and Technology) that influence the business environment in Singapore and also its limitation. PEST ANALYSIS POLITICAL/LEGAL Singapore is an enterprise friendly country. The government has set up several organizations in helping the business in a very systematic way. Regulation Structure Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) The Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) has its vision to make Singapore a leading global city of talent, enterprise and innovation. Its mission is to promote economic growth and create jobs, so as to achieve higher standards of living for all. It was tasked with anticipating problems ahead, identifying opportunities for growth, rationalizing existing policies and giving broad directions for the economy. The main tasks are categorized as below:- Growing economy Expanding trade Developing industries Fostering pro-enterprise environment Statutory boards are semi-independent agencies that specialize in carrying out specific plans and policies of the Ministry. One of such agencies under the MTI is SPRING Singapore. SPRING Singapore (Standards, Productivity and Innovation Board) is the enterprise development agency for growing innovative companies and fostering a competitive SME sector. SPRING works with partners to help enterprises in financing, capabilities and management development, technology and innovation, and access to markets. As the national standards and accreditation body, SPRING also develops and promotes internationally-recognized standards and quality assurance to enhance competitiveness and facilitate trade. It has many programmes to encourage entrepreneurship and assisting the Small and Medium Enterprise (SME). These are two available financial incentive schemes:-i) Business Angels Scheme (BAS) where they will provide Innovative Singapore-based young companies a matching dollar for every dollar invested by pre-approved angel groups, up to $1.5 million. ii) Young Entrepreneurs Scheme for Startups (YES! Startups) Where they will provide youths with grants of up to $50,000 to start their innovative business. SPRING also provides business leadership and capability development where a number of training courses are conducted to improve leadership and business management skills. Several available programs are:-i) Advanced Management Programme (AMP) where it will help tobuild management capabilities of SME leaders through postgraduate and executive development courses that focus on the business management needs of SMEs. ii) Management Development Scholarship (MDS): Designed to Nurture the leadership of tomorrow for growth-oriented enterprises where it provides MBA scholarship to help the SME to develop their talent for the future. Enterprise One (One Network for Enterprises) is a multi-agency initiative managed by SPRING Singapore. Enterprise One aims to help local enterprises find the answers they need to start, sustain and grow their businesses. Its resources pose:- Rich and Deep Content Over 20 sections covering a comprehensive range of topics such as venturing abroad, hiring people, Government tenders, loans, taxes and regulations. It pulled together information from different Government agencies so the business owners dont have to trudge from agency to agency to look for answers. Industry Guides Topics are grouped by industries and organized in sections so that the business owners can easily find information relevant to your sector. The Competition Commission of Singapore (under MTI) who is a statutory body established to enforce the Competition Act and ensure a fair competition environment. Any unfair business practice can be prevented and this can ensure a healthy competition and business growth. Another MTI agency is Public Service for the 21st Century or PS21 It is about the Singapore Public Services commitment to Anticipate, Welcome and Execute change, influencing developments in order to provide Singapore with the best conditions for success. One of its main objectives is to cut red tape to achieve service excellence and efficiency. Red tape reduction definitely will encourage entrepreneurship, foreign investment and positive growth of the business sector. Ministry of Finance (MOF) The main regulatory statutes under MOF are the Companies Act, Business Registration Act, Currency Act and Accountants Act. The emphasis of the regulatory policy is on development, rather than control. MOF aims to collaborate with industry experts to make Singapore a world-class financial and business hub. The main strategy in helping the business in the Singapore is building a Conducive Business Environment by Facilitate growth of businesses and nurture an entrepreneurial environment Under the MOF, the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) Directorates role is: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ To drive the development of a holistic and cross directorate/ agency approach to the FTA issues à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ To shape and balance the outcome of the issues in the FTA negotiations to align with MOFs policies and goals à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ To function as a centralized focal point within MOF for information on all FTA issues. The Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA) is one of the statutory boards under the MOF with mission to provide a responsive and forward looking regulatory environment for companies, businesses and public accountants, conducive to enterprise and growth in Singapore. The focus of the statutory board will be on issues concerning businesses, such as developing the corporate law framework, accounting and corporate governance. Government E-Business Portal In an effort to promote transparency, the Singapore government has setup GeBIZ (Government E-Business Portal) who is the Singapore governments one-stop e-procurement portal. All the public sectors invitations for quotations and tenders are posted on GeBIZ. Suppliers can search for government procurement opportunities, download tender documents, and submit their bids online. Enforcement Singapore is a country where the enforcement units are very efficient and with very low corruption rate. The Singapore Police Force enjoys a relatively positive public image, and is credited for helping to arrest Singapores civic unrests and lawlessness in its early years, and maintaining the low crime rate today. Another example is the taxi services where the drivers collect fares by using the meter and do not cheat the passengers. Taxi in Singapore is regulated by the Land Transport Authority. This gives the passengers especially tourist peace of mind in using taxi service. Any bad taxi service may hamper the tourism industries. Corruption Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) Singapore is reputed to be one of the few countries in the world where corruption is under control. This is due mainly to the strong political will to curb corruption, firm actions taken against the corrupt regardless of their status and background, and the general public who do not accept corruption as a way of life. The Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) is an independent body which investigates and aims to prevent corruption in the public and private sectors in Singapore. The bureau is responsible for safeguarding the integrity of the public service and encouraging corruption-free transactions in the private sector. Deregulation Liberalization Singapore has deregulated several markets, e.g. the electricity and telecommunication. The government no more monopolized these markets, but it is open for competition among the industry players. Even since 1989, the government of Singapore started eliminating restrictions on the sale of telecom consumer goods to make businesses more competitive. From this we can see the competitive telecommunication markets nowadays, which benefit to the end consumer and the business as well. Singapore is reliant on foreign direct investments and exports so competition from countries with lower costs such as China and India is exerting pressure on the government to reduce the costs of doing business here. Electricity cost is one of these. Deregulation is believed to be able to bring about lower electricity costs due to the various efficiency gains possible. Since corporatization the power industry has become more efficient and more reliable. Customer service has improved. Investments in new power pl ants and transmission network infrastructure have increased significantly. The industry is also making healthy profits through efficiency and productivity gains, and lower cost of purchase of power equipment and cables. One of the deregulation result is YTL Power of Malaysia has acquired 100% interest in Power Seraya Limited recently. Also the China Hua Neng Power has acquired100% stake in the Tuas Power Ltd. We can see the deregulation has attracted foreign direct investment into the countries and thus accelerate its economic growth. Being Asias first liberalized electricity market, the Singapore government has liberalized the electricity wholesale and retail market. This means contestable consumers will have greater choice about how they purchase their electricity. Non-contestable consumers continue to buy electricity from SP Services Ltd at regulated tariffs. Eventually, all consumers in Singapore will become contestable. This certainly has reduced the electricity bills for the i ndustrial/ business user and consumer. The government must be very careful and governing the deregulated market and not to repeat the failure encountered by the US deregulated energy market, where expenditures become higher and consumers suffered from the higher energy cost and was a failure in the USA energy policy. Another example is the liberalization of the civil aviation industry where the flyers can fly at lower cost. Tiger Airways, the major airlines also reduce the air fares significantly and this help in driving down business expenses and accelerated growth especially in the tourism related industries e.g. hotel, FB services and local retail business. Licensing Singapore government has been very careful in allowing foreign hyper market to operate in Singapore. So far only the Malaysians Giant (4 outlets) and Frenchs Carrefour (2 outlets) are allowed to operate on the island. Strict control has been taken to protect the retailer especially. Non Government Organization (NGO) NGO play an important role as pressure group in the government policy and implementation. As part of an effort to bolster tourism as more manufacturing jobs shift to countries with lower labor costs and in view of the possibility that Singapore would lose out in its status as a tourist hub as well as the economic benefits from tax revenues, Singapore government has revisited the idea of building casino in Singapore in 2004. This had generated substantial and intense public debate and objection from the NGOs as this was not just a socio-economic policy dilemma, but has potential to touch the sensitive nerves of social identity, public morality and values and has bad implication on Singapore as a clean, sterile, corruption-free and crime-free city. Further the NGOs protested that this development will be at the expense of the environment as the developer has to reclaim the sea for extra land where ecology system will be spoilt. However, after much debate about the tangible and intangib le facts and costs, the government finally approved the casino plan and it is now under construction. The completion of this casino together with the entertainment resort and other infrastructure will certainly attract more foreign tourists and boosting the domestic economy once the plan is completed. ECONOMY The Singapore economy is an example of a vibrant free-market economy that is developing at a rapid pace 1. The per-capita income of the country is the highest in ASEAN. The business sector has been supported and strengthened by a corruption-free environment, an educated and motivated workforce, and well-established legal and financial business framework. In recent years, the Singapore government has invested heavily in diversifying the economy. This has led to growth in the tourism industry, the pharmaceutical industry with a particular focus on biotechnology, financial services, business consultation services, education, multimedia, retail and leisure, and the medical technology industry. Productivity Significantly from 2008-Q3 onwards, economic growth was rapidly slowing down because of the financial crisis, while commodity prices hit unprecedented heights, creating sharp inflationary pressures in Singapore and other economies. The data for this section are for the year 2010. Singapore achieved GDP (current market value) of S$257,419 million, which is a 2.3% increment from the previous year. In the fourth quarter of 2008, the economy contracted by 4.2 per cent, after posting flat growth in the third quarter. Unemployment rate as of end 2008 is 2.3%, which is a 0.2% increment from year 2007. However, the retrenchment rate has almost doubled from year 2009s 7,700 to year 2010s 13,400 workers. This is certainly the consequence of the global economic crisis, where almost not a single country can be escaped. Gross national income per capita was S$51,739 which is the highest per capita income in ASEAN and making its citizen income on par with the developed nations. In fact, the city st ate is the only developed country in ASEAN. The services producing industries made up 68.8% of the overall economy and manufacturing weighted at 19.4%. Financial services and business services has become more and more important and made up 13.1 and 14.0% respectively of the overall economy. We can observe a transition from the manufacturing based into services oriented and this demands more professional and intellectuals. The government spends a lot of effort to attract foreign professional and talented individual to work and migrate to Singapore to support the local business. Of course they do not left out to attract foreign direct investment. However the drawback will be the outflow foreign exchange. Petroleum refined products top the export list with 23.7%. This can be attributed to the petrochemical complexes in Jurong Island. This initiative has boosted the heavy petrochemical industries in the country and has attracted foreign direct investment like the Exxon-Mobile Refinery. The limitation will be the pollution to the environment which will increase the social cost like healthcare services. Exchange Rates Currency exchange rate is about US$1.00 to S$1.50 range lately. Due to its high exchange rate to the Ringit Malaysia (S$1.00 = RM2.40 approximately), many Singapore residents like to cross the Tebrau Straits to Malaysia for weekend spending. Additionally, the comparative cheaper petrol price in Malaysia has attracted Singaporean to fill up their vehicle fuel tank in Malaysia. These have directly affected the Singapore domestic businesses and the petrol retailers. Therefore the government has set the rule for the car owner to have at least the fuel tank  ¾ filled when travelling outbound to Malaysia. On the other hand, the high exchange rate to Ringgit Malaysia and Indonesian Rupiah has attracted many white and blue collar labors from these two neighboring countries. Especially the high numbers of skilled workers from Malaysia has contributed to Singapores GDP growth but on the other hand remarking loss in foreign exchange. On the other hand, construction and heavy industries in Sin gapore are over dependant on foreign workers which in one hand has become a threat to the social identity and safety. Monetary and Fiscal Policies The success of Singapores fiscal policy over the years lies in the governments prudent expenditure patterns and conducive taxation policies that have complemented monetary policy in promoting sustained and non-inflationary economic growth. Singapores tax policies, although providing the main source of funding for the government, seek to enhance its economic competitiveness and attract foreign investments to Singapore. In its Budget 2009, the Singapore government has announced The Resilience Package totaling $20.5 billion to help Singaporeans preserving their jobs and helping viable company stay afloat. The government spent S$5.8 billion to stimulate bank lending. It also would spend S$2.6 billion to enhance business cash flow and competitiveness. Further, it also allocated S$4.4 billion to develop Singapore as a global city and best home for Singaporean. Under the severe global economy crisis, Singapore government has justified withdrawal from its past reserves to fund the Jobs Credit Scheme and Special Risk-Sharing Initiative to ensure that the Resilience Package will stimulate the business sector. This combination of fair tax policies and prudent expenditure programs, augmented by high economic growth has enabled Singapore to enjoy consistent budget surpluses over the years. Singapore is one of the very few countries who enjoy surplus in its economy nowadays. In 2008, as part of the governments move to share the nations surpluses with its citizens, the government has allocated S$1.06 billion as growth dividend for this purpose which benefited about 2.4 million Singaporean, especially those of the lower income. This allocation has help the lower income group to cope with the higher living cost and in turn has stimulus the buying power in the market. However, the effectiveness for the market stimulation is only for the short term. Th e Official Foreign Reserves at Feb 2009 is US$163,549.4 million and Singapore government does not bear any foreign debt. This again proves that Singapore economic and financial performance is well managed and the local business can enjoy strong support and enterprise friendly policies from the government. International Trade International Enterprise (IE) Singapore is the lead agency under the Ministry of Trade and Industry spearheading the development of Singapores external economic wing. Its mission is to promote the overseas growth of Singapore-based enterprises and international trade. At the same time, IE works to position Singapore as a base for foreign businesses to expand into the region in partnership with Singapore-based companies. In championing international trade, IE Singapore contributes to the Singapore economy through active promotion of export of goods and services, and offshore trade. Singapores Global Trader Program (GTP) which provides incentives to attract international trading companies to set up their base in Singapore. The IEs Enterprise Group manages and develops a range of broad-based services for Singapore-based companies wanting to export internationalized goods. In 2007, Singapore was ranked the 14th largest trading nation in the world, amounting to total of $846.6 billion of external trade, with Malaysia remained as the biggest trade partner, followed by EU. The Port of Singapore is the world busiest port in term of total shipping tonnage. It is also the world busiest container port and transshipment port. The Port of Singapore is not only a mere economic boon but an economic necessity as it is lack of natural resources and land. The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore was established with the mission to develop Singapore as a premier global hub port and international maritime centre. The establishment of Malaysias Port of Tanjung Pelepas has threaten the Singapore Port status as the rival has attracted prestigious maritime companies like Maesk and Evergreen to switch over to Tanjung Pelepas. Surely, the Singapore Port operator will be facing more fierce competition ahead. The Singapore Tourism Board aims to triple tourism receipts to $30 billion and double visitor arrivals to 17 million visitors by 2015. It is working closely with international in vestors to develop new world-class attractions (e.g. the casino), and attract strategic business and leisure events to Singapore. SOCIAL CULTURAL Singapore is an eastern country who still follows the traditional family values, but the younger generation has started to adopt to western culture and values. Society Values and Principles As nowadays, many Singaporean have the mindset of Kia-su which means afraid of lose out to others. Many Singaporean works very hard to retain or fulfill their materialism desire. In some extent this has positively increased the nation productivities and the business sectors can expect a higher purchasing power from the consumers. On the other hand, some family and social values have to be sidelined. Demographic Profile The current population is about 5,353,494 (July 2011 est.). Singapore ethnic mix is Chinese 76.8%, Malay 13.9%, Indian 7.9%, other 1.4% (2000 census). Most of the Singaporean dislikes blue collar works like construction and other works in hard environment. These are considered hard and dirty works and therefore not welcome especially by the younger generation. This created the window for importing foreign workers to fill up blue collar vacancies. With the cheaper labor from neighboring countries, the business sector has enjoyed cost saving and therefore more can be reinvested for further expansion. Education Singapore has codified compulsory education for children of primary school age, and made it a criminal offence if parents fail to enroll their children in school and ensure their regular attendance. English is the primary language used in Singapores education systems. Good command of English has given Singapore an edge advantage for attracting foreign investment and international trade. Further the Chinese language proficiency among the Chinese ethnic has attracted the investor from China, Taiwan and Hong Kong and on the other hand enable investing ventures into these countries easily. The latest statistic shows that the literacy rate stands at 92.5% whilst secondary or higher qualification holders are 89%. This is the driving force for the government to promote knowledge. Economy which is less labor incentive but more talent and intellectual are on demand. Besides, owing to the kia-su mindset, the parents here are very concerned about the performance of the kids in school. This has led to blossoming of tuition centers and other arts/musical learning classes. TECHNOLOGY Technology is the power behind to change our life style and improve out quality of life. The Internet Comprehensive infrastructure setup has been a fundamental attractiveness for foreign investment and local business establishment, not to mention about the IT infrastructure. Currently, the household broadband internet penetration rate has achieved more than 70%. The successive of e-commerce and e-B2C model highly relies on the broadband internet. As of latest, 10 Mbps of broadband internet service is available. The comprehensive IT infrastructure also has encouraged MNC to setup their regional operation in Singapore. The successful of the financial and IT services business are highly rely on the state of the art IT infrastructure. On the other hand, the Singapore government is moving towards an electronic government era. Many useful resources and information are available in the relevant ministries/ department or government agencies website. For instance, the Customs Office of Singapore has provided e-service, these are few examples:- Application for: Manufacturers Registration New Product Line(s) Application for Registration of Companies/ Firms and Signatories for Customs and/ or GST Transactions Application for GST relief on household articles and personal effects. This approach enables to cut red tapes and enhanced the efficiency. Water Due to its lack of water resources and the government would like to reduce its dependence on the Malaysian supplied water, the Singaporean has ventured into water recycling and desalination. NEWATER is the brand name given to reclaimed water produced by Singapores public utilities. More specifically, it is treated wastewater (sewage) that has been purified using dual-membrane (via microfiltration and reverse osmosis) and ultraviolet technologies, in addition to conventional water treatment processes. Many experts suggested that Singapore could become the worlds water hub for water recycling and desalination technology and could export this technology to the world including China. With the new technology in water reclamation, waste water would become the most important sustainable water resource in the future. Singaporeans expertise in the water recycling will definitely give its edge advantage if its exports this expertise and technology in the future. SWOT ANALYSIS STRENGTH Manufacturing constituted 26% OF Singapores GDP in 2005. The manufacturing industry is well diversified with significant electronics, petroleum refining, chemicals, mechanical engineering and biomedical sciences manufacturing sectors. Singapore has been rated as the most business-friendly economy in the world, with thousands of foreign expatriates working in multi-national corporations. As of 2009, Singapore has 16 bilateral and multilateral trade agreements with 24 trading partners. Singapore is a popular travel destination, making tourism one of its largest industries. About 10.2 million tourists visited Singapore in 2007.

Should Gays Marry? :: Gay Marriages Homosexuality Essays

Should Gays Marry? The essays by William Bennett and Andrew Sullivan are just the tip of the iceberg in the debate over homosexual marriage. This debate has been going on for years, with many solidly supported opinions on the topic. Both authors provide strong points and well written essays, and include some similar ideas, even though the message of each essay is contradictory to the other. Andrew Sullivan’s essay, â€Å"Let Gays Marry,† is about how gays and lesbians have long been alienated from their basic rights as American citizens. He argues that allowing gays to marry will not drastically change the description of marriage as we know it, but will simply entitle same sex partners to devote themselves to each other, and declare their love for each other. The Supreme Court made an influential ruling that â€Å"’a state cannot deem a class of persons a stranger to its laws.’†(25) Sullivan argues that that is just what America has been doing by not legally recognizing domestic partners of the same sex. He claims that â€Å"at some point in our lives, some of us are lucky enough to meet the person we truly love,† (25) gays included. Sullivan recognizes that many religious organizations are against homosexuality, but this country has a separation of church and state that makes that argument arbitrary in terms of legality. He points out that the government gives out civil marriage licenses, and gays should not be left out of that. Sullivan also states that the definition of marriage has been changed in the past. Women are no longer the property of their husbands, and interracial marriages are no longer taboo. He argues that allowing gays to marry would simply be another revision for the better, not a radical change in the institution. Sullivan brings up the argument that marriage is for raising children, but many married couples have none. He lists as examples such people as the Doles and the Buchanans; two very conservative families. The article by William Bennett, â€Å"Leave Marriage Alone,† is about how marriage is a sacred tradition. He believes that if you broaden the definition to include gays, that act will totally alter the purpose and meaning of marriage.