Anime And The Anime Of Anime - 1468 Words

Subtitles are captions displayed somewhere on the screen that translate foreign language. Whether or not an anime has subtitles has proven its importance amongst its western fans. Anime is Japanese made so for other countries like the United States to be able to watch it without any prior knowledge of their spoken language it must either have subtitles added in or translate the japanese to the native language of said group by recording also known as dubbing. Many people in the western culture begin by watching dubbed anime as children then eventually transition to watching subbed. With so many who belong to opposing sides this led to disagreements to which is better, anime subbed or English dubbed. This disagreement led to a sub group within the anime community known as the purist, purist are fans that only watch subbed anime. These fans are often known to belittle dubbed viewers on a variety of different points that make dubs inferior. Many of these claims actually manage to carry some weight, such as dubs changing the meanings of entire situations, changing the animation to remove what they consider explicit and removing scenes, that cause choppy character development. Needless to say that the experience between the two groups must be vastly different. The claims made by the the purist audience is true Anime with subtitles is more beneficial to the anime community than English dubbed anime. Dubbed anime are known to make errors in the translation that has the capacityShow MoreRelatedAnime Of Anime And Anime1212 Words   |  5 Pages  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚   Period 1/4   Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚   History of Anime Manga and anime are a huge part in American and the Japanese culture. Anime and Manga were once used for war, propaganda, and recruitment, but is now used for entertainment and leisure. Anime was not just created by one man but by many working together. Anime has had a long line of history causing it to become more and more loved throughout the years. It not only caused Japan a great deal of money and working jobs butRead MoreAnime And Manga Of Anime1627 Words   |  7 PagesAnime and Manga According to Stewart (2013), Japanese culture is becoming increasingly popular within Western society†, particularly anime, cosplay and games. In the comic world of Japan, comic books are called manga, and anime means that animation cartoon. Manga is a visual narrative to gratify readers through the capability of its plot and characters, and many animation, movie and computer game stories are from manga. In the academic and art fields, fan culture, the majority of visual imagesRead MoreManga and Anime947 Words   |  4 Pages Manga and anime are popular for many people around the world and has been one of Japan’s most lucrative businesses. Manga and anime are misunderstood by some Americans who are unable to recognize the draw to them. To understand both styles, people need to know where they came from and what makes them a preferred interest of so many others. Japanese scroll paintings called the Animal Scrolls progressed into what today is known as manga and then into anime. Animal Scrolls are from the middle ofRead More Anime Essay1141 Words   |  5 PagesAnime Anime is the Japanese take on the word animation. It represents the Japanese style of animating cartoons. However, not all anime is for children. Majority imported to America is aimed at an adult audience- containing deep storylines, graphic violence, gore, as well as nudity and adult situations. This cinematic genre is a fast growing trend in the west and can now possibly be considered the most popular phenomenon among children, considering the success of the much-in-demand animeRead MoreAnime Addiction3646 Words   |  15 Pagesto watch anime to needing to watch it. Our personal take on anime is we watch what we enjoy. And we truly like anime. But we keep thinking we should stop watching because it is childish. We purchase anime on rare occasions, and watch anime maybe once a week. Recently we have been watched a lot more anime than we should often since we found online site for anime. We’ve guess what we am saying is most of my friends and family dont get the anime thing. Therefore, we end up watching anime on my ownRead MoreHistory of Anime2688 Words   |  11 PagesHISTORY OF ANIME: Osamu Tezuka ________________________________________ (picture) Dr. Osamu Tezuka: Legend. by Brian Cirulnick Walt Disney of Japan, God of Comics, A Legend in his Own Time. Many of these phrases will forever be used to describe Dr. Tezuka, but mere words cannot even begin to describe his work, or how it changed an industry, or even the incredible wealth of material produced by this one man. As I began to research this article, friends sent me copies ofRead MoreANIME ADDICTION2849 Words   |  12 PagesANIME ADDICTION A Term Paper Presented to Instructor. MANGORSI, FARHANNA Department of English Philippine Muslim Teacher,s College Marawi City In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Course General-Education ( English II) 2014-2015 By KHALID, AMNAH L. January, 2014 Anime Addiction Anime had widely spread in the whole world, its positive and negative effects are continuously being debated. 1. What is the history of Anime? 2. What are the reasons Anime Addiction? 3. What are theRead MoreThe Death Of An Anime1723 Words   |  7 Pageslot of energy, and I found myself focusing on keeping my breath even. Movement was seen, distracting me for a second or two, but it was horribly blurred, and whatever it was, it was wearing a boring shade of green. I felt as if I was watching an anime at horrible quality, and when the green blob spoke, it s voice was loud and garbled to my ears. Wait. Never mind the mysterious beings. Why was I alive? I saw my body being carried off, and the accidents.. Perhaps it was all a dream? But my bodyRead MoreWhat Are Anime and Manga3381 Words   |  14 PagesWhat are Anime and Manga? Thesis Statement: Anime and Manga are getting a lot of attention around the world. But what is the relationship of Anime and Manga? Outline: 1.0 Introduction 2.1 Definition of Anime and Manga 2.2 Brief History of Anime and Manga 2.0 The Father of Manga and Anime 3.0 Relation of Manga to Anime 4.0 Categories of Anime and Manga 5.0 Comparison 6.3 Anime and the American Animation 6.4 Manga and the American Comics 6.0 ConclusionRead MoreAnime and Manga632 Words   |  3 PagesWriting Mode: A research paper is a form of EXPOSITORY writing (informs, explains, clarifies, or defines), anchored to researched, cited information. Scoring Guidelines |6 = Exemplary |3= Developing | |5 = Strong |2 = Emerging | |4 = Proficient |1 = Beginning | Reminder: If a student receives Emerging or Developing in any category the teacher must include

Similarities Between Gilman And Her Heroine - 1498 Words

Similarities Between Gilman and Her Heroine in â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† Many aspects of Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s short story â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† mirrors the author’s own struggles. It is because of her real life experience with depression and struggle with self-identity that Gilman is able to transport the reader into the innermost thoughts of the narrator. Gilman understands her character in a way only a true sister-sufferer can. In fact, the purpose of â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† according the Gilman is to â€Å"save others from being driven crazy,† (52). She could not have accomplished this masterpiece without drawing from her own experiences. These parallels include similarities in the life of Gilman and her heroine, oppression by societal mindset, first-hand experience of the Mitchell Rest Cure and culminates with self-healing. â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† opens with the narrator describing the â€Å"colonial ma nsion† her husband, the all-knowing physician, has rented for three months while she is to be resting from her nervous anxiety (473). While the narrator speaks highly of her husband, one cannot help but wonder if her praise is a bit tongue-in-cheek. She says that â€Å"perhaps† one of the reasons she doesn’t get well is the very fact that he is her physician (473). Through her narration we know that she has spoken to her husband John about needing â€Å"less opposition and more society and stimulus† but the good doctor believes the opposite (473). Greg Johnson notes that â€Å"herShow MoreRelatedThe Yellow Wall Paper And The Story Of An Hour1601 Words   |  7 Pagescharacters in these stories show similarities, but they are also different in the ways they deal with their problems and life. These two characters have commonalities and differences. Although the two characters are similar in some ways, the woman in the â€Å"The Story of an Hour† is a stronger character based on the two important criteria of rationality and freedom. In â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, the female protagonist is going through a rough time in her life. The narrator livedRead MoreThe Yellow Wallpaper By Charlotte Perkins Gilman Essay1208 Words   |  5 Pagescreeping women, and they creep so fast. I wonder if they all come out of that wallpaper as I did?† the woman behind the pattern was an image of herself. She has been the one â€Å"stooping and creeping.† The Yellow Wallpaper was written by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. In the story, three characters are introduced, Jane (the narrator), John, and Jennie. The Yellow Wallpaper is an ironic story that takes us inside the mind and emotions of a woman suffering a slow mental breakdown. The narrator begins to think thatRead MoreAnalytical Essay on The Good Corn by H.E Bates and Turned by Charlotte Perkins Gilman1625 Words   |  7 PagesThe short stories, â€Å"Turned†, by Charlotte Perkins Gilman and â€Å"The Good Corn†, by H.E Bates provide strong examples of how the representation of characters influence’s the reader’s perception of a text. Both stories depict similar characters: a middle-aged, childless wife, her husband and an 18-year old girl who works for them. They are both about a similar situation: man cheats on wife with girl and girl falls pregnant. However, the author’s of the text are from very different backgrounds and thisRead MoreSimilarities Between3772 Words   |  16 PagesSimilarities Between Charlotte Gilman s The Yellow Wallpaper and Jean Rhys s Wide Sargasso Sea. Charlotte Gilman s The Yellow Wallpaper and Jean Rhys s Wide Sargasso Sea are stories about women s tragic lives in the late nineteenth and mid twentieth centuries. These two stories contain many similarities. In the novel Wide Sargasso Sea, the main character Rochester drives his wife to insanity. Similarly, in the short story The Yellow Wallpaper, John drives his wife insane. In additionRead MoreAnalysis of Charlotte Gilmans The Yellow Wallpaper969 Words   |  4 Pagesliterary scholar a unique viewpoint on the topic. Gilbert, Kelly. The Yellow Wallpaper: an Autobiography of Emotions by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. Print. Charlotte Perkins Gillmans own experiences with mental illness are well documented. She herself was subjected to the rest cure which the character in The Yellow Wallpaper also has to endure, which drives her crazy. In this article, Gilbert explores the significance of Gillmans story and the changes that it began in terms of womens mental healthRead MoreOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 Pageslived, how they earned their livings, and their unprecedented ability to move about the globe. Moya and McKeown set the patterns of migration in the twentieth century against those extending back millennia, and they compare in imaginative ways the similarities and differences among diverse flows in different geographical areas and across ethnic communities and social strata. They consider not only the nature, volume, and direction of migrant movements motivated primarily by opportunities for economic

Discrimination against Human Cloning free essay sample

This paper discusses the problems related to the human cloning process. This paper provides a look at human cloning, and examines the discrimination dimension of the cloning process. The author discusses the pros and cons of cloning, religious opposition, and societal worries. The paper also discusses the problem of overpopulation, financial costs of cloning, and potential discrimination of clones from humans. Genetics is of increasing importance in the world of the 21st century. New developments in this field are finding more and more applications in every day life. Concerns about this science, due to its inherent conflicts with religious doctrine and traditional norms and unfamiliarity to the public have been frequently presented in the media. Recently, the public perception of genetics has appeared around such as human cloning. While many aspects of this subject are poorly understood, it isnt in doubt that there raise many questions of great complexity.

SF-9 Lepidopteran Cells Essays - Benzofurans, Biochemistry Methods

SF-9 Lepidopteran Cells PHM499 Research Project Supervisors: Dr. P. S. Pennefather, Dr. S. M. Ross Calcium transport study of SF-9 lepidopteran cells and bull frog sympathetic ganglion cells Kenny Yu Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, 19 Russell Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 2S2 ABSTRACT The intracellular calcium level and the calcium efflux of the bull-frog sympathetic ganglion cells (BSG) and the SF-9 lepidopteran ovarian cells were investigated using a calcium-sensitive fluorescence probe fura-2. It was found that the intracellular calcium levels were 58.2 and 44.7 nM for the BSG cells and SF-9 cells respectively. The calcium effluxes following zero calcium solution were 2.02 and 1.33 fmole?cm-2?s-1 for the BSG cells and SF-9 cells. The calcium effluxes following sodium orthovanadate (Na2VO4) in zero calcium solution were 6.00 and 0.80 fmole?cm-2?s-1 for the BSG cells and the SF-9 cells. The SF-9 cells also lost the ability to extrude intracellular calcium after 2-3 applications of Na2VO4 while the BSG cells showed no apparent lost of calcium extruding abilities for up to 4 applications of Na2VO4. INTRODUCTION Spodoptera frugiperda clone 9 (SF-9) cells are a cultured insect cell line derived from the butterfly ovarian tissue. SF-9 cells are used by molecular biologists for the studies of gene expression and protein processing (Luckow and Summers, 1988). However, there is not much known about these cells' basic biophysiology. Since calcium is involved in many cells' activities such as acting as a secondary messenger, it is important for cells to control their intracellular calcium level. This study was aimed toward looking at the some of the basic properties of the SF-9 cells such as resting calcium concentration and rate of calcium extrusion after being calcium level being raised by an ionophore 4-bromo-A23187. The effect of sodium orthovanadate (an active transport inhibitor) on calcium extrusion was also looked at. Microspectrofluorescence techniques and the calcium-sensitive probe fura-2 were used to measure the intracellular calcium concentration of these cells. In addition, the BSG ce lls were used to compare with the SF-9 cells for the parameters that were studied. It was found that the SF-9 cells appeared to have a calcium concentration similar to the BSG cells. Moreover, the calcium extrusion rates of both cell types with no Na2VO4 added seemed to the same. However, due to insufficient data, the effects of Na2VO4 could not be statistically analyzed. From the data available, it suggested that the BSG cells' rate of calcium extrusion was enhanced by the Na2VO4 and was greater than the SF-9 cells. It was more important to note that the calcium extruding capabilities of the SF-9 cell seemed to impaired after two to three applications of Na2VO4 but it had apparent effects on the BSG cells even up to 4 applications. After obtaining these basic parameters, many questions raised such as how does the SF-9 cells extrude their calcium and why the Na2VO4 affected the calcium efflux for the SF-9 cells but not the BSG cells? The SF-9 cells may have a calcium pump or exchanger to extrude their calcium and they may be very sensitive to the ATP (adenosine 3'-triphosphate) supply. This was apparently different from the BSG cells' since their calcium extrusion were not affected by the Na2VO4.. It may be useful to find the mechanism(s) of the actions of Na2VO4 on the SF-9 cells because it may find possible applications in agriculture such as pest control. MATERIALS AND METHODS Chemicals and solutions 4-bromo-A23187 and Fura-2/AM were purchased from Molecular Probes (Eugene, OR). Na2VO4 was purchased from Alomone Lab (Jerusalem, Israel). Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) was obtained from J. T. Baker Inc. (Phillipsburg, NJ). All other reagents were obtained from Sigma (St. Louis, MO). The normal Ringer's solution (NRS) contained (mM): 125 NaCl, 5.0 KCl, 2.0 CaCl2, 1.0 MgSO4, 10.0 glucose, 10.0 N-[2-hydroxyethyl] piperazine-N'-[2-ethanesulfonic acid] (HEPES). The calcium free Ringer solution (0CaNRS) is the same as the NRS except CaCl2 was substituted with 2.0 mM ethylene glycol-bis(b-aminoehtyl) ether N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid (EGTA). Fura-2/AM solution was prepared as follows: a stock solution of 1mM fura-2/AM in DMSO was diluted 1:500 in NRS containing 2% bovine albumin. It was then sonicated for 10 minutes. It was then kept frozen until the day of the experiment. 20 SYMBOL 109 \f "Symbol"M 4-bromo-A23187 solution was prepared by diluting a stock of 5mM 4-bromo-A23187 in DMSO 1:250 with NRS. Na2VO4 solution

In The Play Romeo And Juliet, By William Shakespeare, Two Teenagers Ar

In the play Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare, two teenagers are controlled by a chain of human actions. Act 4, scenes 1,3 and 5, are a good representation of the web of human actions that cause tragedy between the pair of "star crossed lovers" (prologue). One example of human actions being dominant in those particular scenes is Friar Lawrence. His actions, while being in good intent, caused much of the pain for the other characters in the book. His first action was to offer his help to the depressed Juliet, thinking that maybe he could "spy a kind of hope" (Act 4, sc i, ll 68). His actions then led him to think of the fake death which he tells to her. "Hold then, go home, be merry" (Act 4, sc i, ll 89), he tells her, while he gives her the poison and plans to give Romeo a message describing the plan. He doesn't however, make sure Romeo gets the message which is probably the most crucial human action in the play. The other example of human actions controlling the plot is Juliet. In those scenes she acts in ways which seriously affect her life and the rest of the play. First, she comes to the Friar looking for help. "I long to die, if what thou speak'st speak not of remedy" (Act 4, sc i, ll 66-67) is her attitude towards her situation. She then accepts the friar's solution and decides to take the poison. "Give me, give me! Oh tell me not of fear" (Act 4, sc 1, ll 121) are her words spoken to the friar. Her actions here are to be brave and to rush into the plan. Her actions are more important than the friars in this scene because she has all the control. The friars actions are mostly suggestions and thoughts while her actions are the ones that are physical and are actually put into use. This scene isn't the only scene that demonstrates human actions controlling the play. For example, in the very first scene, Tybalt and Benvolio fight causing a certain amount of tension that sets the play up for some of the major events that happen later. Another example of this is when Romeo and Juliet meet, Romeo goes out of his way to see her again, once more, setting up the plot. The web of human actions gets larger and stronger until finally, the two biggest human actions occur and the two main characters lay dead. Lay dead because the actions they took led them to suicide. This incident, as tragic as it is, could probably have been avoided. If the actions that were taken by the characters had been planned better and the consequences had been thought about maybe a better outcome would have been reached. For example, if Friar Lawrence had thought about what would happen if Romeo didn't receive the message in time, he probably would have taken better precautions. Or maybe if Romeo had thought twice about killing Tybalt, he would have realized that it couldn't help getting closer to Juliet. Therefore, my advice in this situation is to think hard about your actions. Don't be caught up in the outcomes of them like Romeo and Juliet did.

INAUGURAL ADDRESS Essays - Philippines, Government, Free Essays

INAUGURAL ADDRESS Essays - Philippines, Government, Free Essays INAUGURAL ADDRESS OF HIS EXCELLENCY FERDINAND E. MARCOS [ Delivered at the Quirino Grandstand, Manila on December 30, 1965 ] Mr. Chief Justice, Mr. Vice President,Mr. Speaker, My Countrymen: Sa bisa ng inyong makapangyarihang hatol at sa pamamagitan ng mabiyayang tangkilik ng Dakilang Maykapal , narito ako ngayon sa inyong harap sa pinagkaugalian nang ritwal sa pagtatalaga at pagsumpa sa tungkulin ng isang bagong halal na Pangulo . Sa kapasiyahan ninyong ito ay muli pa ninyong pinatunayan na matatag at matibay ang pagkakatanim ng mga ugat ng demokrasya sa sinapupunan ng bansang ito . At sa bisa ng kapangyarihang ipinagkaloob sa inyo ng mga batas ay naisasagawa nang mapayapa at maayos ang pagsasalin ng kapangyarihang pampamahalaan . By your mandate, through the grace of the Almighty, I stand here today in the traditional ritual of the assumption of the Presidency. By your mandate, once again you have demonstrated the vitality of our democracy by the peaceful transference of governmental authority. It is but fitting and proper that this traditional ritual be undertaken on this sacred ground. For sixty nine year ago today, a young patriot and prophet of our race fell upon this beloved soil. He fell from a tyrant's bullet and out of the martyr's blood that flowed copiously there sprung a new nation. That nation became the first modern republic in Asia and Africa. It is our nation. We are proud to point to our country as one stable in an area of instability; where ballots, not bullets, decide the fate of leaders and parties. Thus Kawit and Malolos are celebrated in our history as acts of national greatness. Why national greatness? Because, armed with nothing but raw courage and passionate intelligence and patriotism, our predecessors built the noble edifice of the first Asian Republic. With the same reverence do we consider Bataan, Corregidor and the Philippine resistance movement. Today the challenge is less dramatic but no less urgent. We must repeat the feat of our forebears in a more commonplace sphere, away from the bloody turmoil of heroic adventure - by hastening our social and economic transformation. For today, the Filipino, it seems, has lost his soul, his dignity and his courage. We have come upon a phase of our history when ideas are only a veneer for greed and power in public and private affairs, when devotion to duty and dedication to a public trust are to be weighed at all times against private advantages and personal gain, and when loyalties can be traded in the open market. Our people have come to a point of despair. I know this for I have personally met many of you. I have heard the cries of thousands and clasped hands in brotherhood with millions of you. I know the face of despair and I know the face of hunger because I have seen it in our barrios, huts and hovels all over our land. We have ceased to value order as a social virtue. Law, we have learned successfully to flaunt. We have become past masters at devising slogans for the sake of recorders of his history but not for those who would live by them in terms of honor and dignity. Peace in our time, we declare. But we can not guarantee life and limb in our growing cities. Prosperity for all, we promise. But only a privileged few achieve it, and, to make the pain obvious, parade their comforts and advantages before the eyes of an impoverished many. Justice and security are as myths rendered into elaborate fictions to dramatize our so called well being and our happy march to progress. But you have rejected all these through a new mandate of leadership. It is a mandate that imposes a change of leadership in this country, and to me, as your President, this mandate is clear - it is a mandate not merely for change. It is a mandate for greatness. For indeed we must rise from the depths of ignominy and failure. Our government is gripped in the iron hand of venality, its treasury is barren, its resources are wasted, its civil service is slothful and indifferent, its armed forces demoralized and its councils sterile. But

Hacking Exposed Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Hacking Exposed - Essay Example Similarly, he could acquire social security numbers of many persons at reputed ranks. Lamo misused Times’ LexisNexis account with intent to conduct some researches on various high profile subjects. In the words of Poulsen (2002), Lamo clearly found out ‘seven misconfigured proxy servers’ that acted as the connecting link between public internet and Times’ private intranet. As a result of his discovery; any person, who properly configuring his Web browser could have accessed into Times’ private intranet. Adrian Lamo was a journalism student who was seeking a job. According to the report of Ewalt and Hulme (2004), Lamo thought that hacking high security networks would give him fame so that he could get a reputed job. Therefore, it is obvious that Lamo did not ever think of making money out of act. In most of his hacking cases, he has informed the companies regarding their flows in database. It is reported that Lamo informed The New York Times about the weaker areas of its database and it indicates that his act did not intend to deceive Times. The hacking activity of Lamo at The New York Times indicates that he was a grey hat hacker. Grey hat hackers apply their skills in order to prove their eligibilities and thereby achieve public stature (Grey Hat Hackers).

PeopleSoft vs. Oracle Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

PeopleSoft vs. Oracle - Research Paper Example s, â€Å"The acquisition of one company by another that is accomplished not by coming to an agreement with the target companys  management, but by going  directly to  the company’s shareholders or fighting to replace management in order to get the acquisition approved† (Investopedia, 2012). The hostile takeover bid of the company was unusual due to the fact that the company had no interest in the product or services that PeopleSoft offered. Instead Oracle was solely interested in the customers of PeopleSoft. The plan of Oracle was to convert all the customers of PeopleSoft into its EPR system. Another unusual aspect of the original offer was that it was only 6% above the market value of the firm. Typically most hostile takeover bids are at least 20% above the market value. It seemed as if Oracle was taking a huge gamble in this takeover offer since the firm was not going to utilize the intellectual property of PeopleSoft to its advantage. The plan of Oracle was to increase its market share by eliminating its top competitor. The conditions that needed to be met for the independent boards of directors to determine if the sale of the company was in the best interest of the company was whether the hostile takeover bid maximizes the shareholders wealth. The initial offer was so low that there was no reason for the company to accept it since the bid was undervalued in comparison with other hostile takeovers of publicly traded companies. Even though the primary focus of the board should be the shareholders, the interest of other stakeholders of the company such as the employees and the customers were also important. Based on Oracle’s plan some of the negative consequences included mass firing of employees due to downsizing and a deterioration of customer relations. PeopleSoft had in its bylaws a poison pill to protect itself against hostile takeovers. The poison pill was a bylaw that stated that the company had the ability to release more shares in order to dilute

Existentialist Concepts of The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka Essay

Existentialist Concepts of The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka - Essay Example Due to such dilemma, the family was faced with financial troubles and the aging parents had to find jobs. Gregor formerly provided for all the necessities in the Samsa house and has efficiently done so as a businessman. He rented a modest house for the whole family to stay in and had to work harder in order to maintain the good life that his family was enjoying. He was concerned about the affairs of his parents and sister, thinking about their future, planning even for her sister. He meant to send her sister to the conservatory but with the turn of events, her young sister had to find a job and study at the same time. In addition to her tasks, Gregor’s sister, Grete, placed upon herself to look after the needs of her brother, bringing him his food and cleaning his room everyday. When the family’s savings run out, they thought of giving up the house because they cannot afford it anymore but they cannot leave it for fear about Gregor’s condition. They then found te nants to help pay off the bills and it was during this time that Gregor revealed himself to them. Although it was not the intention of the monster Gregor to show himself to the tenants, he forgot about being considerate when he was drawn by the playing of the violin of her sister. When the tenants found out that there was such a creature near their room, they demanded the Samsa’s that they cannot pay their bills because of the beast. With this, Grete lose control of herself and complained to her parents saying they better get rid of her monster brother. That night, everyone went to their rooms miserable especially Gregor. Early in the morning, the beast breathed his last and his corpse was soon found by the cleaner later. When she made noises commenting on the dead animal, the Samsa’s woke up to see if Gregor was indeed dead. Upon confirmation, they all gathered together in their room and had a small talk. They soon got rid of the tenants and wrote letters of excusal t o the people concerned with their affairs. Mr. Samsa wrote to his employer, the wife to her contractor and the daughter to her principal because they decided to have a break from all their hard labor and their miserable times in their house. The story reflects existentialist concepts of self-awareness. The vivid descriptions and the seemingly unending suspense in the story eventually stirs the readers to question what is really happening in the story which in turn makes one wonder about the significance of the scenes in real life. In the animalistic state of Gregor, he has come to an awareness of what he has become and how his family could turn against him now that he is useless and becoming a great burden to them. This is specially emphasized in the first part of the story when Gregor did not yet know what he had become. The thought that he was still himself who just felt a little queer or sick made him wonder about the reactions of the chief clerk and his parents. The span of time to Gregor’s discovery of his transformation may have taken a long time because he never thought that he was different. However, when he realized his situation, Gregor became considerate enough to his family members, hiding himself whenever the door opens in order not to frighten whoever entered his room. Similarly, the other members of the family gave more meaning to their existence as they sought to help themselves in their dire situation. Grete and her parents seemed satisfied

Impact Of Organisational Culture In The Hairdressing Sector Commerce Essay

Impact Of Organisational Culture In The Hairdressing Sector Commerce Essay Culture is quite difficult to define, when we speak of culture we know what it is and what / how it is manifested in an organisation but a clear, unambiguous definition eludes us! This is because culture has different meanings, depending on life experiences, background, religion, belief and values. Nonetheless, there are several influential writers on culture including Hofstede, Trompenaars, Hampden Turner, Schein, Ouchi, Schneider and Barsoux, Deal and Kennedy and Handy, whose work is still recognised in contemporary organisations. However, Handy, described culture in organisations as the way we do things around here. These things are accepted norms and values of an organisation, developed over time into expected behaviour patterns. They generally emanate from top management level of the Organisation; but this is not always the case (Managing in Organisation, ABE Study Manual, 2008). Even though it is reasonable to infer that culture can influence behaviour, this relationship is over-simplified by strong culture models. According to Guy S. Saffold, III, (1988), if researchers are to precisely examine the link between culture and performances, they must assess other internal processes that affect performance. Although, the literature on organisational culture and its correlation with business performance is rich and diverse, there are only a few empirical studies that profoundly explored this relationship. Furthermore, these studies simply focused on the impact on culture on medium to large organisation but few or little has focused specifically on small businesses in the hairdressing sector. For this reason, this project will seek to Assess organisational culture using several theoretical frameworks Evaluate if there is a link between organisational culture and performance in small hairdressing businesses Identify the advantages and disadvantages of having a strong culture in hairdressing business Introduction It is not the physically powerful, hasty and most ferocious who survive. It is the most flexible Charles Darwin Organisations operate in a very unpredictable environment; hence survival depends on the organisations ability to exploit resources; collaborate and adjust. There are extensive demonstrations (Kotter and Heskitt, 1992) that strong cultures support performance by creating value to stakeholders through consistency and high quality goods and services. Deshpandà © and Webster (1989) by exploring several studies in organisational behavior, sociology, and anthropology, defined organisational culture as a pattern of shared values and beliefs that aid individuals understand organisational functioning and thus provide them with the norms for behavior in the organisation (p. 4). Following these and other authors (e.g., Chatman and Jehn, 1994), organisational culture is conceptualized and quantified in terms of widely shared and strongly held values. The elements of organisational culture range from basic assumptions through values and behavioral norms to actual patterns of behavior (Rousseau, 1990). Values typically act as the defining elements of a culture, and norms, symbols, rituals, and other cultural activities revolve around them (Enz 1988). When the members of a social unit share values, an organisational culture or value system can be said to exist (Weiner 1988). According to (Denison, 1984), if an organisation possesses a strong culture by exhibiting a well-integrated and effective set of specific values, beliefs, and behaviors, then it will perform at a higher level of productivity. On the other hand (Kotter Heskitt 1992) concluded that the statement that a strong culture is the basis for outstanding performance appears to be incorrect. Burt et al (1999) agreed with Kotter and Heskitt to an extent but carried their analysis further. They suggest that the relationship between culture and performance depends upon the degree of rivalry. Their research showed that culture is important depending on the competitiveness of the market. They believed that market and culture go hand in hand. If firms have low rivalry in the market then strong culture is not an advantage. Furthermore in some markets where there is competition there is still no correlation between culture and performance. Equally, (Sorenson, 2002) believed that strong cultures often hinders flexibility which is required for survival especially during sporadic transformations, such as we face currently, organisations with strong culture are most often crippled by their own organisational DNA. Whether or not culture is an economical advantage depends upon the market situation. In the retail sector, culture may be a competitive asset. In a multifaceted market, culture appears to have no effect on economic performance (Douglas N. Ross, 2002). It all depends. However, gaining a profound understanding of culture is essential in order to find out whether there is a link between organisational culture and performance. The next chapter begins with an overview of culture. An overview of organisational culture The term organisational culture was used for the first time in the academic literature by Pettigrew in 1979 in the journal Administrative Science Quarterly. Organisational culture was used to explain the economic successes of Japanese firms over American firms by motivating workers who were committed to a common set of core values, beliefs and assumptions (Denison, 1984). One of the most important reasons that explain the interest in organisational culture is the assumption that certain organisational cultures lead to an increase in organisational financial performance. According to Peters and Waterman (1982) successful organisations possess certain cultural traits of excellence. Ouchi (1981) showed a positive relationship between organisational culture and productivity. We have seen many definitions of culture, earlier in the analysis, however, Edgar Scheins defined organisational culture more specifically as the basic assumption and beliefs that are shared by members of an organisation, that operates unconsciously and define in a basic taken-for-granted approach, the routine that build ups over time. In other words, culture is about that which is taken for granted but nonetheless contributes to how group of people respond and behave in relations to the issues they face. It therefore has important influences on the development and change of organisational strategy (Johnson and Scholes, 2008). According to Johnson and scholes (2008) , the culture of an organisation is often concevied as consisting of four layers which would be disucussed in Fig.1.below. Fig.1 The four layers as described by Johnson and Scholes (2008) are Firstly, values are easily identifiable in an organisation, and are often documented statements about an organisation mission, objectives or strategies. However, they can be vague. Secondly, beleifs are more specific but again they can typically be discerned in how people talk about issues in the organisation. Thirdly, behaviors are the day to day way in which an organistion operates and can be seen by people both inside the organisation. This includes the work routines, how the organisation is structured and controlled and softer issues around symbolic behaviors. Finally, taken for granted assumption or paradigms are the core of an organsational culture. They are the facets of an organisations life which people find difficult to identify and explain. The paradigm can underpin successful strategies by providing a basis of common understanding in an organisation, but can also be a major problem (Johnson and Scholes, 2008). Similar conceptions of culture are offered by Dandridge et al. (1980), Pettigrew (1979), as well as Trice and Beyer (1984). Schein (1990) suggests that cultures are created through the way organisations have reacted to important incidents in the past and have thus evolved certain norms, as well as through the identification of organisational members with their leaders. As such, organisational cultures are perpetuated through the process of socialization of new members into the organisation. Hofstede (1980) identified four dimensions of organisational culture: power distance, uncertainty avoidance, individualism /collectivism and masculinity / femininity. Later, Hofstede (1998:238) defined organisational culture as a concept that has the following features: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ holistic (describing the synergy); à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ historically determined (reflecting the past,); à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ related to the things such a customs and symbols, (these are studied by anthropologist). à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ socially constructed (moulded and preserved by the collection of individuals who collectively form the organisation); à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ soft, and; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ difficult to change. This overview on culture provides useful insight in understanding culture from a theoretical standpoint which would be useful in this research analysis. Literature Review It is arguable that the academic acceptance of culture, without the usual bickering and scepticism associated with new concepts, is a major indication of the perceived importance of the concept (Alvesson, 1990). However, this is not to infer that there is consensus on the meaning and relevance of the concept. On the contrary, there is widespread disagreement on the definition and scope of the organisational culture concept (Ogbonna and Harris, 1998a). However, the link between organisational culture and high performance in an organisation has been very debateable; because there is little empirical evidence to suggest a direct link between culture and an organisational performance especially in small businesses. Of course failure to establish an empirical link does not mean that no such link exists. According to (Skà ¶ldberg, 1990), empirical study in the area is very difficult to carry out. Not only is culture difficult to capture but so is performance. While it has been suggested that culture accounts for the economic performance of various countries (Hofstede, 1980; Hofstede and Bond, 1988), the idea of corporate culture also serves to provide a basis for understanding the differences that may exist between successful companies operating in the same national culture (Schein, 1990). Peters and Waterman (1982), for example, believed that successful organisations possess certain cultural traits of excellence. Ouchi (1981) presented a similar relationship between corporate culture and increased productivity, while (Deal and Kennedy 1982) argued that the performance of an organisation is dependent on the degree to which the values of the culture are widely shared, that is, are strong Nevertheless, the claim that organisational culture is linked to performance is founded on the perceived role that culture can play in generating competitive advantage (Scholz, 1987). Reed and DeFillippi, (1990) added that sustainable competitive advantage arises from the creation of organisational competencies which are both superior and imperfectly imitable by competitors. Similarly, (Bryan Adkins, 2004) suggests that culture does matter, and a strong, effective culture will outperform a weak culture every time. In a study done by (Coogan Partners Apos, 2005) they concluded also that companies who out-perform their competitors have specific cultural differences. Early researchers who link culture to organisational performance are unequivocal in their claims. An illustration of this is derived from the works, (Deal and Kennedy, 1982; Ouchi, 1981; Pascale and Athos, 1981; Peters and Waterman, 1982) who argue that successful organisations are distinguished by their ability to promote cultural values which are consistent with their chosen strategies. Although this view met with initial popularity in the 1980s, the principal tenets of the argument have been subjected to extensive criticism from writers such as (Legge, 1994; Ogbonna, 1993; Willmott, 1993). By the 1990s, researchers assessing the links between culture and performance were more cautious. For example, Gordon and DiTomaso (1992) and Denison (1990) both propose that there is a link between certain organisational culture characteristics and performance but each add a number of conditions. In particular, they note that culture will remain linked with superior performance only if the culture is able to adapt to changes in environmental conditions. Besides, the culture must not only be strong as suggested by writers such as Deal and Kennedy 1982, Ouchi, 1981 and Peters and waterman, 1982) but it must also have unique qualities which cannot be imitated. However, more recently, it has been suggested that the relationship between culture and performance, is fragile (Ogbonna and Harris: Leadership style organisational culture and performance 769 (Hop et al., 1992; Lewis, 1994; Lim, 1995; Ray, 1986; Willmott, 1993). Sorenson, (2002) argued that continuous change; such as we encounter presently, strong cultured organisations are most often crippled by their own organisational DNA. According to (Dean Mcfarlin), when organisation with well-defined culture is operating in somewhat steady milieu, their core competences and strategies are in alignment with the business objectives. In such environments, well structured cultures enable an organisation to function like new machines, sailing down by outstanding performance. That said, if the environment becomes extremely unstable, companies must become innovative and efficiently exploit resources to stay on top. However, companies with well-built cultures may find it difficult to adapt to such extremely unpredictable situation. A well-defined culture makes it easy for employees to clutch onto the existing status quo and, simultaneously, less willing and enthusiastic about exploring new ways of performing the task. The underlying principle is that a strong organisational culture may be something of a two-fold sword. When you believe in the existing culture of the organisation, it becomes hard to replace them with new id eas even if it a source of competitive disadvantage. Some researchers believed that strong cultures may, however, impose a level of stability on organisations, and such stability has mixed implications for performance. Denison and Mishra (1995) found that stability traits such as a firms mission, consistency, and normative integration, were related to its profitability. Specifically, organisations with strong cultures had greater returns on investments, but only in the short run; after three years the relationship between cultural consistency and performance became negative (Denison, 1990). Sorensen found that strong culture organisations were more financially successful in stable environments and less successful in dynamic environments. Thus, while cultural strength and stability may enhance organisational performance in the short run and in stable environments, they may also inhibit an organisations ability to change, adapt, or innovate. Finally it is not possible to say that organisational culture in general or a specific type of culture has a clear and simple effect on performance but this does not mean that there is no connection between culture (however defined) and performance; on a general level there certainly is. Whipp et al. (1989: 582) believed that elements of culture may supply vital links between the rational aspects of policy and the subjective, less tangible features of employees behaviour exactly because of the way values pervade an enterprise. Propositions of how culture brings about distinct outcomes, however, often seem problematic. Either the causal link is speculative and uncertain or it is difficult to separate culture from outcome. Some of the authors treated in some depth above (Schein and Louis), run into problems when they claim correlations between organisational culture and what they treat as other elements. However it is difficult, even misleading, to say that the culture as a whole has been a significant cause of financial returns. Despite the claims for a link between organisational culture and performance is very rich and diverse, few studies appear to have actually examined the existence as well as the nature of this relationship. Strong cultures and its influence on performance are questionable in the current dynamic environment, besides some theorists query the universality of a culture-performance link. Research design and Methodology The subject of organisational culture and its influence on performance has attracted extensive interest from many scholars, students and researchers alike, but their interest has focused extensively on medium to large businesses but little has focused directly on the influence of organisational culture on the performance of small businesses, hence my interest in the subject matter. This research would be conducted using both primary and secondary research methods of data collection. The primary method proposed is semi-structured interview and the secondary methods would be text books and journal articles. After careful analysis of past literature on culture and performance, qualitative research design such as interview was clearly appropriate. Consequently, a sample of 30 businesses in the hairdressing industry would be selected via the utilisation of a systematic random selection procedure with appropriate units to be selected on a variety of criteria, including company turnover, date of registration, and number of employees. In order to limit potential measurement error, responses would be required from key Personnel, knowledgeable in a variety of tactical and strategic activities (Bowman and Ambrosini, 1997; Snow and Hrebiniak, 1980; Hambrick, 1981; Nayyar, 1992). Undeniably, a plethora of prescriptive articles and books such as Alan Bryan Emma Bell (2003) Business Research Methods, proposed useful suggestions on effective research design, formulation and execution which would be helpful in this research and as a result improve content validity and reliability and most importantly covers ethical issues associated with research. The efficient and effective administration and implementation of the research method (semi-structured interview) is key and the researcher is aware that this could influence the overall success of data generation and the achievement of satisfactory responses (Dillman, 1978; Churchill, 1991; Faria and Dickinson, 1992). A pilot study will be carried out to pre-test the research instrument (Baker 1994: 182-3). The study would be undertaken because it would establish whether the sampling frame and technique is correct. Semi-structured interview would be used; this would allow questioning to be guided as is required also many points that needed to be made clearer would be done much more easily than in something like a mailed questionnaire (Frey and Oishi 1995:03). However, according to (Breakwell, Hammond and Fife-Schaw 1995:238) this technique heavily relies on the respondent being willing to give accurate and complete answers. Additionally, it gives the freedom to explore general views or opinions in more detail. On the other hand this method would be very time consuming and expensive. Finally a tape recorder would also be used so that the data could be referred to at a later date and thus make the analysis more reliable. Conclusion Nowadays, organisations operate in a dynamic environment and they must learn to adapt in order to survive. According to the literature review some researchers such as (Ouchi, 1981) believed that a strong culture is linked to high performance in an organisation. Whereas, Writers such (Kotter Heskitt 1992) concluded that the statement that, well-built culture produce outstanding performance emerge to be completely incorrect. Most interestingly, the culture-performance relationship is seen as a two-fold sword (Dean Mcfarlin). On completion of this project there would be light on whether there is an organisational culture-performance link in small hairdressing businesses. References Bryan, Alan Bell Emma (2003) Business Research Methods: Oxford University Press New York. Johnson, Gerry, Scholes, Kevan Whittington, Richard (2008) Exploring Corporate Strategy: Text and Cases 8th Edition: Pearson Education Limited Association of Business Executives study manual, Managing in Organisation, 2008: ABE RRC Adkins, Bryan, Sr., and Stewart, Cindy, 2004 Shift Organisational Culture to Improve Organisational Performance, viewed on 29th January, 2010 Mcfarlin, Dean 2002, Strong culture can be double-edged sword, Dayton Business Journal, viewed on the 3rd February, 2010 http://www.allbusiness.com/company-activities-management/management-corporate- Culture/5462715-1.html viewed on 29th January, 2010 http://www.denisonconsulting.com/Libraries/Resources/Adkins-2004-Shift-Culture.sflb.ashx, viewed on 29th January, 2010 http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Students/aeo9702.html, viewed on 29th January, 2010 http://www.culturestrategyfit.com, viewed on 29th January, 2010 http://marketing.byu.edu/htmlpages/ccrs/proceedings99/webster.htm, viewed on 29th January, 2010 http://www.jstor.org/pss/258374, viewed on 29th January, 2010 The Academy of Management Review, Vol. 13, No. 4 (Oct., 1988), pp. 546-558 (article consists of 13 pages), viewed on 29th January, 2010 http://www.accessmylibrary.com/article-1G1-17520695/examining-organizational-culture-and.html, viewed on 29th January, 2010 http://steconomice.uoradea.ro/anale/volume/2008/v4-management-marketing/057.pdf, viewed on 2nd February, 2010

3d Printing Technology Essay

Legitimate Concerns Facing 3D Printing Technology Executive Summary This research journal article discusses how 3D Printing technology may effect federal firearms regulations. The focus of the article is that, due to the development of 3D Printing technology, individuals, even people without technical expertise, now have the ability to use the new technology to produce guns at home much more easily than they ever have before. This behavior might bring great harm to society. However, if a comprehensive prohibition on using 3D Printers to manufacture personal weapons were implemented, it might defy the 2008 District of Columbia v. Heller Supreme Court decision. In fact, the increasing popularity of 3D Printing means lawmakers must decide soon whether or not to allow 3D Printing of weapons. 3D Printing either should only be allowed to produce things that cannot be used as lethal weapons. Or, secondly, it can be used to produce a physical, working gun. The second option might achieve advances in 3D printing technology and promote the development of firearms design. However, developments in 3D Printing technology are creating concerns that not only legitimate consumers but also criminals are able to â€Å"print† firearms at home. If the law doesn’t allow individuals to use 3D printers to manufacturer personal weapons like handguns, it might be illegal according to the Second Amendment of the Constitution, a provision which protects the right of individuals to possess firearms under the law. Specifically, under the 2nd Amendment individuals may have the right to create their own firearms for self-defense, and the right to the manufacture firearms technology and materials. Analysis and Critique In fact, 3D Printing technology is not brand new. This technology has been undergoing development for more than a decade. The reason it became more popular recently is because of decreasing usage costs, so more and more individuals have the opportunity to own 3D Printers for personal use. In my analysis and critique of this journal article, I will focus on three different areas: how well does it deliver information to the reader, how the product will evolve in the future, and what is my opinion of concern about 3D Printing technology relate to firearms production after reading this journal article. First of all, this article is well organized and divided into four parts. The first part introduces what 3D Printing is, and how it is possible to produce firearms using the technology. The second part explains why the sale and production of firearms are limited under federal regulations, and provides an overall outlook of the firearm industry. Part three includes explanations of how 3D printers may change firearms production. Finally, Part four describes the constitutional right to bear arms, and it also analyzes the extent to which Heller’s case may limit prohibitions on 3D Printing. Moreover, this article provides other critical information to explain key points. It is a very valuable introduction for a reader without a background in the subject who might not be very familiar with the IT industry or with the relevant legislation. Based on the data and supporting details provided by the author, readers will have a basic idea of the fundamental issues concerning the intersect ion of 3D Printing and weaponry. As a result, it relates the technology to big concerns about public security, and the author gives great examples of the various legal arguments on the topic. Therefore, I think this article is a valuable qualitative article that can expand people’s knowledge on the subject. Secondly, besides concerns about guns, there are no other disadvantages to the improvement of 3D Printing, which will make the operating cost of the technology increasingly cheap. Jensen-Haxel explains how 3D Printing actually works in his article: The process begins with a digital 3D model created using Computer Added Design (â€Å"CAD†) software. The software automatically slices the model into a stack of thin horizontal cross-sections about 0.1mm in height. The, 3D printer then builds the physical model by depositing material layer by layer. At the same time, 3D Printers are getting smaller and smaller, which will make it easier for consumers to have their own machines at home. This changes the old production model. Nowadays, people are allowed to produce whatever they want using a 3D Printer, all they need are the required data and materials. In fact, because of the development of the Internet, it is easier than ever for people to find these resources online. Evans states that: The quickest way to get started with 3D printing is simply to find models online that others have already created and shared on the Internet. The online 3D printing community is growing all the time, so more and more things are being shared every day. Therefore, the limitations of self-production have shifted from hardware difficulties to software or materials issues. The technology is becoming simpler to use, but it might harm light manufacturing industries because some designers may be able to use their own 3D Printers to produce a sample instead of finding established producers that use traditional manufacturing methods. Because of these improvements, the potential for 3D Printing is bright, but the light manufacturing industry might be negatively affected by it. Finally, the author argues that the rapid improvement of 3D Printing and the increasing convenience for individuals to produce things with it is both a major concern and a tremendous possibility. Should individuals receive the right to do whatever they want with 3D Printing technology, even the ability to â€Å"print† firearms? The topic of gun safety has become especially relevant since the school shooting in Newton, Connecticut last year. More and more people are arguing about if the government should make some changes to firearms regulation. Jensen-Haxel wrote in his article that: â€Å"As the power of production passes from industry to consumer, many areas of the law may be caught unprepared.† (P.448) Concerns about the rate of technological progress outpacing regulations are not limited to 3D Printing. Because of the relentless improvements to technology, more and more challenges will occur as regulators try to manage new technology. The fact is, in most cases, laws only change after a new problem occurs, which means that new products will often exist in a legal gray area before rules can be changed. How the government deals with this issue might be a big concern in the following decades. To sum up, this article first introduces 3D Printing technology, and gives an example how 3D Printing has been used to â€Å"print† a firearm. As a result, the author relates this new technology to a regulatory concern. Within his argument, he provides lots of legal information, and then tries to point out a fact that some gray areas exist because regulation usually develops slower than a new technology can. Back to this article, is seems like the future of 3D Printing technology in unclear until the government resolves the legal issues concerning manufacturing weapons with this technology. Reference Evans, B. (2012). Practical 3D printers: the science and art of 3D printing. New York: Apress. Jensen-Haxel, Peter (2012). 3D Printers, Obsolete Firearm Supply Controls, and the Right to Build Self-Defense Weapons Under Heller. Golden Gate University Law Review; May2012, Vol. 42 Issue 3, p447-496, 50p

Personhood and Abortion Essay

The topic of personhood and abortion is a very controversial one. I agree with Marquis and Thomson’s theory on how personhood does not settle the ethical debate on abortion. Therefore, I will explain Don Marquis’s argument, his critique of the traditional pro-life argument, why this argument is far off from the general idea of what a person is and why I agree with his argument. Then, I will discuss Judith Thomson’s argument and why I believe the Burglars and Seed People argument is the most persuasive. Lastly, I will describe what I believe the definition of a person is. Towards the beginning of Marquis’s article he states, â€Å"The anti-abortionist charges, not unreasonably, that pro-choice principles concerning killing are too narrow to be acceptable; the pro-choicer charges, not unreasonably, that anti-abortionist principles concerning killing are too broad to be acceptable†¦All this suggests that a necessary condition of resolving the abortion controversy is a more theoretical account of the wrongness of killing. † (92) I agree that personhood alone does not solve the issue of abortion. His article discusses the principle concerning the wrongness of killing. This principle entails that it is wrong to destroy cancer-cell cultures or any other human cell cultures that are done in a lab. This is far-off from what the general idea of a person is. Cells and a person share little of the same characteristics; therefore, the anti-abortionist’s principle is too broad. Marquis says, â€Å"Killing adults is wrong because it deprives them of their future. But in killing a fetus, we are also depriving it of its future. Thus, it seems inconsistent to object to one but not the other. (90) Basically, he is saying that if we think killing an adult is wrong then we ought to think that killing a fetus is wrong. Marquis concentrates on applying that personhood doesn’t matter when arguing about abortion because most arguments involving personhood are too narrow or too broad in scope. What matters is the fact that killing is depriving one of one’s future. This princ iple even suggests that fetuses at an early stage of pregnancy fall under the wrongness of killing idea. Marquis also discusses how the pro-choicer believes in a moral principle concerning the wrongness of killing that fetuses do not fall under. He says that this principle is too narrow in scope and does not embrace enough. This principle would allow for the killing of infants that were mentally handicapped or ill. I agree with Marquis’s concept on how personhood does not settle this controversial issue. Just being a person does not explain why abortion is wrong. As Marquis discusses, the wrongness comes from the loss of one’s life deprives one of the future. Judith Jarvis Thomson’s article begins with her saying, â€Å"Most opposition to abortion relies on the premise that the fetus is a human being, a person, from the moment of conception. I think that the premise is false, that the fetus is not a person from the moment of conception. A newly fertilized ovum, a newly implanted clump of cells, is no more a person than an acorn is an oak tree. † (97) The first premise of the Potential Persons Argument says, â€Å"If it is wrong to kill persons, it is wrong to kill potential persons. † (Lecture) Thomson believes that potentially being something or someone does not give one the rights of actually being that something or someone. Therefore, a freshly implanted clump of cells in a female is no different than a new acorn growing to potentially become an oak tree. An acorn is just a potential oak tree; there is no guarantee that it indeed will grow into an oak tree, just as a clump of cells has the potential to grow into a human, but there is no guarantee this will happen. Thomson uses an interesting example in her argument. A violinist is dying and only you have the right blood type to save him. You are kidnapped overnight and the violinist’s circulatory system is plugged into yours. You have to stay plugged into him until he gets better. It is permissible for you to choose to disconnect yourself from him because you did not consent. The same idea would apply to rape and incest. Thomson says, â€Å"Even supposing a case in which a woman pregnant due to rape ought to allow the unborn person to use her body for the hour he needs, we should not conclude that he has a right to do so; we should conclude that she is self-centered, callous, indecent, but not unjust, if she refuses. † (108) This quote explains why the violinist theory would apply to rape and incest. Thomson also uses the Seed People argument, which I believe is the most persuasive argument. There are â€Å"seed people† who float in the air, land on your carpet and grow into adults. Because of this, you buy preventive screens, but the seed people pass through the screen and take root. It is permissible to get rid of the seed people because you did take preventative measures. This argument implies that abortion would be permissible if the mother did take preventative actions while having intercourse and still got pregnant. I agree with Thomson on this. If a woman is on birth control and uses a condom while having intercourse and she still gets pregnant, then it should be morally permissible for her to get an abortion. It is normal for adults to have an urge for intercourse and I believe they should be able to do so even if they do not want a baby. Intercourse is not just about pleasure, but about love as well. Therefore, it should be permissible for adults who have had protected intercourse to get an abortion. Some people might object to Thomson’s theory on the seed people because you are still â€Å"killing† a person. But, you have the right to what happens in your body and therefore I believe you have the right to make the decision for an abortion. Overall, I agree with Thomson’s article. I like that she starts with a controversial pro-life argument and then finishes with a pro-choice conclusion. She used great analogies when presenting her arguments. What makes up a person is another controversial issue. In my opinion, a person is a self-conscious or rational being with the ability to reason and a notion of self-identity. Although, I think an individual’s definition of a person may be based upon whether they believe abortion is morally permissible or not. One might try to fix the definition of personhood in order to get the desired outcome about abortion. For example, an individual who thinks abortion is morally permissible might define a person as someone who has the ability to reason, ability to consent, ability to control one’s attention and action, ability to communicate, and ability to be morally responsible. By this definition, a fetus would not really be a person because fetuses can not do all of these things. Therefore, abortion would be morally permissible because the fetus is not a person.

Detailed Review of Ethical Identity Of IBs Essay Example

Detailed Review of Ethical Identity Of IBs Essay Example Detailed Review of Ethical Identity Of IBs Essay Detailed Review of Ethical Identity Of IBs Essay Identity, according to the Oxford Dictionary, is (1) absolute sameness; oneness; equality of two expressions for all values of the literal quantities, equation expressing this; (2) condition or fact that person or thing is itself and not something else; individuality, personality (The Oxford Dictionary 1984). In terms of corporate identity, the consistent visual symbols of the corporation fit the first linguistic definition, while the distinct attributes of the corporation (Balmer 1998, Bernstein 1984) or the reality and uniqueness of the organization (Gray and Balmer 2001 p. 1) fit the second definition. Hence, corporate identity can be the same and yet different (Bernstein 2003). Reviews of the literature on corporate identity indicate a plethora of definitions for the term, ranging from the tangible to intangible, and from the tactical to strategic (see Allessandri 2001, Melewar and Jenkins 2002 for a compilation of the various definitions). However, there is some agreement among researchers that the term is related to answering the questions what are we? And who are we? (Balmer and Greyser 2003) or what the firm is (Hawn, 1998, Portugal and Halloran 1986), hence referring to the distinct attributes of the organisation. Birkigt and Stadler (1986, as cited in Balmer 2001) suggest four elements of corporate identity: personality, behaviour, communication and symbolism, while van Rekom (1997) identifies three elements: essence features of the firm, features that set it apart from others and continuity of the features over time. According to Balmer and Soenen (1999) corporate identity encompasses three elements: the mind (the expressed organisational ethos, vision, strategy and product performance), the soul (distinctive corporate values of the firm) and the voice (the various ways of communicating to key stakeholder groups). In short, corporate identity is the bonding of strategy, structure, communication and culture, embracing both tangible (e. g. name, logo and colour) and intangible (e. g. firms behaviour and reputation) elements that make it distinctive (Balmer 2001, p. 280). Balmer and Soenen (1999) further operationalised four distinctive features of corporate identity using the mnemonic ACID, each letter representing a distinct identity type: actual, communicated, ideal and desired. Actual identity encompasses the business strategy, values and philosophy, corporate culture and structure (Gray and Balmer 1998) while communicated identity is closely linked to image and reputation, which in turn leads to the realisation of desired (what corporate management wants it to be) and ideal identities (what stakeholders see as optimal). Since their exists an explicit covenant or a promise (Johansson and Hirano 1999, Mitchell 1999) between an organisation and its key stakeholders, corporate identity must be managed so as to ensure alignment between the various identities suggested by Balmer and Soenen (1999). This entails communicating and behaving in a manner that leaves a pleasant impression with key stakeholders (Cornellisson and Elving 2003). One of the avenues through which information about corporate identity (e. g. its ideology, management philosophy, products, commitments to society, etc. ) is communicated is the corporate annual report. Hence, managing information disclosure in corporate annual reports in a consistent and pleasing manner will produce a positive corporate image an over time will produce a positive corporate reputation (Allesandri 2001). In other words, through proper communication management, companies can build their reputation, which may lead to competitive advantage (see the operational model for managing corporate identity by Gray and Balmer 1998) and will pay off in both operational and financial ways (Dowling 2001), as well as ensure business survival (Balmer and Stotvig 1997, van Riel and Balmer 1997). Islamic banks are representative of a new wave of corporations whose social goals are at least (if not more) as important as making profit. Based on the definition by Gray and Balmer (2001), such corporations fit what they described as having ethical identity. They studied two such corporations. Migros and Patagonia to find commonalities that exist between them. Berrone et al. (2005) assessed the impact of corporate ethical identity on the firms financial performance and their results indicate that revealed ethics (aspects of communication of the ethical identity) have informational worth and enhance shareholder value, while applied ethics (all actions and policies considered as ethical and beyond communication of ethical values) have a positive impact through the improvement of stakeholder satisfaction. Since commonalities already exist between Islamic banks, as they are based on the Islamic ethical business framework drawn from the Shariah (Islamic law, often referred to as ethics in action), it would be interesting to assess whether an ethical identity gap exists and its implications on corporate branding and corporate image and reputation. Hence, in this article, we attempt to assess the degree of variation of communicated ethical identity (as disclosed in the corporate annual report) against a benchmark of ideal ethical identity (checklist constructed based on Islamic precepts) for the Islamic banking sector where trust is vital. Specifically, we measure the degree of ethical identity of seven Islamic banks in the Arabian Gulf region based on their corporate annual reports for the years 2002-2004 inclusive, using what we term an Ethical Identity Index (EII). The reason for confining our scope to Islamic banks in the Arabian Gulf region is because these countries share a similar socio-economic structure, which as such enables us to control for macro and cultural effects and make comparison and interpretations more meaningful. We chose corporate annual reports rather than other media of communication in assessing communicated ethical identity because they offer a snapshot of managements mindset in a particular period (Neimark 1992), have greater potential to influence due to widespread distribution (Adams and Harte 1998), are more accessible for research purposes and are used by a number of stakeholders as the sole source of certain corporate information (Deegan and Rankin 1997). The results of our survey, analysis and discussion constitute a further contribution to corporate identity, corporate communication, corporate social responsibility and Islamic banking literature. The article proceeds as follows. The next section presents a literature review on various aspects of Islamic banking and discusses what constitutes the ideal ethical identity based on the Islamic precepts. The third section describes the research method. The fourth section presents our results and discussion, followed by the conclusions, implications and avenues for further research in the final section.

Persuasiv Essays

Persuasiv Essays Persuasiv Paper Persuasiv Paper Single Parent Resource Center is a community recourse thats helps a single parent express and discuss their family problem. This offers counseling to the parent In need and management assistance. In this resource center It also offers a father program. This helps father improving parenting skills and communicating with their children. Also includes activities such as, workshops, readings support groups etc. 2) The Adult Learning Center of Long Beach Is for the 18 years old or older. This offers free computer education, academic and career counseling, English as a second engage, GEED preparation, citizenship education, etc. 3) Planned Parenthood Is a resource that helps needed mothers with food, diapers, clothing and other supplies. Teaching teenagers to have protected sex and In general sexual education to be Informed on life making decisions. Provide young woman about honest sexual and relationship Information. These three community resources to me seem to be outstanding compared to others. In todays community there are several single parents out there that need some sort of support. Now a days there are more and ore teenagers getting pregnant at a young age. Single Parent Resource Center and Planned Parenthood help make woman understand the life style of a parent in need. This makes them think twice about their decision of getting pregnant or having unprotected sex leading to an unwanted pregnancy or some sort of disease. This to me is important, knowing that a majority of people my age have a baby is just unbelievable, and we have a whole life ahead of us. In the other hand, The Adult Learning Center is to help those in need to get back up for those who dropped out of gig school they help educate them with preparing them for the GEED. This can help the individual get on their feet discussing academically to a counselor. HTTPS://211 longhand. Communitys. Org/SF/profile/service/id/588509 HTTPS:// 211 longhand. Communitys. Org/SF/profile/service/id/591434 http:// www. Plenipotentiary. Org/about-us/who-we-are-4648. HTML persuasive By Garcia 23 express and discuss their family problem. This offers counseling to the parent in need and management assistance. In this resource center it also offers a father The Adult Learning Center of Long Beach is for the 18 years old or older. This offers language, GEED preparation, citizenship education, etc. 3) Planned Parenthood is a Teaching teenagers to have protected sex and in general sexual education to be informed on life making decisions. Provide young woman about honest sexual and relationship information.

United States Surgical Corporation Audit Article

United States Surgical Corporation Audit - Article Example As the discussion stresses in 1981, USSC extended the useful lives of several of its fixed assets and adopted salvage value for many of these same assets for the first time. Are these changes permissible under generally accepted accounting principles? Assuming these changes had a material effect on USSC’s financial condition and results of operations, how should the change have affected Ernst & Whinney’s 1981 audit opinion? Assume that the current reporting standard were in effect at the time.  This paper outlines that the Securities and Exchange Commission was able to identify Michael S. Hope, a former partner of Ernst & Whinney.   He did the audit of the financial statements of United States Surgical Corporation in 1980 and 1981. Such statements appeared to be steady when it comes to the earnings of the company.   However, on the contrary, the company was losing money.   This case led to some charges filed against US Surgical.   In an investigation in 1984, it turned out that there were executives alleged of engaging in illegal practices.   Though SEC had pointed out US Surgical’s to be guilty of fraud, this was not a basis of defense against Ernst & Whinney.  Ernst & Whinney is a combination of companies with different cultures.   Such differences raised conflicts of interest between consulting and auditing.   Client opposition and antitrust issues caused so many problems.  Should the company focused on consulting, it could have had provided a better avenue for openness.   As consulting appears to be a friend of companies, on the other hand, conservative auditing was apparently an injustice to many companies. During this time, the auditor's report-- though should have been substantiated by figures-was dependent on the subjective opinion of the auditor. If the present professional means of audit in an objective approached is used during this time, it could have had been effective if coupled with consulting services. This would help the clients progress on their financial stability. They would concentrate on their strengths and work on their limitations to balance it off. QUESTION 3: Prepare common-sized financial statement for USSC for the period 1979-1981. Also compute key liquidity, solvency, activity, and profitability ratio for 1980 and 1981. Given these data, identify what you believe were the high-risk financial statement items for the 1981 USSC audit. ANSWER: The high risk financial statement items for 1981 USSC audit is in its profitability ratio. Retirement assets are recorded to be high. However, there is no concrete basis that supports nor aligns profit to assets, subjecting it to a doubt. QUESTION 4: What factors in the auditor-client relationship create a power imbalance in favor of the client Discuss measures that the profession could take to minimize the negative consequences of this power imbalance. ANSWER: Audit reports greatly rely on the auditor. Misstatements would lead to a false report that often became the basis of taking legal actions. A declaration of financial distress is crucial as it could create damage. On the other hand, the report of an auditor is affected by the way he understands the company. Although financial distress

Availability of Sex Education in Public Schools to Decrease Teen Research Paper

Availability of Sex Education in Public Schools to Decrease Teen Pregnancies - Research Paper Example Studies do reflect on certain advantages that can be associated with the availability of sex education in public schools. Three main arguments in support of sex education include: (i) It can help the children learn about their body changes and thus also clearly answer their curious questions regarding the opposite sex, (ii) It can enable a complete understanding of the sex process and also the need for abstinence from it until marriage, (iii) Child sexual abuse might be controlled (De). These arguments might be understood in greater details as follows. As far as the first argument is concerned, teenagers tend to be highly curious about the body changes that occur within them with age as well as regarding the body of the opposite sex. This might lead to attraction towards each other causing them to perform sex. This might be prevented through lessons provided in class that would clear all their doubts regarding body changes. The second argument would be relevant since several myths are associated with sex, for example, there lies a fear of a girl not being able to be pregnant on her first try (â€Å"Should health and physical education teachers teach children about sex? Heres a look at the pros and cons†). Through proper lessons, such myths might be removed and it would always be better for teenagers to learn about the details of sex through teaching rather than trying to perform sex and learn or learn from other sources like pornography. Thirdly, child sex abuses might be curbed since teachings in schools would enable teenagers to learn what is actually good and what is not. In spite of certain advantages being in association with sex education in schools, there are certain arguments against the issue as well. These might include: (i) Students often consider the subject as a mockery.

Continuity Planning Overview Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Continuity Planning Overview - Assignment Example e role and task of Business Continuity manager also demand the induction of policies and procedures that may prove beneficial towards the continued business operations if something disastrous happens. The most important aspect of this role is to foresee and preempt the upcoming challenges that may hinder or cause delay in normal business operations. Wallace, Lawrence & Larry (2011) states, â€Å"The Business Continuity Manager leads the company’s planning and recovery efforts. This person’s duties encompass the entire program from assisting in editing plans for providing strategic leadership and vision.† After a detail analysis of the present policies and company wide procedures few changes are deemed essential to ensure pursuance of business continuity objectives in case of a serious calamity or disaster. Salman (2006) observes, â€Å"Identifying key problem areas during audits of business continuity plans can enhance an organizations disaster recovery efforts and ensure the quick return of business activities and services.† An immediate revamp of existing policies in following areas is suggested; A training program is required to be started immediately to educate employees on various concepts and philosophies related to business continuity. This will help to achieve a smooth transition from the existing policies and procedures towards an innovative strategic policy which is sustainable in extraordinary circumstances that the company may face in case of a disaster. The skepticism within the organizational setup needs to be addressed intelligently because the management and the Board are the core decision makers and their support is indispensable for a successful business continuity plan. It must be born in mind that the strategic plan for business continuity is an expensive decision and management can only buy this idea if they can understand the value of the investment. The presenter needs to roll out the new policies in an attractive package to ensure

Exploring Internet Sites Essay Example for Free

Exploring Internet Sites Essay Nowadays Internet became primary informational source for overwhelming majority of people around the world. That is why, in order to earn customer goodwill, enhance the market and promote own goods or services, it is necessary for any enterprise at any market to place easy accessible, correct and comprehensive information about the company, its policies, strategies, products, prospects and so on, into World Wide Web. Official sites of such known companies, as Procter Gamble, Nestle and Unilever are great examples of using advantages of Internet as an effective tool of marketing and promotion. It is remarkable, that these successful companies openly inform their customers about their financial situation and the results of specific researches, offer new career or investment opportunities for any visitor of the site. This definitely works for strengthening their image on global level. To my mind, the most attractive and interesting features for the customers are the sections about the products of the companies and some related fields like nutrition, beauty and style, etc. It is principally important to make information on the site practical and useful for any average or prospective customer. With this purpose, for example, P G is using a very effective slogan â€Å"Expert Advice for Everyday Life†, which really works well, I believe. Undoubtedly, all three sites are very up-to-date and competent. I could not help noticing one obvious disadvantage of them all: extreme overload of information. It makes navigation more complicated for an average customer, who can be an average Internet user as well. Besides, I suppose that the sites of P G and Unilever have too very bright and colorful designs. This can take customer’s mind off the site content and the product itself. Besides, to my mind, it affects seriousness of these companies to some extent. Certainly, Internet sites play important role and significantly contribute into forming consumer preferences and attracting new customers. The main advantage of such sites is making customer- producer communication much faster. When a customer wants to get some information, there is no need to make long phone calls and wait for consultations anymore. Now it is possible to find all necessary data on the site just with a couple of mouse clicks. Bibliography: Nestle. Nestle S. A. 2004. 06 Nov. 2006 http://searchenginewatch. com/searchday/article. php/3398511. Procter Gamble. P G Everyday Solutions. 2006. 06 Nov. 2006 http://www. pg. com/en_US/index. jhtml.   Unilever. Unilever N. V. 2006. 06 Nov. 2006 http://searchenginewatch. com/searchday/article. php/3398511.

Platos Dialogues As Educational Models Essay -- Philosophy Research P

Dialogue, Dialectic, and Maieutic: Plato's Dialogues As Educational Models ABSTRACT: Plato’s Socrates exemplies the progress of the dialectical method of inquiry. Such a method is capable of actualizing an interlocutor’s latent potential for philosophizing dialectically. The dianoetic practice of Plato’s Socrates is a mixture of dialectical assertions and questions arising out of his ethical concern for the interlocutor. The Dialogues act as educational models exhibiting how one inquires and learns as well as how one must teach in order that others learn to be participants in (or practitioners of) the dialectic. This is the maieutic art of Plato’s Socrates with which he draws his interlocutors into stating and reflecting upon the implications of their uncritically held opinions. We could say that the real subject-matter of many of the Dialogues is at least as much education in the dialectical process while still respecting the literary form of the Dialogues as exhibitive construction. The lack of philosophical closure that often characterizes many of the Dialogues lends additional credence to this position. The subject-matter of many of the dialogues is, therefore, reflexive: it is about itself in the sense that the tacit lesson (practicing the dialectic) will be remembered after its ostensible subject (some philosophical problem) has ceased to be debated. Dialectic is, then, renewable and replicable as an educational method, using "psychagogy"—an instrument of maieutic—to determine first each student’s individual needs for guiding him toward understanding. The Dialogues As Educational Models Plato's Dialogues are intellectual, noetic experiences; as dramatizations of communicative interactions, they bring into exhibition... ...ress, 1980. Grassi, Ernesto. Rhetoric As Philosophy. The Humanist Tradition. University Park and London: The Pennsylvania State University Press, 1980. (Noted as RAP) Marà ­as, Julià ¡n. Philosophy As Dramatic Theory. tr. James Parsons. University Park and London: The Pennsylvania State University Press, 1971. (Noted as PADT) Sagan, Eli. The Honey and the Hemlock. Democracy and Paranoia in Ancient Athens and Modern America. New York: Basic Books, 1991. Sedgewick, G.G. Of Irony, Especially in Drama. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1967. Tejera, V. Plato's Dialogues One By One. A Structural Interpretation. New York: Irvington Publishers, Inc., 1984. (Noted as PDOBO) —. Modes of Greek Thought. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts, 1971. Walton, Craig and Anton, John, eds. Philosophy and the Civilizing Arts. Athens, Ohio: Ohio University Press, 1974.

Blackwater USA security

Blackwater Worldwide in the past called Blackwater USA Security-Blackwater is the name for the peat-colored water of the swamp, is the U. S. government has inaudibly hired to maneuver in international war zones and on American soil. The contacts run from deep within the military and intelligence agencies to the upper echelons of the White House. This company that is a self-described private military company founded in 1997 by a man named Erik Prince and Al Clark which is also the same company also referred to as the security contactor or mercenary organization by the international reporters, the founder Erik Prince a former Navy SEAL.Prince attended the Naval Academy, graduated from Hillsdale College, and was an intern in George H. W. Bush's White House. Prince is a major financial supporter of Republican Party causes and candidates emerged from ancestors that was one of the top reservoir rollers of, not only the â€Å"Republican revolution† of the 1990s that brought Newt Ging rich and the Contract with America to authority, but also the growing of what the spiritual accurate or the Christian conventional lobby group. Erik Prince’s family gave the kernel money for Gary Bauer to found the Family Research Council.The founder Erik Prince of the Blackwater USA security is a major bank roller of President Bush, his cronies, and the Christian conservative movement in this nation and in 2002 Blackwater Security Consulting (BSC) was formed. It was one of several private security firms employed following the U. S. invasion of Afghanistan. BSC is one of over 60 private security firms employed during the Iraq War to guard officials and installations, train Iraq's new army and police, and provide other support for occupation forces.Blackwater was also hired during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina by the Department of Homeland Security, as well as by private clients, including communications, petrochemical and insurance companies in Overall; the company has r eceived over US$1 billion in government contracts. In administration Blackwater's president Gary Jackson, is also a former Navy SEAL and Cofer Black, the company's current vice chairman, was director of the CIA's Counterterrorist Center (CTC) at the time of the September 11, 2001 attacks.He was the United States Department of State coordinator for counterterrorism with the rank of ambassador at large from December 2002 to November 2004. After leaving public service, Black became chairman of the privately owned intelligence gathering company Total Intelligence Solutions, Inc. , as well as vice chairman for Blackwater. Joseph E. Schmitz holds an executive position in Blackwater's holding company, Prince Group. He was previously inspector general of the Department of Defense, an appointment of George W.Bush. Robert Richer was vice president of intelligence until January 2007, when he formed Total Intelligence Solutions. He was formerly the head of the CIA's Near East Division. [20][21] Black is presently senior advisor for counterterrorism and national security issues for the 2008 Presidential election bid of Mitt Romney. Blackwater is based in the U. S. A in the state of North Carolina, where it operates a tactical training facility that it said to be the world's largest.The company trains more than 40,000 people a year, from U. S. A or foreign military and police services, as well as other U. S. A government agencies. The training consists of military offensive and defensive portioning and in smaller scale human resources security. Expertise and modus operandi trained are not limited by U. S. domestic law although we are not yet sure what legal status Blackwater operates in the U. S. and other countries and the fortification of the U. S. extends to Blackwater which is operations globally.Blackwater is the mysterious story of the ascending of a powerful mercenary army, ranging from the blood-soaked streets of Fallujah to rooftop firefights in Najaf to the hurric ane-ravaged US gulf to Washington DC, where Blackwater executives are hailed as new conquerors in the war on terror. Blackwater USA Security has massive of about 6,000 acres of the Great Dismal Swamp acre training facility as part of its headquarters, Moyock in North Carolina (just south of the Virginia border).The firm has additional offices in Baghdad, Iraq, and Kuwait City this is according to The â€Å"About Blackwater† section of its website states: â€Å"Blackwater Training Center which was founded in 1996 to fulfill the anticipated demand for government outsourcing of firearms and related security training. Blackwater has the finest private firearms training facility in the U. S. Blackwater has set a new standard for firearms and security training and is recognized as the industry leader in providing government outsource solutions in training, security, canine services, aviation support services, range construction and steel target equipment.Since its inception howeve r, the main work of Blackwater has been deploying its own mercenary army– recruited from elite U. S. military forces especially from Navy SEALS and Marine Recon, SWAT police forces, and international â€Å"soldiers of fortune. † In February it started training former Chilean commandos–some of whom served under the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet–for use in Iraq. Blackwater has trained over 50,000 military and law enforcement personnel and provided solutions to hundreds of satisfied customers.This is an extraordinary delineation by one of America's most exciting young radical correspondents called Jeremy Scahill the undercover journalist in his new book â€Å"Blackwater† talks about The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army where he says that Blackwater is the honored Praetorian Guard for the global war on terror with its own military base. Blackwater is presently the largest of the U. S. State Department's three private sanctuary contra ctors, providing a total of 987 contractors.The correspondent in his book writes that Blackwater mercenary firm vehemently demonstrates the grave jeopardy of outsourcing the government’s cartel on the use of force many of which are U. S. citizens. At least 90 percent of its proceeds come from government contracts, two-thirds of which are no-bid contracts. Blackwater Worldwide is currently contracted by the United States government to provide security services in the Iraq War. In October 2007, Blackwater USA rebranded them as Blackwater Worldwide.Blackwater Worldwide has played a substantial role during the Iraq War, as a contractor for the United States government, especially in 2003; Blackwater received its first high-profile contract when it received a $21 million no-bid contract for guarding the head of the Coalition Provisional Authority, L. Paul Bremer. Since June 2004, Blackwater has been paid more than $320 million out of a $1 billion, five-year State Department the fi nancial statement for the Worldwide Personal Protective Service, which protects U. S. officials and some foreign officials in conflict zones. In 2006, Blackwater won the remunerative contract to protect the U.S. embassy in Iraq, which is the largest American embassy in the world. It is anticipated by the Pentagon and company representatives that there are 20,000 to 30,000 armed security contractors working in Iraq. Of the State Department's dependence on private contractors like Blackwater for security purposes, U. S. ambassador to Iraq, Ryan Crocker, told the U. S. Senate: â€Å"There is simply no way at all that the State Department's Bureau of Diplomatic Security could ever have sufficient full-time personnel to staff the security occupation in Iraq. There is no unconventional except through contracts.According to the republicans of early this year 2008, Blackwater USA security will leave the bureau armed and dangerous because Blackwater is the absolutely mesmerizing an explosiv e story of how the Bush Administration has spent hundreds of millions of public dollars edifice a comparable corporate army, an army enthusiastic to grounds it constitutes nothing less than a Republican Guard which is the most imperative and unnerving book about the death throes of U. S. egalitarianism in the estimative coverage about how insane Bush privatization efforts, not an iota is more worrisome than the corporatizing of military struggle forces.Jeremy Scahill admirably exposes a overwhelming example of this baleful scheme, the writer says that the only person interested in the privatization of the military is president Bush due to the advantages that we will gain from keeping the military force in the course of the Iraq fight. This engrossing investigative piece exposing, in shocking detail, a U. S. government-outsourced Frankenstein replete with helicopter gunships may leave you unconvinced. But you better believe it, for it poses a grave and gathering danger to the future of our Republic.According to Ray McGovern, CIA veteran and former intelligence briefer for George H. W. Bush, in this terrorizing and thrillingly written book, Jeremy Scahill initiates us to the shape of things to come, and to the kind of people and conglomerates apt to preside over our lives if we don't do something marvelous about it promptly. According to research from the writer Jeremy Scahill's comprehensive research and reporting elevates the shroud off the ever-tightening relationship between the federal administration and unaccountable private military corporations such as Blackwater USA.This type of mercenary army has no whatsoever reason to have this type of civilian military organization due to its relationship with the US government which is considered to be of intrinsic danger and moral conflicts involved in the using of public funds to engage a clandestine corporation which exists to generate profit to supplement and to supersede the military in its role to endow with for the common defense. Alarming issues leap to mind like a panther springing upon its prey.Moreover the Social Darwinists sitting atop the food chain in the wealthiest, most powerful nation in humanity's history now have access to their own paramilitary force. They can unleash their private army on the unfit when the need arises, whether it be within America's borders or otherwise. New Orleans is a prime example. 150 highly trained Blackwater quasi-military professionals openly armed with assault weapons descended on a tragedy-stricken city. As hurricane victims taking necessities were called â€Å"looters† and shoot to kill orders were in effect, those who value property over people saw to it that their interests were well-protected.Thankfully, Blackwater was there to protect the patrician class from the â€Å"savages† from the Lower Ninth Ward who had the audacity to attempt survival; also Blackwater's global presence includes Iraq, where the murder of four of their employees triggered the US military's revengeful attack on Fallujah in which it committed scandalous war crimes and mayhem against hundreds of Iraqi civilians. Why the four Blackwater contractors were near Fallujah the day of their deaths remains unclear. The mainstream media, Blackwater and the US government claim that they were on security detail shielding a food delivery.However, some suggest that the claims of protecting a food caravan were a ruse to cover the fact that Blackwater employees were completing a military operation. While the facts remain ambiguous, it is certain that the conventional media's description of the Blackwater victims as civilian contractors was significantly inaccurate, this led to the Blackwater's license to operate in Iraq being revoked by the Iraqi Government on September 17, 2007, resulting from a highly contentious incident that occurred the previous day during which seventeen (initially reported as eleven) Iraqis were killed.The fatalities occurre d while a Blackwater Private Security Detail (PSD) was escorting a convoy of U. S. State Department vehicles en route to a meeting in western Baghdad with United States Agency for International Development officials. The US State Department has said that â€Å"innocent life was lost. An anonymous U. S. military official was quoted as saying that Blackwater's guards opened fire without provocation and used excessive force, the incident has sparked at least 5 investigations, with the FBI now saying it will begin a probe.Blackwater helicopters were dispatched to evacuate the Polish ambassador following an insurgent assassination attempt. On October 2, 2007 Erik Prince was subject to a congressional hearing conducted by the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform following the controversy related to Blackwater's conduct in Iraq and Afghanistan. Blackwater hired the public relations firm BKSH & Associates Worldwide, a subsidiary of Burson-Marsteller, to help Prince prepare for his testimony at the hearing. Robert Tappan, a former U. S.State Department official who worked for the Coalition Provisional Authority in Baghdad, was one the executives handling the account. BKSH, a self-described â€Å"bipartisan† headed by Charlie Black, a prominent Republican political strategist and former chief spokesman for the Republican National Committee, and Scott Pastrick, former treasurer of the Democratic National Committee. The case went on until when testifying before Congress came and Prince complained about the lack of remedies his company has to deal with employee misdeeds.When asked why an employee involved in the killing of a vice-presidential guard incident had been â€Å"whisked out of the country† he replied, â€Å"We can't flog him, we can't incarcerate him. Asked by a member of Congress for financial information about his company, Prince declined to provide it. â€Å"We're a private company, and there's a key word there private, he later stated that the company could provide it at a future date if questions were submitted in writing when the term â€Å"mercenaries† was used to describe Blackwater employees, Prince objected, characterizing them instead as â€Å"loyal Americans†.A Committee on Oversight and Government Reform staff report based largely on internal Blackwater e-mail messages and State Department documents, describes Blackwater as â€Å"being staffed with reckless, shoot-first guards who were not always sober and did not always stop to see who or what was hit by their bullets. A staff report compiled by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on behalf of Representative Waxman questioned the cost-effectiveness of using Blackwater forces instead of U.S. troops. Blackwater charges the government $1,222 per day per guard, â€Å"equivalent to $445,000 per year, or six times more than the cost of an equivalent U. S. soldier,† the report alleged, during his testimony on Capitol H ill, Erik Prince disputed this figure, saying that it costs money for the government to train a soldier, to house and feed them, they don't just come prepared to fight. â€Å"That sergeant doesn't show up naked and untrained†, Prince stated.In the wake of Prince's testimony before Congress, the US House passed a bill in October, 2007 that would make all private contractors working in Iraq and other combat zones subject to prosecution by U. S. courts and Senate Democratic leaders have said they plan to send similar legislation to President Bush as soon as possible. The legal status of Blackwater and other security firms in Iraq is a subject of contention, before he left Iraq; L.Paul Bremer signed â€Å"Order 17† giving all Americans associated with the CPA and the American government immunity from Iraqi law. A July 2007 report from the American Congressional Research Service indicates that the Iraqi government still has no authority over private security firms contracte d by the U. S. government. On October 5, 2007 the State Department announced new rules for Blackwater's armed guards operating in Iraq. Under the new guidelines, State Department security agents will accompany all Blackwater units operating in and around Baghdad.The State Department will also install video surveillance equipment in all Blackwater armored vehicles, and will keep recordings of all radio communications between Blackwater convoys in Iraq and the military and civilian agencies which supervise their activities.Also on September 23, 2007, the Iraqi government said that it expects to refer criminal charges to its courts in connection with a shooting involving Blackwater guards. However, on October 29, 2007, immunity from prosecution was granted by The U. S. State Department, delaying a criminal inquiry into the Sept. 16 deadly shooting of 17 Iraqi civilians. Immediately afterwards, the Iraqi government approved a draft law to end any and all immunity for foreign military co ntractors in Iraq, to overturn Order 17.The U. S. Department of Justice also said any immunity deals offered to Blackwater employees were invalid, as the department that issued them had no authority to do so. Legal specialists say that the U. S. government is unlikely to allow a trial in the Iraqi courts, because there is little confidence that trials would be fair. Contractors accused of crimes abroad could be tried in the United States under either military or civilian law; however, the applicable military law, the Uniform Code of Military Justice, was changed in 2006, and appears to now exempt State Department contractors that provide security escorts for a civilian agency.Prosecution under civilian law would be through the Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act, which allows the extension of federal law to civilians supporting military operations; however, according to the deputy assistant attorney general in the Justice Department’s criminal division Robert Litt, try ing a criminal case in federal court would require a secure chain of evidence, with police securing the crime scene immediately, while evidence gathered by Iraqi investigators would be regarded as suspect.To conclude the Backwaters should not have this type of civilian military organization in any part of the world including in the U. S. A because it is too costly especially to the Government of president Bush including the civilians who get to pay a lot to taxes to keep the military running. The innocent people dying all over the world where the mercenary army controls is an abuse of the human rights especially in Iraq, Bagdad and Somalia. References: 1. www. blackwaterusa. com/new/btwarchive. html 2. Blackwater by Jeremy Scahill 2007 by Jeremy Scahill.