Moral Philosophy Essay

Hare uses the â€Å"indirect† version of utilitarianism. Hare believes that individuals can deliberate at the intuitive level. In dire situations where there is no time to evaluate decisions on a critical level, intuition maybe used to commit most acts. Direct utilitarianism follows a rigid rules approach to utilitarianism. Hare’s approach implies that certain acts done intuitively will become moral because the decision was made on a gut level instinct instead of simply following a set of rules. Hare attempts to distinguish his theories from â€Å"crude† or direct utilitarianism. However, it would seem that he does not remove the problems of direct utilitarianism, but he manages to create new ones. â€Å"An act (for act utilitarians) or rule (for rule utilitarians) is right if and only if the act or rule maximizes the utility of all persons (or sentient beings). † 1 Following the direct utilitarianism approach, there is no flexibility for human emotion or consequences. In addition, there is no true definition of what is right for all persons. An example would be a decision by a surgeon in an emergency room to save the life of an elderly priest or that of a young man that was in a terrible car accident. By the direct utilitarianism approach, the surgeon would have to ascertain what would be best for all persons. Such a decision would realistically be made deliberation and gut instinct. The direct utilitarianism approach does not answer what is best for everyone in this type of circumstance. The problem with Hare’s approach is one can prove virtually any moral dilemma with custom tailored and non-realistic circumstances where gut instinct would be used as the determining factor for the situation. There are no set guidelines for defining what is moral for these extenuating circumstances. Hare in general often speaks about conflicting desires, and he seems to adhere to Plato’s notion that being good coincides with being informed. What Hare fails to address is that some individuals might desire to do evil. Hare presumes that the individual is going to conform to the standards of society and use deliberation to not commit heinous and horrific acts. With the direct utilitarianism approach, individuals will act for the good of everyone thus more likely to conform to moral restrictions placed upon them by society. Hare’s approach states that individuals will follow gut instinct to do what is moral but at the same time Hare’s approach calls for individuals to follow deliberation when making some decisions. For the individual that is a sociopath, Hare’s response would be that the sociopath would â€Å"condemn those desires at a critical level†. 2 With the assumption of individual conformity to the group’s standard, Hare is contracting his gut instinct part of the decision making progress. Hare argues that direct utilitarianism cannot accommodate political rights because the government is an institutional set of rules and regulations. Direct utilitarianism assumes that the government knows what is best for the majority. Hare’s approach would require the individual to deliberate as to follow the rules set forth by the government. Using Hare’s approach it would be ethical for an individual to refuse to pay taxes or speed on the highway because there would’ve been a deliberation and analysis based on the critical level of thinking. Hare’s approach is more direct utilitarianism on the political issues because the individual will most likely make a choice that is inherently good for everyone to avoid negative consequences such as a speeding ticket or imprisonment. Each decision or choice that the individual makes results in some type of consequence. Hare’s approach to indirect utilitarianism does not address consequences. The direct utilitarianism addresses consequences because the individual is going to follow rules that are set forth for the good of the whole. Direct utilitarianism requires conformity to societal standards to maximize individual happiness. Hare’s approach requires that the individual deliberate and make a decision. Yet, the other part of his approach requires the individual to follow gut instinct while conforming to good of the whole to make an ethical decision. Instead of refuting the direct utilitarianism approach, Hare is supporting the notion that we all have a set of rules that we inherently follow. To strictly follow Hare’s approach to indirect utilitarianism, society would be in total chaos because virtually any circumstance can be manipulated to appear as though the individual was following instinct and thus making a moral decision. There are no overall guidelines for extenuating circumstances with Hare’s approach to indirect utilitarianism. Hare creates more chaos in trying to refute the direct utilitarianism approach instead of providing solid arguments for the nature of human beings and ethical decisions.

Stefan’s Diaries: Origins Chapter 21

The next morning, Damon left with the brief explanation that he was helping the militia at the camp. I wasn't sure I believed his excuse, but the house was decidedly more peaceful in his absence. Katherine came over each night to play cribbage with Father. Occasionally I'd join her as a two-against-one team. While playing, Katherine would tell Father stories from her past: about her father's shipping business; about her Italian mother; about Wheat, the Scottish terrier she'd had as a girl. I wondered if any of them were true, or if it was Katherine's plan to act as a modern- day Scheherazade, spinning stories that would eventually persuade Father to spare her. Katherine would always make a show of going back to the carriage house, and it was agony waiting for the moment when Father went to bed so that I could follow her. She never talked about her past–or her plans–with me. She didn't tell me how she got her nourishment, and I didn't ask. I didn't want to know. It was far easier to pretend she was just a normal girl. One afternoon, when Father was in town with Robert, discussing business with the Cartwrights, Katherine and I decided to spend an entire day together, instead of a few stolen, dark hours. It was nearing October, but no one would know it from the high temperatures and the daily late- afternoon thunderstorms. I hadn't gone swimming all summer, and I couldn't wait to feel the water of the pond on my skin–and Katherine in my arms in the daylight. I stripped down and jumped in immediately. â€Å"Don't splash!† yelled Katherine. She lifted her simple blue skirt up to her ankles and cautiously stepped toward the edge of the pond. She'd already left her muslin flats beneath the willow tree, and I couldn't stop staring at the delicate white of her ankles. â€Å"Come in! The water's fine!† I yelled, even though my teeth were chattering. Katherine continued to tiptoe toward the edge of the pond until she was standing on the muddy strip between the grass and the water. â€Å"It's dirty.† She wrinkled her nose, shielding her eyes from the sun. â€Å"That's why you have to get in. To wash off all the mud,† I said, using my fingers to flick water toward Katherine. A few droplets landed on the bodice of her dress, and I felt desire course through me. I dunked under the water to cool my head. â€Å"You're not afraid of a little splashing,† I said as I emerged, my hair dripping on my shoulders. â€Å"Or, shall I say, you're not afraid of splashing Stefan?† I felt a little bit ridiculous saying it, because such comments didn't sound nearly as clever on my lips. Still, she did me the favor of laughing. I carefully sidestepped the rocks on the bottom of the pond to walk closer toward her, then flicked more water in her direction. â€Å"No!† Katherine shrieked, but she made no move to run away as I walked out of the pond, grabbed her around the waist, and carried her into the water. â€Å"Stefan! Stop!† she screamed as she clung to my neck. â€Å"At least let me take off my dress!† At that, I immediately let her go. She lifted her hands over her head, allowing me to easily pull off her dress. There she stood in her little white slip. I gaped in amazement. Of course I'd seen her body before, but it had always been in shadows and half-light. Now I saw the sun on her shoulders, and the way her stomach curved inward and I knew, for the millionth time, that I was in love. Katherine dove underwater, reemerging right next to me. â€Å"And now, revenge!† She leaned down and splashed cool water on me with all her might. â€Å"If you weren't so beautiful, I might fight back,† I said, pulling her toward me. I kissed her. â€Å"The neighbors will talk,† murmured Katherine against my lips. â€Å"Let them talk,† I whispered. â€Å"I want everyone to know how much I love you.† Katherine kissed me harder, with more passion than I'd ever felt. I sucked my breath in, feeling so much desire that I stepped away. I loved Katherine so much that it almost hurt; it made it harder to breathe, harder to talk, harder to think. It was as if my desire was a force larger than myself, and I was simultaneously frightened and overjoyed to follow wherever it led me. I took a shaky breath and looked up at the sky. Large thunderclouds had rolled in, obscuring the sky, which had been a pure cerulean just moments before. â€Å"We should go,† I said, heading toward shore. Sure enough, as soon as we stepped onto dry land, a clap of thunder rolled off in the distance. â€Å"The storm came in fast,† Katherine observed as she wrung out her curls. She didn't seem at all self-conscious even though her soaking-wet white slip left nothing to the imagination. Somehow, it seemed almost more illicit and erotic to see her scantily dressed than to see her naked. â€Å"One could think that it was almost a sign that our relationship is not meant to be.† Her voice was teasing, but I felt a shiver of dread go up my spine. â€Å"No,† I said loudly, to reassure myself. â€Å"I'm just teasing you!† Katherine kissed my cheek before leaning down to pick up her dress. As she stole behind the weeping willow tree, I yanked up my breeches and put on my shirt. Katherine emerged from behind the tree a moment later, her cotton dress clinging to her curves, the damp tendrils of her hair sticking to her curves, the damp tendrils of her hair sticking to her back. Her skin had a bluish quality to it. I put my arms around her and rubbed her arms vigorously, trying to warm her up, though I knew that was impossible. â€Å"I have something to tell you,† Katherine said as she tilted her face up to the open sky. â€Å"What?† I asked. â€Å"I would be honored to attend the Founders Ball with you,† she said, and then, before I could kiss her again, she broke from my embrace and ran back to the carriage house.

Dunlap V. Tennessee Valley Authority Essay

What were the legal issues in this case? In the case of Dunlap VS Tennessee Valley Authority, the legal issue that was presented was discrimination, disparate treatment and disparate impact. According to the EEOC, race discrimination involves treating someone (an applicant or employee) unfavorably because he/she is of a certain race or because of personal characteristics associated with race (such as hair texture, skin color, or certain facial features). Color discrimination involves treating someone unfavorably because of skin color complexion. The Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects workers from discrimination, and when it comes to the case, discrimination was seen in many ways. For starters, when it came to the interviewing process, there were 5 white officials and 1 black which showed that the room was not balance. Next, when it came to the scoring, he received lower scores than the whites. The next issue that showed discrimination was when it came to the attendance record of the workers. Two of the workers who were Caucasian, had the same attendance as Dunlap, and they received a better ranking. Also, Dunlap had a perfect safety record and received a score of a 4; while a white applicant who was at the job for eleven, had 2 accidents within those years and received a score of 6. Dunlap was not the only African American to have problems with TVA when it came to discrimination as well. The suit that was brought against TVA was for discrimination under disparate impact and treatment. Disparate impact theory requires the plaintiff to demonstrate that the facility falls harshly on one group than another; disparate treatment requires the plaintiff to demonstrate that an employer has treated some people badly because of the race, age, gender or any other discrimination factor (Walsh, 2010). The district court found many filings along with the fact that Dunlap had been subjected to discrimination under both disparate treatment, concluding that TVA’s subjective hiring processes permitted racial bias against both Dunlap and other black applicants (Walsh, 2010). According to the text subjective criteria is assessing candidates that are not uniform and clearly specified, and when it came to Dunlap and the facts that were presented subjective hiring was conducted. The Appeals Court affirmed the disparate treatment claim, reversed the disparate impact claim, and affirmed the district court’s award of damages and fees to Mr. Dunlap (Walsh, 2010) Explain why the plaintiff’s disparate (adverse) impact claim fail? The reason that disparate impact failed is because when it comes discriminatory actions in this theory, proof is not required. The disparate impact theory requires a plaintiff to demonstrate that an apparently neutral employment practice affects one group more harshly than another and that the practice is not justified by business necessity. A prima face case is established when the plaintiff identifies a specific employment practice to be challenged; and through relevant statistical analysis proves that the challenged practice has an adverse impact on a protected group. When it comes to the case, discrimination was seen, but never affects more than one class. Glass ceiling in the book is referred to artificial barriers based on attitudinal or organizational bias that prevent qualified individuals from advancing in there organization to upper management. The reason that glass ceiling is seen is because when it comes to the interviewing process, there was only 1 black interviewer. Then when it came to the recruits, even if there work effort was poor and they were white, there scores was higher than the African Americans. But because discrimination is a fact that is null and void in this theory and because discrimination doesn’t matter, that’s why it failed. The only criteria Mr. Dunlap could prove was that the interview process had been manipulated to exclude African-American candidates, and how the scoring was different for blacks and whites. So in the essence in this theory, it was a challenge to prove it because Dunlap only had his interview Explain why the plaintiff’s disparate treatment claim succeed? The reason disparate treatment was successful was because it requires a plaintiff to demonstrate that an employer has treated some people less favorably than others because of their race, color, religion, sex or national origin. The first fact was the manipulating of the score. In this case, Dunlap was able to prove that the matrix process was pretext for discrimination. After the district court did some investigation, they found that some of sheets had been changed more than 70 times, and there was no reason what so ever for the change. Dunlap said the matrix score was manipulated to keep him out of the top ten applicants. Another reason it was a success was because William Parchman, an African-American with thirty years of experience as a boilermaker that was also rejected. He played a vital role in the suit because of the problems he encountered to become employed with TVA. He provided testimony hat he had a history of being rejected for jobs and promotions at the company. He also stated that the only reason got the boilermaker position was after he filed a complaint with the EEOC. Other facts that showed discrimination was evidence before the district court when it came to the weight given to the interview and how it was changed, questions in the interv iew was not evaluated objectively, and the scores were altered to produce a racially biased result. Bottom line is that when it comes to discrimination, it was proven in several ways, and the district court committed no error in finding disparate treatment. The court saw how discrimination was seen from different people, and Dunlap was not the only worker that felt that way. What should the TVA have done differently with regard to interviewing and selecting candidates for these jobs? When it comes to interviewing candidates, what’s should of been done differently is looking at the applicants work history thoroughly. The first thing that should have been looked at first is education. When workers have education, they are better qualified because they will know how to think outside if the box. If an applicant didn’t have the education, then TVP sould look at experience as well as work performance. When looking at experience, factors that should  be viewed are supervisory experience along with performance and safety in the workplace. In the interviewing process, things that could have been different is interviewing with one interviewer at a time. Also the questions could have been different for each interviewer so that everyone was not following the same pattern. All of the scores would be the same, but the questions would be different and give the best candidates for the job. Another thing that could have been different is having a manager present in the room to grab and check the papers when the interview is finish. By a manager being there to verifying the score, there is not chance that manipulating could happen with the scoring. If this type of approach would have been used, the selecting process would have been different because no interviewer or candidate would have the same response. But the scores would show the real qualified applicants, and they would deserve the promotion. Nothing would be bias and scores could not be altered.

Cancer at the molecular level Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Cancer at the molecular level - Essay Example (Normal cell cycle) (Genetic mutation- causes alteration in genes) (Alberts, 2007) Cancer is a genetic phenomenon that onsets as a result of trigger in the signal transduction of normal cell cycle, causing alteration in the cellular pathway for uncontrolled proliferation figuring malignant tumors. Cancer cells are not confined to one location and they turn invasive, spread to the nearby tissues initially and gradually their seedlings are carried to different parts/ organs of the body via lymph or blood causing invasion of the cancer to other tissues and organs. This stage is called metastasis. On the contrary, some cancer cells do not display uncontrolled growth, they are non-invasive and do not spread, such stage of cancer only forms benign tumors (Alberts, 2007). Cancer Proliferation Cancer is initiated in the cell, the basic unit of any living entity. Under normal conditions the cell follow the regular cell cycle but any chemical, physical or biological agent may trigger the conve rsion of proto-oncogene to oncogene, the active form of cancer causing gene which is responsible for the altered metabolism of the cell. The genetic basis of cancer has been revealed through numerous animal models. The human Genome Project aids in improving preclusion, analysis and management of cancer with better efficacy (Luo, 2008). Luo et al (2008) have identified essential genes in 12 cancer cell lines, they were exploited to find the presumed and established oncogenes such as KRAS, EGFR, MYC, MYB, BCR-ABL, CDK4 and CRKL that are vital for cancer cell proliferation and are found to be altered in the human cancers. Their findings postulate that tumoricidal agents trigger the expression of four genes PTPN1, NF1, SMARCB1, and SMARCE1. Moreover, five regulators are also activated in response to FAS activation, FAS, FADD, CASP8, ARID1A and CBX1. The information is beneficial for pursuing future cancer studies as well as for therapeutics. A comparative study between normal stem cells and cancer stem cells states that signal transduction namely Bmi1 and Wnt are shared by the normal as well as cancer stem cells for cellular proliferation. Perception and thorough understanding for cancer stem cells will certainly aid in recognition of the drug targets and cancer therapeutics (Lobo, 2007). Basis of cancer Any mutation may result in abnormal proliferation. However, mutations are generally insignificant and mutant cells are eradicated but accretion of mutation may occur in dividing cells resulting in cancer. Cancer causing mutation directly influence the cellular machinery including the genetic damage as well as signaling pathways and hence the entire cell division process is affected. As stem cells are pluripotent, long-lived as compared to their short lived descendant cells, they are vulnerable to the genotoxic elements causing oncogenic mutations (Pardal et al, 2003). Observations reveals that cancer tends to relapse after treatment. The genetic basis that has bee n postulated encompass the involvement of cancer stem cells. Research disclose that cancer stem cells play a pivotal role in cancer relapse as stem cells are not targeted by the conventional drugs and as these cancer stem cells are pluripotent they have potential to divide thereby generating tumor again. Much understanding of the cancer could be procured

International Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

International Business - Essay Example It becomes necessary to be stated in this regard that the rapid pace of globalization with regard to the worldwide economies observed in the current years has been assessed to be greatly dependent on the facet of fast progress in the field of technologies as well as science. The reason behind this rapid progress has been ascertained to be an outcome of the related environment where the market economic structure was observed to have been expanding across the world. The stated factor of progress or development has been observed to be triggered owing to the soaring splitting up of labor across the borders which has further been infiltrating into the production chains with respect to the ventures in relation to various countries (Tisdell & Sen, 2004). The processes related to the escalating degree of globalization, otherwise as well as economic are known to give rise to the facet of fresh economic modifications along with few political challenges with respect to every individual. The com petency possessed by the national governments in terms of acting autonomously with regard to the relevant economic as well as social policies tends to trim down as a result of the escalating international economic inter-reliance. The lesser degree of proficiency of the nationalized governments with regard to controlling the social, cultural, economic and environmental alteration implies the likelihood of a rising requirement for globally synchronized political activities (Tisdell & Sen, 2004). These particular activities are considered to be imperative in order to cope up with any kind of unwanted alterations in the mentioned variables for the reason of soaring extent of globalization followed by global interdependence. Therefore, the aspect of economic globalization can be stated to be the procedure related to international industrial re-modification and restructuring (Shangquan, 2000). The Legal and Political Environment Western Australia is believed to present such a business atm osphere or setting which is considered to support development and opulence. The degree related to sovereign-risk and government policies related to pro-growth has been measured to be quite less along with an increasingly proficient as well as innovative personnel or labor force makes the aspect of conducting business in the country to be quite worthwhile and uncomplicated. The structure of the government in Australia is found to be reliant and pursuant of a tradition that is known to be liberal democratic entailing freedom in relation to speech as well as association along with religious tolerance. The structure of government in the country follows a system of three-tier that is Federal or Commonwealth, Local and State. The Parliament of Australia along with the Government holds accountability regarding the matters relevant to National Interest for instance immigration, post as well as telecommunications, social security, banks, foreign affairs, defense, pensions, census along with statistics and coinage (Government of Western Australia, 2009). The legal structure in Australia has been found to have been developed in context with the British law. Major portion in relation to the law has been

Quality Management and SMS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Quality Management and SMS - Essay Example development of technologies capable of identifying microbial organisms, modernization in packaging of foods and increased awareness on microbiology education to the general public. In conjunction with principles of quality control, these issues should be addressed (Besterfield, 2004). Food poisoning is a result of poor handling of food stuffs by either the customers or employees in an organization. With the rise in food poisoning in the world, food processing organizations have stipulated mechanisms to curb this menace and ensure customer safety. Suppliers are graded and assessed to determine the quality of products they deliver to the plant for processing. This is a supplier manufacturer principle, which depicts that suppliers must be trustworthy and able to deliver quality and cost effective products (Hutter, 2011). Principle of customer focus; this relates to the customer needs and wants. A customer will basically want to consume safe and healthy food. As a manager, there should be concentration on ensuring that the customer is always safe from infections. Packaging of the food is very important since it is what depicts and demonstrates how important and secure the customers feel. Consumer protection authorities also play an important role in the company; often times they come at intervals and check on the processing plants this tends to cement on the work of the operation controller (Besterfield, 2004). Process approach; a serine and performing company will opt to efficiency and effectiveness. The wastes in the company should be properly deposited to avoid breeding grounds for micro-organisms which may in turn be harmful and infectious. Take a case of a cake bakery, the bakery has to ensure that it maintains cleanliness by ensuring that any wastes that may be experienced is dumped in the right place (Hutter, 2011). Continual improvement techniques will help see the company operate in an efficient and clean environment. Machines in a food processing plant

Corparate finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Corparate finance - Essay Example The Company also had been operating in a country with under-developed stock of exchange. There has been therefore the need to carry out research to look into the ways that the firm can maintain its development to a high level. The research is therefore expected to look into an alternative capital sources for the company and analyze the impacts of dividend policy and level of debt on the value of the firm. The firm having been operating under economy with under-developed stock of exchange limited its goals towards adjustments. Risks diversification opportunities were therefore limited for the company. The company’s investment decision was influenced by high diversification costs, making it to avoid financial market use. The technological adjustment is therefore limited as the company end up choosing production technologies that are less capital intensive subject to short-term risk. The company was therefore unable to adjust up to the latest technologies which were more capital intensive. The under-developed stock exchange market prevents the company from structuring their financial packages optimally (Levine, 2002). Conflicts of interest usually exist between the managers of the firms and its suppliers and customers, and also between different firm investors. Hoad Company if having high debt levels had increased its possibility of bankruptcy sufficiently which may put them into risky projects harming their creditors. The company, if highly leveraged, could be unable to get additional credit due to incentives created by debt financing to the taking of greater risks. Availability of well-developed stock of market exchange would allow for equity issuance. This issuance would mitigate problems of incentives providing room for more borrowing to the company. Stock market has always played an important role in the provision of information. A well-developed stock markets gathers information concerning prospects of companies that had their shares traded availing

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

Cadbury Schweppes - Essay Example Aside from pivoting around these two elements, its responsible role is backed by CSR vision and strategy. Additionally, Cadbury Schweppes responsible role comes from the systems it has in place along with the company's pledge to live by its values. Through these steps the company strives to promote a brand that people love.1 The idea of promoting a brand that people love is fuelled by the idea that the more people love the brand, the more likely it is for Cadbury Schweppes to retain their position and do even better. In order to promote a brand that people love, the company listens to what people want. The company also learns from its past experiences with products that people easily take to. Through this simple process, Cadbury Schweppes has managed to successfully launch many products in the global market, as they know what people want.2 Acting responsibly is one aspect that Cadbury Schweppes continues to emphasize on. This aspect has permitted the company to place great value on its shareowners. This has allowed the company to put further thought into its CSR strategy that has Five Pillars. These include: Cadbury Schweppes continues to renew its commitments towards responsible growth of its business. Renewed commitments allows the company to be prepared for future CSR journey, which is termed as the company's 'Goals and Commitments on Sustainability.' Cadbury Schweppes has goals set for each of its Five Pillars for CSR strategy that is in sync with its approach to sustainability.3 The Problem Cadbury Faces Currently: Until recently, Cadbury Schweppes had little problem with its reputation. However, in June 2006, questions were raised regarding the ethical standards and social responsibility that the company preached for so long. According to the health department, Cadbury Schweppes has circulated stock that was contaminated4. This was discovered because of few cases of food poisoning that were traced back to Cadbury Schweppes. It was discovered that there was a leaking waste pipe that dripped some contaminants into Cadbury Schweppes' chocolate fudge. This is one of the ingredients used in many Cadbury products. After the investigation, it was determined that Cadbury Schweppes stood to lose 20 m because they had to recall the stock that was affected by the contamination5. Aside from the financial loss, there is also a risk of the company losing the trust of many customers. A Strategy to Counter Cadbury's Contamination Issue: Given that there are other top companies in the market today that have suffered breakdowns in ethical procedures, Cadbury Schweppes can recover from its position. It must be remembered that there are two things that Cadbury Schweppes stands to lose with its contamination issue; 20 m in circulated stock, and the trust of its customers. By already delaying recalling this circulated stock Cadbury has done itself damage. The strategy that Cadbury needs to adopt is: saving the company from long-term damage.6 Strategy Implementation: In order to save itself from long-term damage, Cadbury Schweppes

Quiz 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Quiz 1 - Essay Example A good example of the deaf sign language is the village sign language (MOUTON). Deaf sign languages bridge the gap between people with hearing impairments and those who can hear within the community. The third type is manually coded language, which acts as a bridge between oral and sign language. A good example is the coding popularly used by the blind. Language affects how we think but does not determine our thinking. We express our thoughts through language.  The amount of words we know in a language gives idea to our thinking. We will definitely think of those things in that are in our vocabulary. We think using language, but the language does not determine our thinking. Our lifestyle, tradition and habits shape how we think. Our thoughts are independent of the language we use, for example, similar thoughts can be explained using different languages and still mean the same thing. A speech community is a sociolinguistic expression that defines people with a common interest and speak or use the same variety of a language and have a specific set of rules for speaking and interpreting that language. People maybe living in the same community or village but belong to different speech communities (MOUTON). This lays the foundation for the difference between a speech community and a society. People who form a speech community, usually, have something in common and thus formulate ways that will make it easy for them to communicate and understand each other. Context can be explained as the situations or conditions that form the basis for a given event or undertaking. Context is vital when it comes to interpretation of sign language. For communication to be effective, many processes are involved. The only sure way to get the intended meaning of any given communication is by understanding and analyzing the context. Generally, a speaker sends out information with a certain meaning. The receiver is expected to infer

Barn Burning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Barn Burning - Essay Example Even though the story itself is not set in the Depression Era, but somewhere at the end of 19th century, the same themes of family heritage, maturation, and inequality are present in the story as they were at the time that Faulkner wrote this story. Faulkner's ability to impart his "strongly topographical imagination"(Miller 211) adds color and zest to this story, which can be taken at face value with some implicit tones contributing to the dilemmas of Sarty. The story, in a fairly solid Faulknerian manner, is centered on the conflict a young boy, Sarty Snopes, experiences, in relation to being faithful to his father versus behaving in the right manner ethically. From the beginning, we can see the extreme anguish of young Sarty, who once again has to lie to protect his father, feeling "fear and despair and the old grief of blood" (Faulkner 350). Sarty has no choice; he was born into this family, and inherited with it "the old fierce pull of blood" (Faulkner 348). His father is described as a man with "wolf like independence and even courage when the advantage was at least neutral which impressed strangers, as if they got from his latent ravening ferocity not so much a sense of dependability as a feeling that his ferocious conviction in the rightness of his own actions would be of advantage to all whose interest lay with his" (Faulkner 350).

Mission Statement Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Mission Statement - Coursework Example In essence, we are a school within a school. We have six Montessori classes at varying levels. We have supported the inclusion of children with special needs from the beginning. (We currently have 35 enrolled.) Supportive services are provided through the Belle Center and the Chicago Public Schools. We have a nationally recognized Outdoor Learning Environment - recognized by the National Wildlife Foundation. Our garden is the recipient of numerous awards from the City Of Chicago. The wetlands garden provides a wonderful place for children to explore, play and learn about themselves and the world around them. Parents are vital to our school and encouraged to participate in as much as they are able. We view parents as partners with the teachers in the care and education of the children. Many parents even serve on our Board or on many of our volunteer committees. Our faculty is composed of highly skilled Early Childhood professionals that have been selected because of their commitment and dedication to both children and families. Assistant teachers provide support to the teacher as well as love, warmth and knowledge to the children. Sister Barbara Jean Ciszek, C.S.J., also known as Sister BeeJay, has been our principal since we were founded in 1998. In her role, she works with the board, parents and faculty to oversee the day-to-day operation of the school as well as the spiritual and educational development of our students. She is under the direction of the Archdiocesan Superintendent of the Catholic

Library system Essay Example for Free

Library system Essay Introduction The world of Information Technology transformed and made the life of human beings easier through the innovation of different machines and software applications. Faster and reliable sources have been offered by search engines which are all over the web. But even though this is the case, many schools and universities are still requiring their students to use library materials in their researches and school works. From the statement of purpose, the compute’rized library system: meeting information needs of the people of Saint Michael College of Caraga, Nasipit, Agusan del Norte. Our proposed system, the Saint Michael College of Caraga Library Management System, is a system wherein there is no need of manual library transactions. This will carry out different processes such as searching books, keep records of the books, borrowing of books and return of books. Hence, at present, Saint Michael College of Caraga is maintaining the School Library in a manual basis. Handling bulky records in a manual method is very difficult. And the process of updating could not be done easily and accurately. Likewise, a manual procedure of handling bulky record is very slow and is prone to manual errors. Consequently, it is proposed that Saint Michael College of Caraga shall maintain an electronic data base management system (DBMS) for the purpose of maintaining the records of the School Library for easy, fast and accurate processing and maintenance of these records that will enhance management decisions and for the improvement of its services to all the stakeholders of Saint Michael College of Caraga. Library is regarded as the brain of any institute; many institutes understand the importance of the library to the growth of the institute and their esteem users (students). Library Management System of Saint Michael College of Caraga supports the general requirement of the library like acquisition, cataloguing, circulation that offers many flexible and convenient features, allowing librarians and library users to maximize time and efficiency. Library System gives the all detailed information about students, staff and books. It will track on the how many books available in library and books issued to the students. It shows popular book among the students. It will provide book lost in library. It keeps the record of the suppliers and book binders. It generates MIS reports for management. Our software is customizable for any library requirement. In this chapter we take opportunity to consider changes in the library services, not in terms of minor, short term change in equilibrium of the sort just noted above, but in longer term. There has been continuing concern about the future of the libraries. Given the extent to which the provision used and the libraries are influenced by the social environment, and given possibilities by the use of new information technology; it would be unreasonable to expect libraries to remain  static. But if not, what would be the nature of the change? The issue is not whether there is a change but what will be the change. If we are to make a claim to understand the nature of library services, the surely we ought to have notions, some forecasts, about how library system might change. Purpose and Description In setting up a library, one aspect that should be considered, what are the resources the library has and what are the ways to provide a better service to the students? Well, one of the easiest ways is having a system to organize all the transactions in the library. A library system is software that will handle basic and systematic organization of function in the library. The system would provide basic set of features to add/update student’s information, add/update books information, search for books and manage check-in/check-out processes. In this application we can maintain the records of students and books and enable to determine how many books are issued and likewise determine the available books in the library. The proposed library system will greatly improve the efficiency of the school library. This study has the following hypothesis: The profiles of the respondents taken are their names, Student ID Number, Year and Course, and Title and Author of the Book Borrowed. The manual system is very time consuming, inconvenient when it comes to recording, organizing and retrieving borrower’s record in the log book. There are few solutions but many a times, we making them works by finding ways to work around system inadequacies. Moreover we have limited staff resources, these work around waste time, effort, and skills that should be spent on user services. solutions do not keep up with the technological changes and hence prove to be time wasters. Library Management system is a small footprint software suitable for personal /individual Libraries. You can store the information about the books and other material and control the movement of the same. Silent Features †¢ Control the movement of books and other material and avoid losing the same. †¢ Search if you have a specific book in your collection based on t he title, author etc. †¢ Print the spine labels for the book. †¢ Find what a specific person has borrowed from you. Objectives The main objective of the application is to automate the existing system of manually maintain the records of the Book Issue, Book Return from the student, Stock Maintenance, and Book Search to be computerized. And to develop a database which stores user details and book details, give reliable search facility for the user, create an easy to understand user friendly environment. So the Book Issue, Return, Searching will be faster. This application can be used by any Library to automate the process of manually maintaining the records related to the subject of maintaining the stock  and Book Issues. The general objective of this study is to design and develop a library system that will serve as a proposal to help librarians save time with the automation of its daily operation. Specific Objectives: †¢To computerize records keeping of books; †¢To allow librarians to retrieve complete information of the book and its borrowers. †¢To check the availability of the books and penalties. †¢To search, issue and return of books. †¢It can only be utilized by the librarian Scope and Limitation The study only focuses on the Information Technology Library Management System of  Saint Michael College of Caraga. Without computers, as some libraries are, all of them are dependent on paper work. When compared to computerized systems, data backup and data retrieval systems are inefficient and labor intensive. Users of a paper based system become almost wholly reliant on the librarians, for all levels of service, whether they are enquiries about existing books, inter-library loans, or the availability of books. There is additionally no real involvement of a user in the entire process. The transactions that the system accommodates are the attendance of every student that  enter the library, book registration and deletion, updating book information and searching thesis references, Borrowing of books, and keeping the record of transaction. Review of Related Literature This chapter contains the relevant outline of literatures related to the study of Library system. This study composed of programming languages, Database and Graphical User Interface (GUI) that is used in the system. This system would be used by members who may be students or professors of that University to check the availability of the books and borrow the books using  automated device, and by the librarian to update the databases. Thepurposeofthisdocumentistoanalyzeandelaborateonthehigh-levelneedsand features of the Library Management System. It focuses on the capabilities and facilities provided by a Library. The details of what all are the needs of the Library Management System and if it fulfils these needs are detailed in the use-case and supplementary specifications. Automated book monitoring system helps to reduce the effect of entering the wrong quantity and the amount of staff time devoted to repetitive activities. Related Studies  According to ACRL (1994) suggested that institution should be prepared to utilized new technologies for accessing information as they are developed. This is why operating the library operations is quite a welcome idea. According to Jeff Kaplan (05/08/2007 A new generation of automated network management software and services is helping in-house staff address this challenge. These let network professionals establish regular patch-management procedures to safeguard against escalating security threats; and create system monitoring routines to identify load imbalances, which could cause service disruptions or performance problems. They also discover, inventory and track assets to make sure that hardware and software licenses are up-to-date and that problems can be resolved faster. According to Voustin Sweere (Aug. 2001) Nowadays every book keeping system used in practice is automated. Most book keeping software an integrated information system are based on database. In this paper, we develop a conceptual book keeping model which is not based on manual techniques, but which is applicable in database environment. Technical Background In this chapter, it provides an overview of all the overall system design, features and  functionalities. The system is design to implement a computerize library management system in Saint Michael College of Caraga. This system consists of one user, the administrator. The administrator can access the system by having first the login security which they have to input his/her user name and password. Once the inputted username and password did not match, the required/registered information it displays â€Å"Invalid Username and Password†. If the username and password match the registered information, the next form will display depending on the role of the administrator.

Arguments For and Against Online Music Sharing

Arguments For and Against Online Music Sharing In this report, I am going to outline the arguments for and against the unauthorized sharing of music on the internet. I will outline the strengths and weaknesses of unauthorised sharing of music on the internet, using evidence which I will discuss and summarise.As music has begun to circulate in various material forms, it has become more of a commodity, as it has become more transportable. A large part of this is the use of the internet to share and download music in the form of files. The information market regime, a theory evolved by Weick (1995), suggests that a market information regime conveys the impression that the information gathered by the music industry is valid and very important, and that its availability creates demand for its use in interpreting the market. I will touch on this point further in this report.I will also touch on several resources, both textbook and internet based, which outline theories, practices and articles in relation to the evolution, distribution and contestation of sharing music online. Â  Advantages of Sharing Music Although there are few advantages of sharing music online, Caves (2001, p.6) suggests that due to the infinite variety of the nature of the creative industries, the multidimensional quality of cultural products makes it hard to predict what audiences will like. Its multidimensional nature means that it is valued in a variety of ways by listeners across different places and is modified by musicians in new ways. This means that although unauthorised music sharing can make it difficult to log and track patterns in the market and predict what audiences will like, it does not hinder this process as it is already difficult to measure the market and its demands. Although there are difficulties in predicting cultural taste, pre-testing may be used. In terms of the music market, pre-testing is a form of research carried out before production is complete and major resources have been committed (Banks, Barnett and Mahendran, 2012). With music pre-testing, a single song from an album may be shared with a select audience to review and give feedback. This means that the song may be shared across a wider audience by unauthorised means, however, as no major resources have been committed, the musicians do not lose profit and their reputation may grow because of the song being shared. By having a wide range, the chances are that the albums produced will become hits, meaning that these will more than cover the costs lost by unauthorised music sharing. Despite internet based forms of distribution meaning that music becomes shared illegally, it also means that the information regime is transformed as music companies can gain more direct knowledge of the market through their own download websites and websites that allow music audiences to post information about music tastes, such as what they like and dislike (Walsh and Mitchell, 2010). The article written by Miller (2012) says that lots of people seemingly dont have any problem with downloading pirated music. In fact, 70% of online users say they find nothing wrong with online piracy, and 63% of users admit to doing some illegal downloading. So, while music piracy may be illegal, its socially accepted. This suggests that although piracy is illegal, it has become more socially acceptable, despite the risks of websites being closed and frequent users facing bans. Â  Disadvantages of Sharing Music There are many disadvantages of the unauthorised sharing of music on the internet. As music has begun to circulate in various material forms, it has become more of a commodity, thus has become more portable. A large part of this is the use of the internet to share and download music in the form of files. However, music is being shared by unauthorised internet users and websites which can have detrimental consequences. For example, it is difficult to measure market trends in the creative industry, which means that recorded music turns over quickly and must be measured by trends in existing sales by logging both physical and virtual sales. These markets are characterised by uncertainty, meaning that commercial activity is shaped by the need to predict and manage this uncertain demand. This can be tricky if music is being shared in an unauthorised way as it means that the music trends recorded will not be accurate so may hinder actual music sales. Baharat and Peterson (2000) suggest that the information generated by this market research reflects existing tastes and helps to construct the market. The information market regime, a theory evolved by Weick (1995), suggests that a market information regime conveys the impression that the information is valid and very important, and that its accessibility creates demand for its use in understanding the market. However, this suggests that information regimes typically take the form of sales reports, and hot selling items, which makes this predict and provide method invalid due to music being shared in an unauthorised way online, as it means all sales are not recorded, thus meaning the figures are inaccurate. As we can see in the article written by BBC Blogs, Waters (2009) suggests that sharing music illegally online causes significant damage and means that artists from different backgrounds are not being paid for their professional work, saying that up to 800,000 jobs in the creative industry may be threatened almost half of the entire industry. However, the government is being advised to force internet providers to place a ban on frequent file sharers, meaning more of a consequence may be put in place. The article written by Ernestro (2015) agrees with Waters (2009) as it suggests that a strategy has been put in place to curb online piracy by sending warnings to frequent file sharers and alleged pirates. This warning programme is part of the Creative Content UK (CCUK) initiative which is hosting a series of educational campaigns, called Get it right from a Genuine Site, encouraging people, especially young people and students, to steer clear of pirate sites and to use authorised, approved services instead, thus meaning that copyright holders and industry employees are not facing the detrimental effects that illegal file sharing causes. The initiative intends to measure the consumption of legal and illegal consumption of content in order to create and use statistics as a way of deterring piracy.The article written by PRS for music (2015) provides more depth into the aims and views of the Get it Right from a Genuine Site campaign, especially as it suggests that the 1.7 million employ ees of the creative industries may be at risk of job loss due to unauthorised file sharing. It is vital that they are protected from both transgression and copyright so that more can be invested into creating new content for fans to appreciate. Whilst the article largely outlines the disadvantages of piracy, it could be advantageous as its encouraging people to make the right choice rather than issuing sanctions. Conclusion To conclude, the disadvantages of unauthorised file sharing massively outweigh the advantages. Whilst it is advantageous in terms of testing the market for trends and demand, unauthorised file sharing can have some detrimental effects on the creative industries. The educational campaign, Get it right from a Genuine Site, is clearly seeking to reduce piracy and creative industry employees losing both money and their jobs, by aiming to educate the public about unauthorised file sharing to encourage them to use licensed services to share and download music. The campaign has been using a promotional hashtag on social media sites to attempt to spread their message. It may be worth further considering the CCUK campaign and their resources when organising your week of debate and raising awareness around internet use. The article written by PRS for music (2015) mostly outlines the disadvantages of unauthorised sharing of music on the internet. Neville-Rolfe, the Minister for Intellectual Property, suggests that the campaign is helping to improve the UKs economy and culture, simply by encouraging people to download from genuine sites. This can then help to ensure that by protecting and promoting the future of entertainment that it can help the industry to grow and expand as opposed to shrinking and losing money because of job losses and infringement. Overall, it is clear to see that there are many disadvantages of unauthorised music sharing, which heavily outweigh any positives there may be. I hope you have found this report useful in outlining the advantages and disadvantages of sharing music online, and that it will be beneficial in creating a week of debate on this topic around good practice and safe internet use. References Adorno, T. (1945) A social critique of radio music, Kenyon Review, vol. 7, no. 2, pp. 208-17. Anand, B.N. and Peterson, R. (2000) When market information constitutes fields: sensemaking of markets in the commercial music industry, Organization Science, vol. 11, no. 3, pp. 270-84. Banks, M., Barnett, C. and Mahendran, K. (2012). The Uses of Social Science. Milton Keynes: The Open University, p.19. Baulch, E. (2003) Gesturing elsewhere: the identity politics of the Balinese death/thrash metal scene, Popular Music, vol. 22, no. 2, pp. 195-215. Baulch, E. (2008) Making Scenes: Reggae, Punk, and Death Metal in 1990s Bali, Durham, NC, Duke University Press. Caves, R. (2001) Creative Industries: Contracts between Art and Commerce, Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press. Clifford, J. (1986) Introduction: partial truths in Clifford, J. and Marcus, G. (eds) Writing Culture: The Poetics and Politics of Ethnography, Berkeley, CA, University of California Press. Clifford, J. (1992) Travelling cultures in Grossberg, L., Nelson, C. and Treichler, P. (eds) Cultural Studies, New York/London, Routledge. Douk Saga Sagacite (16 May 2007) YouTube video, added by missyolga [online], www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGQlXbe2pq4 (Accessed 23 November 2012) Ernesto (2015) UK anti-piracy education campaign launched, quietly, TorrentFreak, 1 December Eternal Madness -Gila Sepanjang Masa (11 February 2011) YouTube video, added by PRASASTY666 [online], www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxOH3DXRHas (Accessed 15 August 2012). Geertz, C. (1973) The Interpretation of Cultures, New York, Basic Books. Gronow, P. and Saunio, I. (1998) An International History of the Recording Industry, London, Cassell. Gupta, A. and Ferguson, J. (eds) (1997) Culture, Power, Place: Explorations in Critical Anthropology, Durham, NC, Duke University Press. Informa Telecoms Media (2010) Pop is still king of the worlds music genres, Music Copyrights Blog, 11 August [online], http://musicandcopyright.wordpress.com/2010/08/11/pop-is-still-king-of-the-world%E2%80%99s-music-genres/ (Accessed 15 August 2012). Katz, E. and Lazarsfeld, P. (1955) Personal Influence: The Part Played by People in the Flow of Mass Communication, Glencoe, IL, Free Press. Miller, M. (2012). Downloading Pirated Music: Pros and Cons | | Que. [online] Quepublishing.com. Available at: http://www.quepublishing.com/articles/article.aspx?p=1946755 [Accessed 7 Feb. 2017]. Ortner, S. (1995) Resistance and the problem of ethnographic refusal, Comparative Studies in Society and History, vol. 37, no. 1, pp. 173-93. PRS for Music (2015) Get it right safeguarding the UKs creative industries, PRS for Music, 23 October Scannell, P. (2007) Media and Communication, London, Sage. Steil, L. (2011) Realness: authenticity, innovation and prestige among young danseurs afros in Paris, in Toynbee, J. and Dueck, B. (eds) Migrating Music, London, Routledge. Walsh, G. and Mitchell, V-W. (2010) The effect of consumer confusion proneness on word of mouth, trust, and customer satisfaction, European Journal of Marketing, vol. 44, no. 6, pp. 838-59. Waters, Darren. How Damaging Is Illegal File Sharing?. BBC. N.p., 2009. Web. 28 Jan. 2017.

Managing And Leading Change

Managing And Leading Change Ashland Case Study Assignment Company background Ashland Inc is a Fortune 500 and Standard and Poors (SP) Midcap 400 company, providing specialised chemical, technologies and insights through Ashland Aqualon Functional Ingredients, Ashland Hercules Waters Technologies, Ashland Performance Materials, Ashland Consumer Markets (Valvoline) and Ashland Distribution. The firm has operations in more than 100 countries worldwide. In 2010 the companys revenue equated to $9bn, but its beginnings in 1924 were far more humble and it has   been though many changes since it was founded in 1924 as part of the refining arm of the Swiss Oil company, and it was then known as the Ashland Refining Company. The company takes its name after the town of its inception, namely Ashland, Kentucky in the United States. In 1936 both companies merged and Ashland General Manager, Paul G. Blazer, became the newly merged companys president and the company achieved $4.8m in sales, and by the entry of the United States into the Second World War they had grown to $12m. During the period a new refinery is built at Catlettsburg to produce aviation fuel. After the war the Ashland brand is developed, and products are sold under the companys name. This enables sales to further rise to $20.4m, and the company makes further strides in 1950 by acquiring the Freedom-Valvoline Oil Company and the contributed to a further boost to sales by 900 per cent. By 1959 the Valvoline brand had begun to reach the top of the lubricants world, thanks to an increase in the firms growing workforce, advertising campaigns, investments in infrastructure and it is highly featured in motorsport to this day. The growth in its petro-chemicals business led to further growth, leading to the acquisition of R.J Brown of St. Louis, Montana and sales grew to $280m. However, in 1966 the company diversified and it purchased Warren Brothers and Ashland Paving And Construction Inc. was born. The firms sales reached $699 million as a result of this acquisition. Furthermore the company continued to evolve during the 1960s with the acquisition of ADM Chemical Group and the formation of Ashland Chemical, making Ashland a leading chemical supplier. In 1969 Ashland Petroleum was formed, a year after the company had reached the milestone of having achieved an annual revenue of $1bn. However, the company further diversified and it enters into the coal-extraction market with the launch of the Arch-Mineral joint venture.   The following year the companys name is changed further to gaining shareholders support, and it became Ashland Oil. It also purchases a refinery, adding the SuperAmerica petrol station and convenience store chain to its holdings. The next milestone appears in 1986 with the establishment of Valvoline Instant Oil Change, which provided a service for lubricating vehicles across 70 units. Since then it has become the second-largest franchised quick lubrication business in the US, and it can be found at 870 locations. The table below, according to the company, shows its other important milestones: Year Event 1992 Ashland acquires most of Unocals chemical distribution business, becoming North Americas leading distributor of chemicals and solvents 1994 Zerex vehicle antifreeze and coolant, the No. 2 brand in the U.S., is added to the Valvoline product line-up. Sales reach $10.3 billion. 1995 Shareholders approve changing the companys name to Ashland Inc. to better reflect our diverse operations. This same year, more than $368 million is invested in 14 acquisitions to strengthen related energy and chemical businesses. 1998 Ashland and Marathon Oil merge their petroleum refining and marketing assets into a joint venture. Eagle One auto appearance products join the Valvoline brand line-up. 1999 Ashland celebrates its 75th anniversary. The company relocates its headquarters from Ashland, Ky., USA, to Covington, Ky., USA, adjacent to Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. 2002 Ashland introduces Envirez resin, the first commercially available unsaturated polyester resin containing a significant quantity of renewable materials. 2004 Ashland reorganizes into two sectors, Chemical and Transportation Construction. This lays the foundation for the companys transformation into a global specialty chemical company. 2005 Ashland divests its joint-venture oil and refining business to partner Marathon Oil, and also acquires Car Brite, a leading marketer of professional auto reconditioning products. Sales are $9.3 billion. 2006 The transformation into a specialty chemical company continues. Northwest Coatings, a technical leader in the development of innovative Waters-based and energy-curable adhesives and coatings, is acquired and Ashland Paving And Construction, Inc. is sold. 2008 Ashland acquires Hercules Incorporated in a $3.3-billion transaction. The deal moves us into the top tier of global specialty chemical companies. 2009 The Nanjing Technical Center opens in China. The applications lab supports customers in the coatings, construction, energy, food, personal care and industrial specialties markets. Sales reach $8.1 billion. 2010 Natrosol hydroxyethylcellulose rolls off the line at a new plant in Nanjing, China. Ashland launches a global joint venture in foundry chemicals with Sà ¼d-Chemie AG and announces plans to sell Ashland Distribution in 2011. 2011 Ashland and our people continue to set the standard for good chemistry and all of the great things it creates around the world. Table data source: Ashland Inc. Ashland vision, mission, values and operating principles The firm aims to be a leading global specialised chemical company by inspiring and engaging with its employees and adding value to everything it does. The company describes its mission as follows: â€Å"We satisfy our customers by delivering results through quality chemical products and services. Our desire to grow drives our passion to win in the marketplace. With a unified, low-cost operating structure, well remain competitive across every business and in every geographic region.† The following are its values and operating principles: Our Values: Who we are We act with integrity and honesty. We focus on customer and shareholder success and compete to win. We recognize each person for the difference he or she makes. We drive innovation and results by understanding the market and its opportunities. We are committed to the values of responsibility, sustainability and transparency. We create safe and health-conscious work environments, require compliance and embrace environmental stewardship. Our Operating Principles: How it happens We operate in compliance with the law and adhere to high ethical standards. We assess the impact on customers and society when making decisions. We are externally focused. Our businesses are defined by markets. We are process-centred. Our processes are designed to optimize global performance. Ashland leaders are first responsible to Ashland and second to a business, resource group or process. We are led by an Executive Committee that enforces our principles, sets our strategy and manages our capital. We are united by our common vision, mission, values and operating principles. Case Study Background Ashland Incs earnings were off track in 2002. The company was also troubled by high levels of redundancy and operating costs throughout its business groups. The annual net results were also lower than the companys share value. Even though the company has evidently gone through a number of transformations and evolutions since 1924, the vice-president of HR at the time felt that the firms troubles because it had turned it into a change-averse organisation. There was apparently no desire for change, and this person felt that as a company they didnt do it well. Doing something different was thought of as change. Between 1998 and 2003 Ashland had gone through a resource group restructuring exercise, relocated its head office, sold its oil exploration business, and it engaged in marketing and refining joint ventures. Dwight King, Ashland Chemicals President for HR, said that there was a lot of rubble left behind, which led to unwanted turnover and reductions in performance. â€Å"As our previous VP of HR would say, a lot of wreckage results from somehow not executing our plans correctly†, he said before explaining that the elements of a previous failure were impacting severely on the business. There was also a new and critical project on the table, and the leadership team recognised that they were not being very efficient due to a lacking of understanding of what it means to be change leaders.   Dwight therefore felt that he was about to watch another car accident occur. What was missing was not the what and why, but the how to change the organisation for the better. So in 2003 the firms senior executives recognised that they hadnt changed direction as well as they could have done. So the organisation was nearly broken when the company tried to implement its first Enterprise Resource Planning system in its distribution unit, and this led to a shut down of west coast operations. The implementation hadnt gone as well as everyone had expected. Change was therefore vital, and so Dwight initiated a change management programme. The company needed to build change into the organisation as a competency. The objectives were to ‘retro-fit several of its major initiatives to a change management methodology, integrate project and change management, to create a training curriculum and to build competencies within the following groups: managers, supervisors, practitioners, intact project teams and employees. He recognised that this had to start from the top of the organisation, and so he arranged an executive briefing with all of the firms business unit presidents. He succeeded in gaining sponsorship for his initiative at the meeting. The programmes focused on HR, project managers and the distribution leadership team. By 2005 this had created tremendous momentum, including the adoption of change management terminologies and a new change management approach. However, the first investments in change occurred in 2004 when Dwight facilitated a conversation with the chemical sector leadership team. He asked them a number of questions to find out where the company should be in five years time, and what it should look like. The discussion also analysed, from that particular hypothetical perspective, how the company got there, and what they would have to do to arrive at their perceived ‘destination. There was also some in-depth discussion about the obstacles theyd face and how they would overcome them. The SAP implementation moved forward too. It was now fully implemented, and Ashland formed its GlobalOne project team for SAP to begin a worldwide roll-out. Dwight convinced the SAP project manager that he needed to include a change management element in its deployment. In fact he said that ‘change needed to go well beyond that which was defined by the SAP consultants. â€Å"There were plenty of people who gave lip-service to the word ‘change, including the consultants, two of the largest consulting firms in the world†, said Dwight. He added that their idea of change involved â€Å"documenting the new physical competencies of change around what new buttons you had to push, what new levers you had to pull, what new screens you were seeing in order to enter or bill an order, or service an account.† There was no understanding about the resistance that would be created by any change programme implementation; their views didnt even consider the creation of a body of knowledge about expectations and then reinforcing them through training. This meant that there would need to be some systems training in place, and so a change management consultant was hired for the GlobalOne team. Previously they had implemented SAP Global One in Canada, and even though there was a good change management plan in place, some issues arose. The trouble was that the assets were only there for just two weeks, and then the team left to implement it in the US. Out of this situation came the realisation that you need a dedicated change management structure within the project to make sure that it succeeds. It was also recognised that certain people were needed in order to be responsible for the change effort. Around the same period the company implemented an organisation-wide rewards scheme, called Total Rewards, which redesigned the firms salary and incentive schemes. This migrated the company to a single incentive scheme. Previously each group had had their own. Ashlands CEO and Board Chairman, Jim OBrien, was introduced to the change leadership tools, and he used them to identify the champions within the company. Working collaboratively with HR and Communications he developed a strategy to target the change sponsors. â€Å"It went incredibly well†, said Dwight before adding that it was â€Å"fraught with potential landmines and we missed most of them, so Jim, our CEO, became an advocate for change competency.† They also adopted a change management methodology and 150 people attended a workshop. The companys distribution managers and projects leaders, upon participating in the workshops, thought that they had at last struck on what change was all about. Subsequently this marked a change in Ashlands deployment strategy. There was no longer a requirement to apply change management to one project at a time. An enterprise-wide approach was sanctioned by OBrien instead, and he selected Hank Waters to be the Ashland Enterprise Change Management Executive sponsor. Dwight King and Hank Waters then set about creating an organisational structure and identified key players within the ECM Deployment Team. The ECM Deployment Team was created in May 2006, and it began to implement the change management programme across the company from this point. While Hank Waters was at its leader, the team also included Pam Yost, Carol Chistobek, Jerry Prochko, Lisa Ireland, Mark Lambeth, Stacy Dunbar and Vondar Melton. An ECM Steering Committee was also formed to provide oversight for the ECM Deployment team, and it became an important catalyst for driving change further into the organisation. Two members of the team also undertook a course to become change management trainers in a change management methodology. The Steering Committee included heads of HR, Corporate Communications, IT, EHS and two business unit leaders. Its purpose was to provide direction to the change management programme. Together they achieved substantial change between 2003 and 2008, and the company made significantly more inroads than it had done previously to achieve their vision to construct a platform for growth. This exercise was repeated across the globe, and it was helped when a former business unit head and a member of the ECM steering committee, Peter Rijneveldshoek, became president of Ashland Europe. He requested that all members of the 200 plus European management team attend change management training in preparation for the SAP implementation. Dwight says that the company lost momentum at one point due to moving a key executive from change management deployment over to Ashlands Waters division, but the aim was to make change part of the organisations DNA. Therefore European project leaders were also required to undergo change management training. However, this was more embedded in the US more than in Europe. The training also occurred with project managers in China. In April 2007 a series of assessments were conducted, and there were also a number of professional development sessions held with the 12 members of the Operating Committee and the CEO. The aim of the assessments was to help the senior executives to understand the true meaning behind sponsorship of change, and it gave them an insight into how they were fulfilling their roles. Coaching sessions followed these ones, and sponsorship development roadmaps were created to enable the leadership team to develop their skills as sponsors of the change management programme. The project was deemed to be successful with 95% of the participants in a survey about the change management programme reporting that the training and tools helped them to provide support for their employees during the SAP EMEA implementation. An online training course was also provided, and 331 employees took part in it. Again 96% agreed strongly or just agreed that the course had been worth the time it took to take it. However, at one point it was felt that the ECM team required another 6-12 months to ensure that 90% of the organisation would be more change-ready. Problems arose due to members of the team being moved to more permanent roles within other parts of the organisation. Nevertheless, change became more part of Ashlands dictionary than it was previously, and more awareness of what change means was created. TASK: You are a change management consultant whose been asked to come into Ashland to assess the companys change programmes. Critically analyse and evaluate the success of the programme mentioned in the case study, consider other approaches that the firm could have taken, and think about what recommendations for change youd make for 2011 onwards based on the your knowledge of the companys history and previous change management efforts. Use the information contained in the case study, plus further primary and secondary research to form your assessment of Ashlands future strategic direction and explain how it will need to adopt new change management programmes. Consider all of the aspects of Managing and Leading Change that were discussed in your lectures, including the theoretical models and approaches to managing, leading and implementing change within an organisation. Compare your approach to the one taken by Ashland between 2003 and 2008, and explain how you would measure the success of your change management programme. For example, which metrics should Ashland be using to assess the success of its change programmes?

History of Swimming :: essays research papers fc

HISTORY OF SWIMMING Swimming was invented before recorded history. Humans discovered how to swim by accident. A person probably fell into the water and struggled to shore using a dog-paddle stroke. There was an Egyptian hieroglyph for swimming dating from 2500 BC. The ancient Greeks and Romans made swimming an important part of their military training programs. There have been known swimming contests that were organized in Japan as early as the 1st century BC. During the Middle Ages in Europe, swimming declined in popularity. People felt that the water was contaminated and a source of disease. Not everyone feared the water, however, Louis XI reportedly swam daily in the Seine. During the early 19th century, swimming enjoyed a revival, especially in England, Lord Byron swam the Dardanelles river, to prove that the mythological hero Leander could have done it. Organized competitive swimming began in England in the 1840s. In 1844 the British were surprised when two American Indians demonstrated the efficiency of a method of swimming similar to the modern crawl. The British still swam with the head above the water, a holdover from the days when people believed that the water was contaminated. An overhand stroke was introduced into England in 1873 by J. Arthur Trudgen, who had seen South American Indians using this method to swim really fast. When the flutter kick was introduced, the modern "Australian crawl† was born, and this stroke has since become the most common and most important swimming stroke. FITNESS COMPONENTS To swim well u need to know how to coordinate your arms and legs to get you through the water. At first you will probably need to have lessons. Also to swim u need agility and just gravity. Swimming also requires balance and quickness in some cases. Not much is needed to know if you want to swim. Swimming improves heart and lung efficiency, enhances muscle strength and endurance, improves flexibility, and reduces stress. It’s easy on the joints, and uses more muscles than most other forms of exercise. Although swimming burns a great deal of calories, recreational swimmers tend to lose less weight than would be expected from other types of aerobic activity. Scientists say that cold water removes heat from the body, stimulating appetite to keep the body warm. Exposure to cold water may encourage the body to maintain fat stores for insulation. To lose weight by swimming, its necessary to cut down on the calories you eat, and to swim fast enough and long enough. Swimming can burn more than 660 calories an hour when performed correctly and causes less injuries to joints and muscles than aerobics or jogging.

My First Dance Performance :: essays research papers

Dancing has been a passion with me for a long time. My mother tells me how any melody had me dancing when I was a toddler. On growing up I tried learning some serious dancing and after trying both Bharat Natyam and Kathak, I decided to pursue Kathak seriously. So, I have been learning Kathak for more than a year now. My Guruji teaches me twice a week about the steps, taals and abhinaya of Kathak. My passion for Kathak has grown since I started learning it. After my sessions I spend time rehearsing the steps and mudras and also love to watch performances on stage ant TV. I have been longing for an opportunity to perform onstage before a live audience. I did not have to wait long for an opportunity to dance on stage because the teachers decided to put up a Kathak group dance for the Class Five’s form evening. Preparing for the final evening was as much fun as the event itself. We were a group of eighteen girls. Some, like I, had some background in Kathak while others were dancing in this style for the first time. The teachers worked hard with us over a period of twenty days. They encouraged the team and were patient with us as we fumbled with the steps. It was hard work as the steps of the dance were changed few times till we got the steps all the eighteen girls were comfortable with. We did not grudge the effort and looked forward to performing before the parents. While the steps of dancers and the co-ordination amongst the team was being repeatedly rehearsed, the teachers decided upon the dresses, jewellery and makeup of the dancers. I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of the preparation to the big event. Finally, the day of the form evening arrived. The parents in the audience were in for an impressive display. Ours was the third item. The girls trooped in eager to give their best and to make the class look good. We all danced to the music, perfect and well co-ordinated in our steps. I was right in the centre and was one of the two dancers in the front.

Syed Mokhtar Al Bukhary

He was born at Kampung Hutan Keriang in Alor Setar, Kedah in 1951. It was nine years later that his mother, Sharifah Rokiah, packed him off to stay with his British soldier uncle in Johor Bahru. He returned to Alor Setar in 1966, continued his Form Three studies at St Michael’s Secondary School, and helping out with his father’s cattle trading business. He dropped out of school before completing Form Five, ventured into meat trading after his father called it a day when the cattle business was badly affected by the foot and mouth disease.From there, he went into rice trading, the transportation business, garment contract manufacturing (for JCPenny and Kmart), property development and a host of other businesses. And he did not wait to become a rich man to share his wealth with the unfortunate. He started giving when he was still struggling as a rice trader. His mother had urged him to contribute to the poor, regardless of race or religion. So he made arrangements for hal f of his income of RM1,500 then to be donated to 15 needed families in his village.It is a practice that continues till this day, with poor families receiving RM50 each every month. He has also been sponsoring some 50 pilgrims to perform their Haj every year since 1990s. Charity is his all-consuming passion. It has been the cornerstone of his business world from the start. â€Å"Wealth has to circulate. When you make money, you have to give it away. â€Å"My mother taught us nothing is yours until you have given it away with all your heart in the hope it will make someone’s life easier.†As far as Syed Mokhtar is concerned, he is merely the steward of wealth that is meant to be spent in the service of mankind. In 2007, the May 20 edition of the World Business nominated Syed Mokhtar as one of the Top 20 â€Å"Progressive Asians†, citing him as one â€Å"who has no interest in personal aggrandisement. † In 2008, Malaysia honoured him as Tokoh Ma’al H ijrah 1429H or Man of the year 2008 in recognition of his contributions to the country. The same year, he was recognised as one of the leading philanthropists in Asia by Forbes.The Most Fearful 70 minutes in Syed Mokhtar's life Assalamualaikum and hi! Today I would like to tell you an episode of Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Al Bukhary's life. Hope you will enjoy it! It was the most frightening 70 minutes for Syed Mokhtar when he met Dr Mahathir, who was a Malaysian Prime Minister at that time. The meeting held on January 16, 1997 which has lasted for 70 minutes has become a very unforgettable memory in his life. When he meet Dr Mahathir , Syed Mokhtar has been treated unfriendly.Dr Mahathir did not smile when he greeted him. Syed Mokhtar felt very nervous when he sees the serious face of Dr Mahathir. Dr Mahathir did not even ask him to seat. So he decided to sit and present all the documents he had prepared on its business at Kedah even without being asked. After 70 minutes passed Dr Mahath ir still did not speak even a word. Syed Mokhtar decided to leave all of his documents and walk out of Dr. Mahathir’s room. This incidence has become the most terrifying 70 minutes for Syed Mokhtar and will be remembered forever.However, the fear was eventually paid off because he has successfully implemented projects that he presented to Dr Mahathir. I think maybe Dr Mahathir has his own reason for treating Syed Mokhtar like that. Still, if I was him I might have fainted in front of Dr Mahathir. That was so nerve-recking, I can tell you. 8 interesting facts about Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukhary 1) He still driving an old models of Proton Perdana that he purchased before he became the owner of Proton Company itself (page viii) 2) He is a very sentimental person.His first office at Teluk Wanjah, Alor Setar is still preserved in its original condition, including the original furniture that has been used since 1975, as well as the earliest rice trucks, cars and scales owned rice company. Everything is still kept up until today. 3) Syed Mokhtar Albukhary will drive back to Alor Setar each month to visit his mother, Sharifah Rokiah, although he is more than capable of using private plane , or at least use a personal driver (page viii) 4) He also has never been a member of any exclusive club as the prevalence of any successful corporate figure.(page 3) 5)Do not like to sleep in air-conditioned room, but after getting married, he compromised on this. (page187) 6) Every single year he will go to Mecca to perform the Umrah. (page 171) 7) He also sponsored 50 paupers for pilgrimage every single year. (page 72) 8) He is also not a racist person. He is practicing of donating part of his income to poor families, regardless of their race. (page 119) Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Albukhary, is well known as as a â€Å"Philanthropist Millionaire†. Born in 1951 in Alor Setar, Kedah, from a family ofHadhramawt, Yemen origin, Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar and his seven siblings had a very simple life when they were young. Due to hardship in life, he only managed attend school until Form Five in order to give way to his other siblings to further their studies. His success story in business began by helping his parents in cattle business around 1960-an. However, this did not last long due to the outbreak of disease which hit their livestock. Hence, Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar took other initiative by applying for MARA’s assistance to start a lorry business in the 1970s.The lorry company which is known as Syarikat Kenderaan Sentosa (Sentosa Vehicle Company) now owns more than 40 lorries. Know as a man with a vision, his efforts did not stop at that point. In 1974, Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar bought his first shop house under the hire-purchase agreement with Urban Development Authority of Malaysia (UDA). The next year, he expanded his business empire by establishing Shah Company, known as a rice supplier to FELDA, MARA Senama, Pernas Edar and Sergam Sdn Bhd after having succeeded in obtaining the rice trading license from Lembaga Padi Negara or BERNAS.Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar described his achievement in business was the outcome of government’s initiative in implementing the New Economy Policy (NEP). Since then, Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar’s business continued to expand rapidly until he was awarded as one of the richest Bumiputera corporate figure in Malaysia, received recognition from Malaysian Business as the seventh richest man in Malaysia in 2005 and recently named as the fiftieth richest man by Forbes in 2013.This Malaysian tycoon has expanded his business empire at a bigger scale by owning a controlling interest in giant companies in Malaysia such as MMC Corporation Berhad, Tanjung Pelepas Port, BERNAS, Malakoff Berhad, Johor Port Berhad, to name a few. Known as a generous figure with a remarkable humanity, he set up the Islamic Art Museum, Al-Bukhary Foundation, Al-Bukhary International University as well as Al-Bukhary Complex.Besides tha t, he was also responsible in the renovations of the National Mosque and sponsors the less fortunate Malaysians to perform their Hajj. More recent, this millionaire with a big heart has built several mosques in some districts in Negeri Sembilan, apart from Alor Setar, Senai Airport, Johor and also at Jalan Pudu. As a â€Å"Philanthropist Millionaire†, an honorable value which has been instilled by his parents when he was young, Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar is a humble man and never acts parsimonious with the knowledge he possesses as well as  his recipe of success in business.Taken from Syed Mokhtar Albukhary: A Biography by Premilla Mohanlall, he once said, â€Å"My mother taught us that we have nothing until we give what we have sincerely, with the hope that it will make other people’s lives better. † It is clear that humility is his top priority when he said, â€Å"A lesson to me is that we must always remember our origin, where we come from and remain humble when we are blessed with good fortune. Otherwise, we might fall. †

How Reality Telivision Promotes Teen Pregnancy Essay

Reality television often has the tendency to present an unrealistic view towards issues regarding real life situations. Teen pregnancy is one of the most misleading topics presented on reality television. Tabloids feed off of the shows’ popularity by plastering the pictures of the teens on magazines and online, making them seem more appealing. Teen pregnancy as presented on reality television shows is irresponsible, dangerous and misleading by promoting an unrealistic view of young parenthood, encouraging pregnancy and glamorizing the consequences that result from such issues. Parenthood is the leading cause of girls dropping out of school. More than 50% of teenage mothers do not graduate from high school. The United States has one of the highest teen pregnancy rates in the western world. Bearing a child at any age can be difficult but for teenagers it can have substantial negative effects not only for the teen but also for their families. Since teenagers are mainly dependent on their parents or guardians this burden is pushed back on them as well. Studies show that 3 in 10 American teen girls will get pregnant at least once before the age of 20. That’s nearly 750,000 teen pregnancies every year and about 25% of teen moms will have a second child within two years of their first child. In some cases, children born from parents who are adolescent will have more behavioral problem and poorer education than those children born to more mature aged parents. Childbearing also costs U.S. taxpayers billions of dollars due to increased public assistance programs, foster and public health care. Despite these unfortunate facts, between 1991 and 2013,  the teen birth rate has decreased from 61.8 to 26.6 per 1,000 teens. Although the birth rate has dropped, the U.S. still has the highest birth rate compared to other developed countries. According to a report by the Guttmacher Institute, 82% of teen pregnancies are unintended. Teen Mom is a reality show aired by MTV that broadcasts the lives of teenagers who are dealing with parenthood. Besides their dealing with parenthood they also have to face the challenges of finishing school, moving out of their parents’ home, finding a job to support their child and possibly their higher education. While these are ultimately real life situations and challenges today’s society has a more lenient view towards pregnant women that are not married. Although majority of teens deal with the same issues once they are faced with having a child there are some pieces of reality television that is not much of a reality which can cause teens to be less concerned with how realistic theses shows are. Majority of the mothers on these shows have the full support of their parents whether it be finding them a home, watching the child while the teen is working or at school, and even monetarily. Not every parent will be supportive of their child having a baby nor will every parent be willing to assist their child in any way shape or form. Unfortunately it is not common for the fathers of the children to be uninterested in caring for the child or being financially responsible for their child. However, not every father is represented or acts like a â€Å"dead beat† father but the way they are represented on these shows does not realistically present the same outcome for each family. Aside from misrepresenting young parenthood the shows aired by MTV are often criticized of glamorizing teen pregnancy. The â€Å"stars† of the show are given extra publicity by having their names and faces on magazines and articles online with things regarding their lives outside of their pregnancy. A study found that the teens who watch shows such as â€Å"Teen Mom† and â€Å"16 and Pregnant† have a skewed idea of young parenthood. Teens who watch these shows heavily are led to believe that the young moms have supportive partners, substantial income and an enviable lifestyle which is a completely  untrue reality for other young parents who do not lave camera crews recording their every move. In a high school survey of 185, researcher were able to link teens who watched these reality shows with unrealistic views of what it is like to be a young parent. The teens seems to believe that being a young parent was easy which might increase the likelihood that they would be less cautious of having safe sex, not being so concerned with the consequences that can stem from unprotected sex. While talking about teen pregnancy majority of comment and conversations focus on the negative aspects, but there are certain aspects that people can consider when talking about such an important issue. Although teen parents are having a child it does not make them fully mature, this leaves room for the teens to grow and develop along with their child. Having a baby is a life changing thing and often it leads people to want more for not only themselves but also their child. This realization can lead to being more responsible not only with their lives and their baby’s life, but with what they have going on around them such as being employed to support their child and even gaining or continuing their education to make a better life for themselves. Balancing school with parenthood can be easier than balancing with a career. Since school often has flexible hours, or at least hours you can choose yourself, which allows you to give yourself more time. A full time college student has an average of 12-15 hours a week to take classes, with another 10-12 hours dedicated to studying there would be a max of 30 hours a week dedicated to school work. On the other hand a career takes up at least 40-60 hours a week without the luxury to have such flexible hours. In young parenthood there are some upsides that can be beneficial to the parents and the child but the cons outweigh the pros by far. Not only does the teen have to grow up faster and have greater responsibility than they usually would they are faced with a lack of socialization. Not being able to hang out with friends, going to prom and engaging in normal teenage  activities can cause young parents to feel more alone. After understanding pregnancy from either experience or an actual realistic experience teens will realize that pregnancy is a very serious thing and is even harder when you are young and cannot fully and independently care for yourself and your child. Unfortunately, reality shows like â€Å"Teen Mom† and â€Å"16 and Pregnant† only show partly what the teens have to deal with and even then it does not amount to the emotional aspects of dealing with such a life changing issue. Despite the seemingly positive results from teen pregnancy, there are more negative aspects in which reality shows try to glamorize which poses more levity to becoming a young parent. Should these shows be considered â€Å"realistic† when there are millions of teen parents who know what true parenthood is actually about?

Plato Allegory Essay

1. The purpose of the allegory is to make it able to direct a relationship between a character, object, or place and an idea or concept. An allegory shows expressions through symbols, allowing the reader to use their imagination. This form of writing easily attracts the attention of its reader. 2. The cave symbolizes the ignorance of mankind. Within the cave, mankind is unaware of any existing world outside of the wall that is placed directly in front of the prisoners. I do believe that there are other possible interpretations. This interpretation could be material world, and physical world we experience. 3. I believe the prisoners in the cave are symbols of humanity. The common human who does not know what reality is until they are unchained and released 4. I believe the prisons are chained in The Allegory of the Cave because of the many restrictions humanity has to withstand. The prisoners are forced to see things from a certain perspective. Chains could possibly symbolize the laws. 5. I believe the puppet masters represent society, education, and religion. The puppet masters shape the understanding of the prisoners. Within societies, education, and religion shape our understanding and are responsible for how we learn. 6. A prisoner would be released from their bonds and cured of their delusions. However, this escape may involve confusion and difficulty. The prisoner’s vision would be at fault and provide struggle. They would experience a whole new world. 7. The prisoner that escaped would be made a fool if one attempted to return to the cave. The other prisoners would question and ruin all possible sight. If the prisoner attempted to lead one up, it is possible they would kill that prisoner. 8. I think â€Å"the good† refers to the light which is justice and enlightenment. 9. Socrates goes on to say that their argument indicates that knowledge is innate in each one of us. He compares our brain to an eye that can’t be turned from bad to good unless our whole body is turned. Socrates says this is similar to the way that our whole mind must be turned away from the world until we can handle reality. 10. Socrates says that the ultimate â€Å"job of lawgivers† is to require the best mind to reach the highest form of knowledge. He also says their job is to strive for vision of the good, and when that is reached, stop them from active how they are allowed to be then. 1. I do think the people today can be prisoners existing in a cave as Plato states. Although we may say somebody is a prisoner, it may not mean that they are actually in jail. There are many prisoners in jail for doing crimes but also there are many people who have never committed a crime who are prisoners. The cave that they are in is their own beliefs. 2. I do believe that the images on the cave wall could represent modern symbols. The images on the cave wall represented what the prisoners thought was present in the exiting world that they were in. the modern version of the images could be compared to the religions groups that choose not to conform to the rest of the world. They know about the outside world and all it has to offer but they choose not to accept that life style. 3. I do believe that there are current examples of the puppet masters. Today the puppet masters could represent teachers, priests, the Police, and security guards. 4. I believe there is a modern view of â€Å"the Good. † Examples of â€Å"the good† in modern views would be religion, family, job, or the idea that someone holds close.