Farewell to Arms

People often find meaning in their lives by devoting themselves to a certain passion or conviction. In Ernest Hemingway’s A uk/farewell-to-manzanar-2/">Farewell to Arms, individuals struggle to find meaning and order in an otherwise chaotic and war-torn world. For example, Frederic Henry, who has little sense of direction or purpose from his demoralization from war, seems to find solace in love, which serves as the conviction Frederic needs to obtain peace and stability. Although his attempts to find order fail and lead to great suffering for him, Frederic ends up maturing greatly, with a better understanding of life.Hemingway uses Frederic’s conflict between his duty as a soldier and his love for Catherine to demonstrate that maturity and true solace come from following a conviction and gracefully accepting the hardships that may follow. Frederic begins the war as a naive and detached young man seeking for a purpose in life to guide him through life’s troubles. He lacks the conviction needed for him to direct his decisions and live a meaningful life; he thus tries to find structure by enrolling in the war.However, since he is an American with little connection to Italy, Frederic does not have a viable reason to feel committed to the Italian army, evident when he says: â€Å"Well, I knew I would not be killed. Not in this war. It did not have anything to do with me† (37). Even the promise of honor and the duties of patriotism mean little to Henry. Frederic voices his opinion of the irrationality of the war rhetoric by saying: â€Å"I had seen nothing sacred, and the things that were glorious had no glory and the sacrifices were like the stockyards at Chicago if nothing was done with the meat except to bury it† (185).Despite the romanticized ideals about the war, Frederic feels that countless people were dying, not in dignity but in futility, and were rewarded with a disregard that is comparable to animals getting slaughtered i n stockyards only to be buried right after. Frederic is unwilling to sacrifice for the war, as he feels neither an attachment to the Italian army’s cause nor an interest in the patriotic war rhetoric. Frederic slowly restores the passionate and expressive side of him that was lost from the war; his love for Catherine outweighs his loyalty to the army, enabling him to flee the war and find peace.As he talks with Frederic about the void in their lives of religion, Count Greffi states: â€Å"you are in love. Do not forget that is a religious feeling† (237). True to the Count’s remark, both Frederic and Catherine treat their love with a religious devotion. As a result, Frederic develops a sense of meaning and purpose by isolating himself with Catherine, away from the chaotic and corrupt world around them. He finally finds peace when he separates himself from his chaotic surroundings to follow his desire: â€Å"I was going to forget the war.I had made a separate pea ce† (243). His newfound sense of purpose is strong enough that Frederic can bring himself to ignore the potential risks of abandoning his military obligation in favor of following his passion. Frederic suffers through great heartbreak by following his desires rather than his moral duty, but through these experiences, he obtains wisdom and an acceptance of life’s tragedies. After Catherine’s tragic death, he acknowledges that â€Å"I haven’t any life at all anymore† (300).Fredric realizes too late that Catherine was mistakenly the only source of order and strength in his life and is truly devastated as a result. But, as he says when talking to the priest about peasants fighting in the Italian army: â€Å"They were beaten to start with. They were beaten when they took them from their farms and put them in the army. That is why the peasant has wisdom, because he is defeated from the start. Put him in power and see how wise he is† (179). Frederic himself believes that enduring hardships leads to a greater wisdom and understanding of the world.As if predicting the tragic end of his relationship, Frederic says: â€Å"If people bring so much courage to this world the world has to kill them to break them, so of course it kills them. The world breaks every one and afterward many are strong at the broken places† (249). Frederic, through his own suffering, is forced to understand that peace and stability must come from within himself, not from external means such as people or institutions, for the world is cruel and unpredictable.Because of the suffering that ensued from following his conviction, Frederic is able to obtain a wisdom that would be unattainable had he not done so. The love Frederic feels for Catherine outweighs the moral obligation he feels to the Italian army and gives him something to live for. Though he initially suffers from his growing pains, at the end of the story, he is noticeably more mature and accep ting of his hardships. Ultimately, Frederic’s love and his military obligation, two of his many solaces to the chaos during the war, serve merely as stepping stones in his search for true meaning in life.

Adidas Sustainable Development Strategy Essay

The textile and the apparel industries face nowadays a lot of evolution due, first to macroeconomic consequences and then because of the growing eco-friendly influence. To understand the key challenges of the sustainable development in the textile and the apparel industries, we, first, need to get the whole picture of the situation. The global textile industry is getting through a struggling time for the global economy due to crisis. This situation increases the price volatility of raw materials and energy resources. We can also add-up to this trend, the rising labor cost that contributes to amplify the negative effects on the industry. This uncertainty in the marketplace leads to lack of projection for years to come. At a worldwide stage, the textile market knows different situations. Europe is facing a recession while North American market is struggling. This current trends leads to reduced worldwide sale perspective. In Asia, the situation is more complex. China is the major actor in the market. More and more, price rises in China due to a higher domestic demand and higher wages. See more: Distinguish between problem-focused coping and emotion-focused coping Essay This economic trend creates opportunities for other Asian countries to become new sourcing targets (Bangladesh, Vietnam, Cambodia, India, Sri Lanka and Indonesia). However, new countries doesn’t have necessary quality and quantity requirement, which put companies in a huge dilemma in 2012 and for years to come†¦ Concerning sustainable development in the textile and apparel industries, many challenges are expected. For years and years, consumers have wanted cheap and trendy clothes, no matter where they came, who produced it and the material composition of the purchase. Now, they have changed their mind in many aspects. Consumers expect more and more socially acceptable workplaces to employees in production. They want companies to focus on improving human being, which includes better work conditions and better salary. However, this desire is problematic and contradictory for the industry. Indeed, this change will imply higher price that only a minority of consumers are up to pay. Key actors on this market need also to be responsible and active in the society and towards communities. Apart from this, consumers also require that companies produce in environmentally friendly way, which represent the main key challenge. Consumers care more and more to let enough raw materials for future generations and avoid global over consumption. The Chemistry industry brings solution to replace these raw materials. However, it can’t replace every material: water, which is an essential factor for production of textile, energy (it concerns mainly non-sustainable sources, except solar and other sustainable energies) and raw materials (real organic cultivations are insignificant in the industry). However, instead of raw materials, regenerative raw materials are more and more used. There is line and hemp that are resistant and doesn’t need pesticides. However, it can be only use for particular textiles. Besides, we can find chemical fibers, which represent 60% of the current market. They are better than natural fibers but are dependent on petroleum. This problem is a bit compensated by the fact it can be recyclable in PET bottle for instance. Cotton represents only 38% of the market in volume and wool, 2%. For dyestuffing, Chemistry has also played a huge role. Now the synthetic process replace natural because it turns out to be more ecological and with a better quality. Moreover, we can also save resources like energy and chemicals by using sustainable development energies like solar, wind or hydroelectric energies. We have to consider fossil energy and try to replace them by renewable energies to avoid price pressure and volatility. Companies want also to develop environment-friendly production technologies for textile industry. Most of the time, Chemistry helps to save resources because they are less demanding in water for finishing and dyestuffs and in energy for washing. They clean fibers better, reduce amount of defective goods and preserve machines. However, huge tests and controls are required to avoid toxic and harmful component to spread into our daily life through our clothes Another key challenge for the industry is to develop the recycling economy. A model called 3R illustrates this targeted economy: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. It follows this chain: â€Å"resources-products-consumer-renewable resources† to implement the closed-cycle logistics. Moreover, this cycle allows controlling the process of contamination in this cycle. The second-hand purchases can optimize purchases and sustainability by creating a new business out of the current one. Besides, improving quality of final can be seen as a key challenge. It prolongs life cycle and also improve reuse value. Eco-tax on new materials could be set up to allow development of material re-use technology and business. After seeing the global situation of the current market, actors that want to play a major role in the future have to turn these challenges and strains into opportunities to differentiate and bring new standards in the textile and apparel industries. What are the stakeholders’ expectations? Employees of the Group  The employees of Adidas have the expectation that we can expect from different workers. They expect to have good working conditions to properly conduct they everyday job. Thus, some flexible hours, good working environment, ergonomic machinery are some expectations that Adidas employees might have. Of course, the salaries needs to be fair and the possibility of career evolution should be interesting too. They would prefer a merit-based rewarding system and a fair policy. Then, working in an ethical company can make them proud to work for Adidas and avoid internal conflict of interest. Also, they expect to have the freedom of joining a work council or any other unions. Finally, having the guaranty to have their health and safety assured during their working hours, with proper social protection. All these aspects are employee’s expectations that can be encountered worldwide. Authorizes government, trade associations, shareholders, Board of Directors All those stakeholders have different expectations. The government aims to see their citizen rights preserved, the legislation respected and the economy supported. A government needs to be objective and act for the benefits of â€Å"its people†. Thus they can on one side wants to impose restrictions on companies to prevent abuses but also want to support them financially or administratively to attract them and push them to invest in their country, and supporting the economy. The trade associations expect Adidas to respect international treaties on trade and to act in respect of the International regulations. On the other side, board of directors wants to see Adidas following the strategy they established to be sustainable. They want the company to be profitable but in a sustainable way. The board of directors wants the company have a better image and increase its sustainable development reputation. Finally Shareholders expect the company to be profitable and to have a direct result from its sustainable development strategy. They want Adidas to be sustainably profitable. Business partners unions, suppliers, service providers Business partners unions wants Adidas to respect the labor rights for the workers. They want working conditions to be assured and health & safety policy respected. They expect Adidas to secure the job of employees and avoid economic firing. The suppliers expect Adidas to respect their contract and fulfill their contractual obligations toward sustainable development. Also, they want Adidas to have fair practices and have equitable deals with them. On their own sides, service providers also wants Adidas to have fair practices and to involve them in their sustainable strategy by training them and providing them the means to be real partners. Workers in our suppliers’ factories These stakeholders are those who have the highest expectations toward Adidas. They expect Adidas to treat them equitably and to have fair practices with them. They want to have the same working conditions and the same rights than the Adidas employees. They want to have a decent wages, without child labor, with the acceptable health and safety benefits. They want Adidas to train them and to help them to evolve without remaining simple second-hand workers. They want to be fully integrated in the sustainable strategy of Adidas and in the future of the company. Opinion-formers journalists, community members, special interest groups Opinion formers such as journalists, expect Adidas to respect its engagement toward sustainable development. They want to be assured that the sustainable strategy of the company is a real commitment and not a simple â€Å"faire-valoir†. Community members on their own side, expect Adidas to respect their community and its environment but also to serve its interest. They want Adidas to offer them employment, to support education and to help the community to benefit from Adidas activities. Special interest group will push Adidas to respect their own interest. For instance, Greenpeace will push Adidas to respect environment, â€Å"SOS racisme† will expect Adidas to have non-discriminatory human resource policy, etc. Customers: Professional sports people, distributors, retailers, consumer Customers are the final people to satisfy. They are lat but not least. Customers expect Adidas to have fair prices, to respect their engagement in terms of sustainable development while maintaining the quality of their product. They also expect that the new sustainable development strategy will not impact their buying power by tremendously increase the price of Adidas products. Sports people want to be sure that the various Adidas products are ethical, with low impact on the environment and that are made by factories that respect sustainable working conditions. Distributors and retailers want Adidas to respect its positioning and identity but expect that Adidas will continuously improve its sustainable development policy. How does the company meet the challenges of the industry? Being a global business: This involves a strong and worldwide suppliers network. To be sure that suppliers rules are respectful of Adidas engagement, Adidas is fully transparent on its activities.  « We seek to be open about our operations, for example, by disclosing our global factory list to the public or submitting our global supplier compliance programme to evaluation and accreditation by the fair Labor Association. (Adidas,5) Beyond all contractual regulations that we will see below, transparency is an essential way to enable external organizations, such as the Fair Labor Association, to check the working conditions in Adidas suppliers. However, there is always information’s that kept secrets and not disclosed. It is important to keep a strong control on it. Being competitive: According to Adidas, the response to this challenge is: not at any price. â€Å"The adidas group Workplace Standards are fundamental to our relationships with our suppliers and are contractual obligations. While we have our own team that assesses how well our suppliers are complying with our supply chain code, we also work with external monitors to complement our measures. † (adidas, 5) Adidas apply strict rules and regulations that are contractually based in order to respect the company regulations on health, safety, labour rights and environmental conditions. On all these aspects, Adidas provides training and detailed guidelines to its suppliers. It has also involved a strong information system such as Fair Factory Clearinghouse platform, to monitor the conduct of its supplier. Apparently Adidas has done everything possible in this sector. However, it is essential to keep a strong control on supplier to avoid some â€Å"under-the-radar† issues such as the ones in Indonesia: (http://www. peuples-solidaires. org/suite317-indonesie-adidas/). Being environmentally responsible: Adidas is fully engaged in reducing its footprint. Adidas aims to: Save energy and reduce carbon emissions, save water, reduce the use of raw materials, using more environmentally friendly materials, reduce waste, reduce toxicity, for example through using less toxic chemicals and through fforts to reduce the pollutants in waste water at supplier factories, improve the environmental footprint of raw materials, improve the environmental footprint of products, manage supplier performance through auditing, measuring and reporting against key performance indicators, use management systems to drive continuous improvement (Adidas, 9). Adidas is acting in every step of its value chain and also by controlling its suppliers. However, this is useless if the distributors are not committed. For example distributing an eco-friendly product by using trucks that will strongly pollutes during the transportation is not coherent. Adidas is so powerful that it can make pressure on distributors to be committed in its environmental program. Being an employer of choice: This objective passes through managing people in a sustainable way. Adidas has developed an entire Human Resources Strategy based on three pillars: â€Å"create a working environment that stimulates team spirit, passion and engagement, instill a performance culture based upon strong leadership, be an employer of choice†(Adidas, 5). To do so, Adidas has developed a performance-based rewarding system throughout bonus program, profit sharing and additional compensation components. Moreover the training of employees is emphasized with different talent management programs (Adidas, 59). This enables people to enhance their perspectives. The whole working environment is made to be attractive with health and safety policy, respect of labor rights and liberty to join work council. Nonetheless, in the 2012 sustainable report, Adidas focus on Germany and USA. There are few words on the working environment offshore. We are not sure that those conditions are respected worldwide as it was in Indonesia. Moreover if the rewarding system is performance-based, we do not know anything about the career evolution system.

Black Working Poor vs. Black Middle Class

(Shawn A. Ginwright 2002) The black middle class experienced dramatic growth in the post civil-rights era. This growth raised questions about how social and cultural capital among the black middle class has helped the conditions of the black working poor. The author demonstrates through materialist and culturalist frames of the community how black middle class members of a small organization frame community failed to address the needs of the working poor. Materialist frames are rooted in day-to-day material conditions. They are informed by the lived reality of low wages, high rents, and or poor quality schools and focus on immediate change of concrete conditions. (Shawn A. Ginwright 2002) Culturalist frames challenge ideas and values, rather than power and people. Through a shared set of ideas and values, culturalist frames focus on symbolic meaning and abstract theories of the social world and attempt to change social meaning and personal identity. They promote specialized ideas about community and social issues and encourage expert-based social change through highly skilled, educated professionals. (Shawn A. Ginwright 2002) His argument is that the middle class use their skills, and other forms of human capitol to define community issues, while overlooking the interests of the working poor. Then Ginwright used a case study to affirm his theory. The case study was of a middle class community’s use Afrocentric ideology to ameliorate a working class neighborhood high school; the middle class misdiagnosed an obvious problem through culturalist framing resulting in no significant improvement in the high school. Afrocentric ideology is a modern concept in response to racist and attitudes about black people. It is a black inspired ideology that affirms blacks in a white dominated society. In the efforts to improve McClymonds High School in Oakland California a group of community advocates, The Black Front For Educational Reform (BUFFER), started coalition with working class parents and concerned citizens to transform the high school. Then BUFFER grew in size from roughly 30 local community individuals to 125 individuals from professors to attorneys. With the original BUFFERS the plan was simple, improve specific issues related to the day-to-day experiences of students, what the school lacked, but also what students at the school needed to survive. First, although many of its members shared the same ideology about the need to improve the conditions for black students at McClymonds High School, there was conflict about which strategy would best serve the needs of the students. (Shawn A. Ginwright 2002) The original working class members of BUFFER wanted to address the material issues such as textbook, facility structure, college prep courses, etc†¦ The new BUFFERS convinced that the problem was from lack of positive ethnic identity and racial pride. They wanted to address educational inequality by implementing an Afrocentric curriculum. This gave the idea of self-esteem issues. The Afrocentric curriculum did get approved and was implemented in the curriculum. For many students the new subject was not understood and Afrocentrism did not have any relevance to their day to day life experiences. The emphasis they placed on Afrocentric education diverted valuable resources to what could have been an effort to redress the pervasive inequality at the High. (Shawn A. Ginwright 2002) In reading the article it disclosed a serious gap in understanding of society needs between the middle class and the working poor class. Since the article was based on one case study, the results were skewed in favor of the author’s theory. The reading does not provide the benefits obtained by the high school from incorporating an Afrocentric curriculum or another case study that shows similar results. The author made an argument and used only one case study to verify his theory. The reading did provide some insight into the relationship between the two but it only provides inferred reasoning as to why there is a difference between the two. With two different social classes within the same organization, communication was really the necessity that was lacking to have a better outcome in the transformation of the high school. I would definitely recommend this read to a classmate

Production and Growth Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Production and Growth - Essay Example On the other hand, explaining differences relating to growth and productivity among countries around the world required significant understanding of their determinants. It also important to note that, growth rates among different countries around the world are not constant; in fact, they are highly dynamic (Zhihua and Kai, 4). Moreover, countries that are considered poor are not destined to a state of poverty; for instance, countries such as Singapore had low incomes during 1960, but currently her incomes have significantly increased. Therefore, economic stability of a country is not taken for granted since; there are increased chances of being overtaken by other poorer countries that are growing more rapidly. FACTORS AFFECTING PRODUCTIVITY AND GROWTH GDP and income in a country increases due to workers’ productivity, thereby leading to increased living standards for the citizens. Productivity and growth rate in a given country is also facilitated by technological knowledge si nce it enhances the production process. Furthermore, in order to understand productivity and growth in a country, human capital is understood based on perspective through which people contribute to expansion of knowledge acquired in the field of production. Furthermore, there is need to understand policies, which influence determinants of growth in a country. Some of these growth determinants include international trade, health, nutrition, health, property rights and political instability and others; In fact, it is also vital to understand investment, savings and the policies that affect them. Output per unit labor is also one of the major determinants of living standards among citizens in a country. Therefore, the discussion in this paper focuses on comparing productivity in different countries depending on physical and human capital per worker, and natural resources. Moreover, evaluation of growth among different countries is based in technological advancement, which improves livi ng standards. INCOMES AND GROWTH AROUND THE WORLD Rates of growth among countries across the world are highly dynamic due to numerous underlying factors. Therefore, numerous changes occur over a period of time, whereby poor countries acquire chances of improving their productivity and growth to an extent of surpassing other countries. On the other hand, decisions made by various political actors in a given country can affect their growth negatively or positively; thus, leading to decline or increase of productivity. The graphs below show GDP per captial during 2009 and growth rate from 1970 up to 2009 for different countries in order to compare their growth and productivity rates. DETERMINANTS OF PRODUCTIVITY Physical Capital per worker (K/L) In any country, the physical capital refers to the tools and machinery used for production and infrastructure such as roads and ports, which facilitates mobilization of factors of production. In fact, physical capital is an attribute of growth and productivity in a given country since it is applied in production of output. However, there is a profound difference between physical capital and technology since it constrained, thereby being used by particular workers. In this case, productivity and growth is caused by substantial difference in physical capital between developed and developing countries. For instance, a survey conducted in 2000

What is life Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

What is life - Assignment Example It is the relationships that we maintain that makes us social beings. But it is the quality of the relationships that we build up in our life time that makes us worthy, be it family, friends or colleagues. In order to feel ourselves worthy of our lives, we need to achieve happiness. Happiness cannot be perceived by all those who are wealthy and honorable and are indulging in the pleasures of life. Instead, happiness can be achieved by only those who are equipped with all these 'external goods of life' and are highly virtuous in their deeds as well as their thoughts. I agree with Plato, the ancient Greek philosopher, who describes that life will be meaningful only when we are able to distinguish the Good, by the pursuit of knowledge. As per Platonic epistemology, the idea of Goodness is innate and it is buried deep in our souls. This goodness, which exists in us even before our birth, is recalled in to our memory through learning. Learning helps to reflect this goodness in our actions and behavior. I also agree with Plato and his apprentice Aristotle in that the goodness of some people may outweigh others. It is this uncovered knowledge of goodness that inspire us to question the conventional wisdom if it seems contradictory to morals and human existence as life is made meaningful by revealing the ultimate truth of life, which can be revealed only by observing, interpreting and questioning the existing facts. For Epicurus, a worthy life denotes that one is essentially 'good' in nature, self-sufficient and enjoys a happy and tranquil life. He will be free of pain and fear, which are the indications of evil. As in the view of Augustine, the goodness in men is an indication that they are of the substance of God. It hence also means that everything that exists is ‘good’ and to lose goodness or to sin indicates that a man becomes unworthy of life. I also agree to the view of Tolstoy who exclaimed that life is impossible without the knowledge of oneself a nd one's purpose. The ideal purpose of life, according to Tolstoy, is to love and to serve humanity as we are the particles of the 'eternal source' and our life becomes meaningful when we become successful in making tiny changes to happen for the sake of humanity. I however object to the pessimistic view of Sartre who proclaimed that life is meaningless and that it ceases to be of worth once the illusion of being eternal is lost. Human life is and should be a representation of moral and intellectual righteousness and the feeling of being worthy to live is the end result of achieving the virtuous desires of life. 2] Our sensory perceptions are too limited that we cannot perceive the knowledge related to those things or concepts that go beyond our sensory capacities. Our knowledge as well as the concepts of the world will be limited if we are to rely on the knowledge gathered by mere sensory perceptions. Human beings are valued and considered superior to other life forms by their shee r ability to construct, receive and evaluate new perceptions, concepts and representations in the brain which are above the limits of senses.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Gathering of knowledge refers to its learning from experience, which was defined by Aristotle as the unorganized product of sense perceptions and memory. Experiences derived by the use of senses provide us with knowledge. Sensory perceptions that consist of sensations, feelings etc. are also experiences and they provide us with some knowledge. Here, we can indeed say that sensory perceptions do provide us with awareness and knowledge. But, based on the above refinements, it will be inappropriate to state that knowledge derives solely by sensory perceptions. In the view of the ancient Greek philosopher Plato, knowledge derived from sensory perceptio

Health Benefits of Yoga Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Health Benefits of Yoga - Essay Example Regular practice of Yoga helps cool the soul and is a way of relaxing the mind. People wonder how an exercise which is simple enough might help in modifying the breath of those who are under stress. The stress that a person accounts in his daily life makes him feel uneasy for the rest of the day or may be a few days. However Yoga can lessen feeling which is felt by a person when he is under stress. Thus it needs to be clarified at this point that Yoga is not a cure for stress, but is a way of lessening the feeling which makes a person feel uncomfortable. The basic exercise which is suitable for beginners as well as advanced students is called Nadi Shodhana, in other words sweet breath, which is a form of alternate nostril breathing. This exercise can be done before the start of Yoga or even when a person feels stressed out. This way of modified breathing is a useful way of relieving stress. The reduction of stress by diet, exercise and spiritual reorientation in life are achieved by doing Yoga. The main advice on the issue of diet given to a Yogic is that less intake of fat and spicy foods and high fiber is advised. The main benefits that can be ascertained are that due to a low fat diet there is a lesser chance of a heart disease. Further high fiber diets has its own benefits that is there is a lower chance of the development a diabetes mellitus and if a Yogic does have diabetes then a better sugar control would be present. As far as the spiritual reorientation in life is considered it has been said that a person who regularly does Yoga knows that it is more than exercise or in other words is a way of life and this recognition helps him in being compassionate to other human beings and it has been proved my modern research that such feelings are a key to achieve better health. It has also been proved that yoga decrease the muscle tone and allows a person to relax.Many surveys have pointed out to the fact that people who practice Yoga are less stressed and there fore has allowed them to live a life which is without breakdowns or anxiety. Therefore for quite a few people it has turned out to be a pleasant experience. Furthermore Yoga has proved to be beneficial in reducing the risk of many medical conditions which may occur otherwise. Some of the common problems are "hypertension, coronary atherosclerosis (heart disease), chronic neck and back pain, migraine, insomnia and depression"(Finger 14). The exercises done in Yoga help one to massage the internal organs so that they can function appropriately. The organs are developed after doing Yoga in such a way that they provide the body with such an environment that the person is able to relax. It not only develops the physique of a person but also makes the individuals possesses a stronger immune system. Not only this, research has also shown that diseases such chronic as diabetes mellitus can have a reduced effect because of doing the act of Yoga (Toth). The mental health of a person can also be stabilized after doing the practice of Yoga. Mental health through Yoga is stabilized by reducing the tension one has to go through and restoring the mental agility one possesses (Yoga-for-life). Meditation forms an important part of Yoga and this can be defined as "the process of attaining total awareness through the cessation of thought" (Budilovsky and Adamson 36). With the help

Economic Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Economic Paper - Essay Example This is because they lack specialization and hence unable to understand the process undertaken. Some companies want to create â€Å"frictionless staff† which is not possible with people since handling matters for more than 15 employees is always complicated (Weber & Feintzeig 3). Transferring people to different teams when they fallout with one team will not work since there are personal issues which need to be addressed first. Doing away with the HR department is often aimed to decentralize employee matters. This means heads of various departments will solve problem arising between employees. This will complicated this process and consequently people will have different experiences in the same company. HR department helped to create institution’s culture which will now be unavailable. Also, human resource department used to address cases of discrimination in various departments and consequently checked the conduct of managers. This move to do without a HR department makes managers in various departments mistreat employees without them being reported to an authority within the organization. This may land companies involved in court and be forced to address matters that HR department could have addressed (Weber & Feintzeig 3). In my view, companies should not do away with their HR departments since handing employees matters ranging from hiring, compensation, to solving disputes will become difficult. They will also lack culture which can affect their image and consequently may lose out to their

Ethical thinking arise from the news reporting - Nude photos of Assignment

Ethical thinking arise from the news reporting - Nude photos of Jennifer Lawrence and other celebs posted by hackers - Assignment Example The availability of information and sizeable technological innovations has added to its utility. Presently lives have become increasingly hectic and competitive. No one stops to double think before acquiring an opportunity to eat from someone else’s plate without having to work for it. Undeserved benefits, easy money and respectful back seats of power are craved by everyone. Those who do manage to get their hands on such power are slowly addicted to the uselessness. They put on guises of importance but mostly just eat the profit from the jobs executed by their subordinates. Call that inhumane verbally, but that’s the mode of operation in leading firms and organisations. Unlawful devouring of assets is often masked by a greater degree of deceptive backbone. You have strong sources or friends with powerful seats? Eat all you want. The world is yours. The leaked photos of Jennifer Lawrence, as many blogs and online networking sites are rampant about, are a breach of law and definitely categorised immoral (Steinberg,  2014). Hackers either do these things as a sale pitch for their abilities or as a means to blackmail their chosen party. They have no sense of responsibility but can find well developed and easily accentuated excuses. They attain access to a person’s work station and from there every folder, every document and every picture is their property and for the world to see. These hackers believe that all information, whatever the type, needs to be shared. The cultural infrastructure should therefore be very strong to cope with internal issues as well to aid in a strong clientele formation. The employees have a greater influence on the organisational culture, and it is a substantial part which cannot be easily moulded once formulated. The major role is played by the executive authorities in outlining the culture while the employees have to adhere to it as a whole

Single case design technique Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Single case design technique - Essay Example When a practitioner follows all the steps of EBP, all the inferences required for the case at hand are usually made and deliberated. The practitioner, at this point, has looked at the case and can appraise the intervention used. The posed research question can be solved using single case design technique very effectively. The main reason for the assertion is the nature of the findings expected from any experiment that seeks to answer the question. In order to tell whether an individual has improved from a developmental disorder, such a person is rated individually. This cannot be a group intervention. According to La grow & Hamilton (2000), single case techniques provide nursing practitioners the required practice in assessing the efficacy of a certain intervention on an individual basis. The authors additionally state that such assessment can be done using a controlled experiment that is applicable to a variety of settings. The posed research question, by the virtue of it being called a research question, requires an experimental procedure that will realize application of verbal self-guidance towards correction of developmental disorder. The researcher will then assume ways of testing the viability of the intervention within the course of the experiment. The situation, therefore, fits into the solutions offered by single case design strategies. In the investigation of experimental control in single case research, Newel (1998) examines methods of improving the assessment method. In the article, the author appraises the possibility of applying findings based on a larger sample to the individual demands. Such a large sample can be obtained through conventional five steps of EBP. Basing on Newel’s findings, the inferences made during such a process will hold and the assessment then done on an individual. The highlighted researches and experiments indicate that single case design can be applied

Conflict & Stress Management Essay Example for Free

Conflict Stress Management Essay 1.0 INTRODUCTION Stress and conflict are two major issues any organisation faces. They are inevitable in all facets of life, be individual or organisational. If not handled well they can be a hindrance for the company performance. Conflict and stress both varies according to the organisation and its culture. But both need to be managed well to avoid unnecessary problems. Conflict is a perception. Surveys show that employees spend as much as 42% of their time engaging in or attempting to resolve conflicts and 20% of managers’ time is taken up by conflict related issues (Gupta, Boyd, Kuzmits, 2011). This valuable time can be utilised in making the organisation a more efficient and an effective one. Organisations which fail to address conflict have the risk of losing their competitive advantage. Conflict can be viewed in many ways and there are different management styles which can deal with conflict. The leadership of the organisation must be involved in dealing with conflict as they would have to negotiate and bargain in order to overcome conflict. Stress is a major concern with today’s working people. This is because the world is developing in a faster pace which requires constant adaptation. Stress not only affects ones work-life balance, but also their personal life which creates chaos for individuals. According to some estimation, humankind losses 100 million workdays every year due to the aftermath of stress (Treven Potocan, 2005). Work stress needs to be managed well so it can actually improve the well being of the individuals as well as the organisation. Both of these factors will be viewed in the context of Nippon Lanka and will be analysed thoroughly on how they overcome these issues to maintain a healthy relationship with employees. Improvements and recommendations for the current methods will also be discussed. 2.0 OVERVIEW Nippon Lanka Pvt Ltd (NPLK) is a joint venture (JV) between the Nippon PLC Japan (NPJ) and Silicone Coatings Pvt Ltd (SC) Sri Lanka where the NPJ brought over 60% of Silicones shares. This joint venture is advantageous to both parties where NPJ is able to use this as an entry method and SC as an opportunity to be a part of a global industry. Formation of this JV took almost a year where Nippon Lanka studied SC and the relevant industry as whole to get an idea of the present market conditions. It was found that there was no better time to enter the Sri Lankan market due to the post war era development. Therefore SC was considered due to their strong presence in the market. Today after about three months from successfully forming the JV the company is going through a transition period. There aren’t any major changes to positions in the hierarchy but there are role changes and employees are finding it difficult to adapt to their new roles. Example: The Managing Director (MD) of the company who was the owner of the company still is the MD how ever to day the person is a salaried employee. The General Manager who was reporting directly to MD today has to report to the Board of directors where MD is just one out of the five directors. When examining the company culture towards conflict, the company culture and the value system which has been there for 35 years from the date of the establishment is now being changed. SC was established in 1979, as a small scale manufacture and a distributer of paint related ancillaries. By the time Nippon approached SC it had grown into the largest local player in the market where it was second only to the global giant Akzonobal by a 3% margin. It is evident that SC has been a one man show up to the time of the JV, the full value system and the operational procedures were laid down by the founder himself and not most of the managers found it enticing to be part of. Therefore the HR turnover was such that on average about six key resources left the company. In this back ground let’s see how the conflict and stress management function takes place within the organization. 3.0 CONFLICT AND CONFLICT MANAGEMENT 3.1 Conflict Management Styles Conflict can be defined as the process that begins when one party perceives that another party has negatively affected, or is about to negatively affect, something the first party cares about (Robbins S., Judge T. Vohra N., 2011:441). It is that point in an ongoing activity when an interaction crosses over to become an interparty conflict. Conflict can be seen as good and bad with corresponding positive and negative outcomes where this would all depend on how one views conflict. There are three basics views of conflict. These are the Traditional view, the Interactionist view and Managed conflict view. The traditional view sees conflict as bad and something that must be eliminated through the use of authority. Poor communication, lack of openness and failure to respond to employee needs could be seen as few of the causes. The interactionist view is that conflict is desirable, necessary for high performance teams and should be encouraged. The contemporary view is that conflict is inevitable and it may be positive or negative but it must be managed to be beneficial. Nippon Lanka follows a more interactionist view where conflict is encouraged and the company is of the view that a perfectly cooperative, harmonious group would hinder dynamism, creativity and innovation where a minimal level of conflict is needed to prevent a lacklustre, uninterested attitude among the group. As mentioned earlier, not all conflicts are good, and this view only supports functional conflict. Functional conflict is a constructive form of conflict that supports the goals of the group and improves performance. The type of conflict at hand would distinguish a functional conflict from a dysfunctional conflict. Although these are distinct types of conflict, the occurrence of one type of conflict can lead to a conflict of another type taking place. For example, the process of costing has been kept confidential, and this has led to the tension between the sales team and the costing team. 3.2TYPES OF CONFLICT PRESENT IN NIPPON LANKA 3.2.1Relationship conflict Conflicts between two people are known as relationship conflicts. These conflicts arise as a result of miscommunication, disagreements or misunderstandings between people. One such situation at Nippon Lanka arose between the Brand Manager and the Marketing Manager. The Brand manager has been with the company for 5 years and has previously worked with two Heads of marketing. Once the new marketing manager was appointed, it was found that the latter was less experienced and was not willing to corporate with the Marketing Head. This triggered huge problems for the new comer. The management was aware of this, but wasn’t able to remove him from the position due to the valuable connections the customers. However, the Marketing Manager understood this inferiority complex of the Brand Manager. Having gone through the initial hardships the new marketing manager somehow managed to win the trust of the Brand manager. Now they are working harmoniously, directing all their efforts towards the benefit of the company. 3.2.2.Data Conflict This occurs when decisions are made without adequate information. At Nippon Lanka, the costing department works in isolation. They do not consult the sales and marketing team when arriving at the costs, so more often than not, the cost of the product is either too high, depriving them of valuable orders and potential growth, or at times its too low depriving the opportunity for the company to charge a premium price on an innovative product or to achieve efficiency through specialisation. 3.2.3Interest Conflict Conflicts of interest mainly deal with psychological issues, where an individual or organisation behaves in a certain manner, with the aim of meeting a particular interest which is not shared by everyone else. The JV with the Japanese company was not disclosed or made public, even though doing so would have been acting in the best interests of the company. The MD did not like the idea of publicising the 60:40 JV that was taking place, as it would be viewed as a takeover. However, the rest of the company felt that some amount of public awareness would have positively impacted the companys future performance. Another example would be when the HR department wanted to minimise the over time cost they imposed a rule where all sales vehicle needs to be back at the HO by 5 pm. As an example what the Sales representatives would do is when they need to deliver goods up to Negombo, covering Wattala, Ja-ela, Seeduwa and Negombo. They would turn back from Seeduwa at 3.30 pm in order to make it back to office by 5 pm, without covering their full distance to Negombo. What followed was a delay in the delivery and travelling additional mileage, having to revisit incomplete routes taking the same path. 3.2.4 Structural Conflict Structural conflict arises from unclear and undefined roles and reporting lines. The RD and the production manger are directly reporting to the MD. The other managers report to the GM, where the GM reports to the MD. Currently when a sales representative needs to develop a sample for a particular customer, the sales representative will not have the adequate support since the request from the sales rep will not be taken seriously from the RD manager and the GM cannot question them for not doing it right. Only 10 out of 1 samples are successful and yet the RD manager has managed to survive, distracting the control and supervisory system of the top management since there is no clear reporting structure. 3.2.5 Value Conflict A value conflict comes about when two people or groups have dissenting views on moralitythat basic understanding of what is naturally right or wrong. As mentioned earlier, the cost manager considered himself and his department superior than the other departments, with the notion that the information handled need not be disclosed to anyone else. At present, the cost manager is in prison, facing charges of fraud. Although the environment helped the person to carry out fraud, this is a clear example of conflicting values. 3.3 THE CONFLICT PROCESS Figure 1: The Conflict Process (Source: Robbins S., Judge T. Vohra N., 2005:444) 3.3.1Stage I: Potential opposition or incompatibility The first stage talks about the conditions that are needed for conflict to arise. They may not directly lead to conflict, but they need to be present for conflict to surface. They can be referred to as the causes of conflict and can be condensed into three general categories, namely communications, structure and personal variables. Communication, either too much or too little information passed between members can result in potential opportunities for conflict to arise. At Nippon Lanka, the manner in which the costing of the products is carried out is not communicated to the members in the other dept and this has been the initiating factor for conflict to set in. Structure includes several variables such as size, degree of specialization in the tasks assigned to the group members, role clarity, member-goal compatibility, leadership styles, reward systems, and the degree of dependence among groups. The sales and promotions manager at Nippon Paints follow an aggressive, predator style of leadership where excuses were not tolerated and was only interested in the achievement of results and targets. An example would be, the samples taken from the production team that is used for sales and promotion does not meet the required standards of quality where 9 out of 10 samples would fail. Same time, the Sales and promotions manager would also be very demanding of the sales representatives in terms of getting the desired targets. In some cases, employees have resigned due this demanding nature. Personal variables are mainly due to differences in personal traits of individuals. Diverse issues such as prejudice and disagreements over ones contribution to the group, as well as the rewards one deserves. For example, at Nippon Paints, the General Manager is prepared to hire new trainees at Rs. 15,000/=, whereas the Sales and Promotions Manager feels that the market rate of Rs. 30,000/= should be paid to them. The low salaries have deterred attracting the talented individuals and therefore not achieving the fullest potential. 3.3.2Stage II: Cognition and Personalization If the conditions mentioned in stage I negatively affect something one party cares about, then the potential for opposition or incompatibility surfaces in the second stage. One or both parties must be aware and perceive that these conditions exist. However, just because it is perceived does not make the conflict personalized. It may not have an effect on either or both parties. The conflict has to be felt, for individuals become emotionally involved, leading to anxiety, tension, frustration or hostility. 3.3.3Stage III: Intentions Intentions get in the way of peoples perceptions and emotions and act as decisions for them to react the way they do to the situation at hand. They are important, as one has to make inferences of the other partys intentions to know and understand the reason behind that partys behavior and to respond accordingly. Conflicts tend to escalate at this point merely because of the wrong inferences being made. Sometimes a behavior might erroneously reflect the persons intentions. Two dimensions are used, namely cooperativeness (the degree to which one party attempts to satisfy the other partys concerns) and assertiveness (the degree to which one party attempt to satisfy his or her own concerns) to identify five conflict handling intentions. This has been attached to Appendix 1 with the styles explained. 3.3.4Stage IV: Behavior This stage includes actions, statements and reactions made by the conflicting parties. Intentions of each party are implemented through these behaviors and can be seen as a dynamic process of interaction. Conflicts usually start slow; characterized by indirect rather subtle forms of tension and escalate as the tension builds. At this latter stage things could become highly destructive where such conflicts are almost always dysfunctional. 3.3.5Stage V: Outcomes Behavior would lead to outcomes, where some are functional in that the conflict results in an improvement in the groups performance or it may also be dysfunctional in that it hinders group performance. Functional conflict can be beneficial for the company as it provides a medium through which problems can be aired and tensions released. This improves the quality of decisions, stimulates creativity and innovation, encourages interest and curiosity among group members and it forces and environment of self-evaluation and change. Some companies discourage conflict as they prefer yes-men, loyal to the higher ups to the point of never questioning company actions. As for dysfunctional conflict it would reduce group effectiveness and group cohesiveness. At the extreme, conflict can bring group functioning to a halt and potentially threaten the groups survival. Refer Appendix II for the example of a conflict Process at Nippon paints. 3.3 NEGOTIATING AND BARGAINING Before the organisation starts negotiating they should be aware of the nature of the conflict. There is a certain process that needs to be followed in negotiation. Negotiation is by definition the management of crossed demands, where each one of us expresses requests hoping the other will try to fulfil them (Lempereur, A. 2012). As it is said â€Å"Everything is negotiation in life†, so every party involved in the process would like to take the best out of it. 3.3.1 Bargaining Strategies There are two bargaining strategies that could be discussed. Distributive bargaining and integrative bargaining. In the current context what is more obvious is integrative bargaining which makes both the parties involved satisfied creating a win-win situation. An example for this was when a sales representative requests for a personal vehicle they need to achieve a certain level of sales targets. If they maintain the sales targets for a sustainable period they will be given a personal vehicle. But by any chance if they do not keep up to the said targets their salaries will be reduced in accordance with the cost of maintaining the vehicle by the company. Through a situation like this, what is created is a long term positive relationship for the company. As a company, they increase the sales levels and the employees will also be satisfied as their needs are also met. 3.3.2 Negotiation Process Negotiation can happen in 5 steps; these are preparation and planning, definition and ground rules, clarification and justification, bargaining and problem solving and closure and implementation. Some do not have a positive ending or a closure. But negotiations that have an effect for the organisation will go through a process. An example of this would be when the company needs to host certain function in hotels they would negotiate with them for the best bargain. As they have cost constraints, there are certain limitations and getting the best bargain with the best outcome would be the perfect scenario. Before the start of the negotiation with the relevant hoteliers the in-charge person will prepare the list of things that need to be discussed. These would be the pricing, menu items, additional services that are required and assess what the other party goals and prepare well for them. In this instance a budget per person would be Rs. 3,000. But the relevant hotels cost was higher. Then the menus for these relevant amounts will be compared. In the Sri Lankan context rather than a 4 or 5 course meal, action stations with koththu and hoppers have a vibrant feeling and also cost less. So in the negotiation table the other alternatives will be put across. Since information is all gathered, the representative will develop a strategy. The person will also determine the Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement (BATNA). So here the BATNA will be to get cost per person at Rs. 3,000 having action stations with cocktail menu. The person will determine when and where to have the appointment. The ideal place would be at hotel premises because then the ambiance where service capacity can also be viewed. The meeting would be planned in the best time where both parties are not strained with other commitments and can concentrate for a best outcome. Once the initial stance is made then there will be further clarifications and explanations. Then both parties will try to come up with concessions in order to make a decision. Once both parties are satisfied they will formalize the agreement. In this process Nippon Lanka representatives will stress on the fact that if one event is made a success; then the hotel is winning a long term corporate client. This enhances their business. 3.3.3 Third Party Negotiation This is crucial for Nippon Lanka as they deal with lot of suppliers and customers. Advertising is a crucial part for this organisation and dealing with media is important to get a good advertising deal. Earlier they were dealing with the television and radio stations by themselves and it was quite strenuous. Getting a good deal that is worth their money was tough and time consuming, having deal with different organisations, so they decided to obtain third party involvement. The outcome was to get a consultant to act on media buying for the organisation. A consultant is a skilled and impartial third party who attempts to facilitate problem solving through communication and analysis (Robbins S., Judge T. Vohra N., 2011:457). They are there to improve the current status and to get a win-win solution for both parties. When Nippon started using a third party advertising firm to do media buying, they were able to get good deals from media as they have a high bargaining power. 4.0 WORK STRESS STRESS MANAGEMENT Stress is a dynamic condition in which an individual is confronted with an opportunity, demand, or resource related to what the individual desires and for which the outcome is perceived to be both uncertain and important (Robbins, Judge Vohrs, 554). Most of the time stress is discussed in the negative contest but this is not true at all times. Stress can be taken into the system as an advantage. In the current organisation stress factor is not talked openly even though people are put under stress levels it is not considered as value adding option for the organisation. In the organisation currently what is seen is the challenge stresses but sometimes these same factors do become hindrance stressors for the employees. 4.1 Sources of stress The main sources of stress in the organisation comes from environmental and organisation factors. When it comes to environmental factors; the three types of uncertainties are economic, political and technological. These play a minimal role compared to organisational and personal factors. In considering environment factors; the workers are stressed on the technological aspect. Research and development team is always under pressure in getting a new product development before their competitors. Organisation heads are concerned about the Political uncertainty. Whenever a new rule or regulation is passed by government with regard to the consumer protection or protecting environment this takes a toll in the organisation activities. They must be aware of the new laws and how to tackle them, this adds a lot of strain in the management as they need to alter or change certain decisions according to political scenarios. Change in economic policies and recessions or booms in the economic cycle create stress on the organisation. Current economic down turn have made a toll in the sales teams as consumers are spending less and government projects have considerably reduced. At the same time government is not paying their debt and collections have become harder. Organisational factors are the ones that are created by the organisation which creates stress on employees. Task demands such as collecting debts in 90 days have a strain on the employee. This increases the job pressure. Role demands relate to pressure that occurs due to the job role. Managers and above have high role related pressures compared to subordinates due to the heavy work load which needs to be performed in less time. Most employees complain that they are given more work than they can handle and it stresses them out a lot. At the same time many complain the targets given are not practical. There is a minimal level of interpersonal demands where other employees are not supportive. Personal factors which increase stress are different to every individual. But this does create a hindrance in the organisation performance. All or some of these factors create a high turnover or absenteeism, reduction in productivity and decrease in job satisfaction. Sadly Nippon Lanka has not recognised the importance of stress management in order to curb it or cure it. The main organisational stress come comes from the current management change, this is because the task and role demands have changed and employees need to adjust to the new roles. Personal factors too trigger stress level of the employees. 4.2 Managing Stress at Nippon Lanka Pvt Ltd Based on the study, it is visible that Nippon Lanka uses stress as a positive motivator, but at some points it goes out of hand where it depletes the collaboration and coordination amongst the teams and also inter department. Based on the job roles, the department heads can think of the stress levels which can be imposed on the team members to get results and to meet targets. However the stress levels should be correctly managed so that it motivates results and not deplete and impede the team building and performance drive within the teams. As it is observed, some amount of stress comes from the non-alignment of the reporting lines. Therefore the suggestion is to relook at the reporting lines so that stress does not occur due to incorrect alignment of the business structure which has a negative impact and which creates unnecessary types of stress within teams. Together with the Job role enrichment, reporting lines should also be re-aligned so that the company will only be left with stress which causes the company to perform and not to impede. 5.0 CONCLUSION In conclusion conflict, negotiation and stress are all visible in Nippon Paint. Conflict is unavoidable at the organisation due to the dealings they have among the departments and the third parties. To overcome conflict certain understanding among employees and stakeholders must be implemented. It can be seen that conflict, negotiation and stress are interlinked with each other on some level. Organisational conflict styles may shape an organisations social environment, affecting the level of ongoing conflict and thus the level of stress among employees. Nippon Lanka to a great extent follows an integrative style of conflict management which leads to lower task conflict, reducing relationship conflict, which reduces stress. However, there are many instances where the management has not come up with a solution to the conflict at hand, where they are not willing to step in and the employees are left to resolve the matter, which at most times remains unresolved. The recommended improvements with regard to this has been discussed in Section 3.4. It is important that with the JV taking place, the new management plays an active role in resolving these long running issues so that the organisation and its performance does not get affected. The current JV could also trigger new conflicts and stress levels within the organisation where it is crucial that these issues are identified and resolved. The new management must take this opportunity to place greater prominence of recognizing the on-going stress levels within the organisation and deal with them appropriately. Improved management of conflict, negotiations and stress would benefit the individuals and the organisation in terms of high performing, content, dedicated employees who deliver results.

Mass Media And The Public Opinion Problem Media Essay

Mass Media And The Public Opinion Problem Media Essay The war on Iraq is drawing to a close, but over the last six years, it has eclipsed the news agenda. Ever since the Gulf war ended in 1991, the United states and Britain have been waging an undeclared secret war on Iraq for twelve years1. The US led war in Iraq began in March 2003. Their intent was to abolish the Iraqi society allowing them to command Iraqs huge oil reserves. This war received unparalleled media coverage on television and in the press. News networks spent significant amounts of money in situating reporters and photographers in Iraq. These reporters spent time with the coalition armed forces on the front line where they were able to provide live coverage of events as they happened. A number of consequences followed. Watchdog groups raised issues about the sheer quantity of war coverage, the nature of that coverage and the independence and objectivity of those so-called embedded journalists2. Clearly, it became important to know not only what the public felt about the actual war, but also how the public received information and formed their opinion about the war. Radio had World War II. Television had the Vietnam War. Cable TV had the Gulf War. Now, the Internet may have the U.S. war with Iraq3. In this modern day war, reporters with laptops and digital cameras reported directly from battlefields. Cameras were placed at key locations for live online feeds 24 hours a day. Interactive, 3-D maps updated online graphs of troop movements, casualties and weapons used4. The Internet is capable of providing so much more, with unregulated and unbiased reports/opinions of the war. It is also capable of connecting people with like minded opinions for discourse. Coupled with other semiotic advantages of the web (instant, cost-effective), the information explosion of the Internet has led to a worldwide crises in the television industry. This crisis is responsible for transforming the creation, distribution and consumption of content. As audiences make a move from television to the Internet (for unbiased war coverage), the television industry has struggled to keep up with new technologies, to reinvent itself, to formulate new formats, to find consumers on new platforms, to cut costs and create new business models such as providing free online access to shows on their networks. This shift in mass audience attention from television to the Internet will have a large impact on the media landscape. Youre combining the speed of television with the depth of print, says Mitch Gelman, executive producer of CNN.com. This could define how [the] future [is] covered. 5 Research Question Does the explosion in Internet media further diversify and fragment the media landscape, reducing the influence of biased media on public opinion? Thesis Statement Even though the Internet is a privilege that is enjoyed only in first world countries and television and radio is still the primary source of information in most developing nations, an apparent bias in television news media has led audiences to seek more objective information from the world wide web because television news is filled with selective viewpoints while the interactivity, diversity and information capacity available on the Internet has the potential to allow the public to form a more knowledgeable opinion about politics and their government. Significance The significance of Internet news, forums and online political discussions as an information source is the ability to diversify the type of news people receive, and improve their ability to check the actions of elected officials. As opposed to news coverage on television which, filled with reports of vague truths, incomplete facts, inaccurate rumors and selective viewpoints, is determined to sell the war. Thus people are turning to online news sources in great numbers, to get a more balanced, objective and realistic perspective. Television and the Internet are pulling in opposite directions, and hence this study is important to understand this growing trend. Hypothesis This research paper claims the theory of a shift of audience attention in an information era that now includes new un-monopolized and un-biased media sources such as the Internet and hence a shift to a more diversified public opinion. This paper will bring forward the relationship between media usage and support or opposition to the Iraq war. The claims put forth in this paper will be based on the Pew Internet American Life Project Iraq War survey, March 20-25, 2003. Purpose The purpose of this research is to show that public opinion is directly dependent upon what source they get their news information from. The round-the-clock convenience of the Internet and the centralization of un-regulated and un-biased information on the web can cut information costs for citizens while still providing ample political and government information6. Thus the goal of this paper is to show that television media does not continue to exert an effect on public opinion as the impact of the Internet has made opinion more diverse leading to a crises in the television news industry. Statement of scope and limitations The scope of this research is to show how the US television media have altered facts, reported several inaccurate stories and never acknowledged that this has been more of an invasion than a war. As a result of this apparent bias in television news media, audiences are seeking more objective information from the world wide web. This paper will not cover how the Internet is a privilege that is enjoyed only in first world countries and television and radio is still the primary source of information, shaping public opinion, in these developing nations. Also, this paper will not cover how most television shows are streamed illegally online and has led to a decline in network revenue. Outline of argument Television media coverage of news events is part of the free-market system in the U.S. where a number of elite groups can influence the type of coverage given to an issue and who gets heard7. This becomes a troubling factor in the case of news covering foreign affairs because the public has fewer sources of information to compare against. This has increased the importance of the Internet as a news source. As the television media is becoming concentrated in the hands of a few, it heightens the possibility that the public will have trouble getting both sides of a report. So far, the Internet has resisted the trend toward a singular message. Opposing viewpoints and information not available from other news sources flourish on the Web. For example, a 2003 Pew Internet and American Life survey found that the majority of respondents reported using the Internet for political news because of convenience and dissatisfaction with television media8. Literature Review about 50 per cent of the population now believes that Iraq was responsible for the attack on the World Trade Centre. This has happened since September 2002. In fact, after the September 11 attack, the figure was about 3 per cent. Government-media propaganda has managed to raise that to about 50 per cent. Now if people genuinely believe that Iraq has carried out major terrorist attacks against the United States and is planning to do so again, well, in that case people will support the war. Noam Chomsky, Iraq is a trial run9 Introduction To explore the influence of both the Internet and the consolidation of television media on public opinion, this paper uses data and statistical analysis from surveys done by Pew Internet and American Life project entitled The Internet And The Iraq War. These surveys are consistent with other writers such as Herman and Chomsky (Manufacturing consent and Iraq Is A Trial Run), Shapiro and Dempsey (What moves public opinion) and Macye and Steven (Embedding The Truth) among others also mentioned in this research paper. Even though some of the articles mentioned in this paper were published before the Iraq war, their detailed analysis of the effect of media on the public opinion still has modern day ramifications for this growing shift from television to the Internet. Hence the survey data along with several consistent articles in this research paper tests the theory of media influence on public opinion in a digital age that now includes new forms of media such as the Internet, as well as increased biassnes of the television industry. An inherent bias Experts have long agreed that news coverage has a very overwhelming influence on public opinion. Analyzing surveys and polls of public opinion on issues regarding the Iraq war, Page, Shapiro and Dempsey (1987) find that change in public opinion is attributable to the source of news media forming the opinion. Public opinion towards the Iraq war in 2003 provides a case study under very unusual circumstances than other wars. Radio had World War II. Television had the Vietnam War. Cable TV had the Gulf War. Now, the Internet may have the U.S. war with Iraq10. Under these very different circumstances of newer technology, Page et al have found that, we might expect media coverage of the war to have a direct effect on public opinion. Among experts arguing that news media are systematically biased, no other has been as influential as Herman and Chomsky. In Manufacturing Consent, they advanced a propaganda model that suggests that the societal purpose of the media is to inculcate and defend the economic, social, and political agenda of privileged groups that dominate the domestic society and the state11 (298). While trying to shed light on the relationship between politics and media, this work is often taken as evidence of a biassnes in the news media. Using multivariate logistic regression, surveys done by Pew Internet American Life Project in 2003, which seem to agree with the Herman and Chomskys analysis, found that television media coverage of the Iraq war shaped public opinion. Respondents who watched cable or network television as a primary source of news about the war, about thirty million Americans, were statistically more likely to support the Iraq war. But, respondents who read online war news were significantly less likely to support the war13. The Internet has become a rich repository for satirical and subversive alternate visions. With the US campaign against Iraq, a unique form of resistance is emerging: not so much on the streets as through the electronic networks of the Internet.14 A former reporter turned media critic Bernard Goldberg writes, There are lots of reasons fewer people are watching network news, and one of them, Im more convinced than ever, is that our viewers simply dont trust us. And for good reason. The old argument that the networks and other media elites have a liberal bias is so blatantly true that its hardly worth discussing anymore.15 Shanto Iyengar, in The Accessibility Bias In Politics, argues that when the networks make a certain event more accessible by giving it extensive coverage, viewers automatically give that issue greater importance and use their opinions concerning that issue to a greater range when thinking about their country at war. During the Iraq war coverage individuals were fed a steady diet yellow journalism.16 Yellow journalism, such as images of blown up military vehicles and downed helicopters, capture the attention of an audience much more than pictures of everyday mundane events. The practice of looking for the next big event, whether it comes from a suicide bomber or from an ambush on coalition troops, convinces Americans to believe that the war is far from over. Television news programs have sensationalized the war and discarded objectivity in favor of their own opinion of the conflict. A reporter for the International Herald Tribune, Michiko Kakutani observed, Network producers have turn ed real-time reporting of the 2003 war in Iraq into prime time reality TV entertainment. Rather than presenting the real horror of war.17 Shift to the Internet In three different polls, an aggregate sample of three thousand respondents was asked, Where do you tend to get most of your news? The options offered were newspapers and magazines or TV and radio. Overall, nineteen percent said their primary news source was print media, while eighty percent said it was electronic18. These results are consistent with the findings of Kull and Ramsay, in Misperceptions, the Media, and the Iraq War, who mention that traditional news sources are to blame for misperceptions regarding the reasons to invade Iraq. People who depend on the Internet as their main news source, who tend to be younger and better educated than rest of the public and is roughly 68 percent of the American population, expressed unfavorable and analytical opinions of traditional news sources and press performance19. These audiences, about 6 out of 10,also say that news organizations do not care about the people they report on, and fifty three percent, of that number, believe that news organizations are too critical of America20. In the 2003 surveys these respondents mentioned they got news of the Iraq war from the web because you dont get all the news and information you want from traditional new sources such as the daily news paper or the network TV news.21 They also said getting information online is more convenient22 The Internet strips away one of the most despicable beliefs of journalism the ridiculous idea that journalists are fair-minded truth seekers out for nothing more than a good story.23 Due to Internet journalism -which has broken the monopoly of the status quo-, Mark Poster, in The Second Media Age, says we are shifting back towards an era of open discourse, much similar to the old days when various newspapers with various political connections, competed for the publics attention.24 He goes on to explain that the interactivity, diversity, flexibility, and information capacity available on the Internet have the capability to allow the public to become more knowledgeable about politics and government. Its hard to be unbiased Over the last six years of the Iraq war coverage, we have become used to watching journalists report from battlefields. These embedded journalists live, sleep, eat and face danger with the troops. Spending so much time with them, the journalists get to know the troops as individuals. Hence the reports are humanised. But these much praised reports of war overlook the fact that these embeds are embedded with one side only. This in no way is a balanced perspective25. A very pessimistic John Simpson of the BBC says: I dont want to spend my whole time with people to whom I owe my safety, my protection, my food, my transport, and then be expected to be completely honest about them, because theres always that sense that youre betraying a trust.26 In todays style of non stop news coverage, it is very hard for a report to be unbiased. News programs today are made to grasp the attention of hyperactive and impatient audience (since there are other channels to choose from). Usually, every television news report is told in less than two minutes. This results in a great loss of detail, and thats where the TV reporters personal bias comes into play: he or she decides what parts of a story to include or omit. As many people have pointed out, broadcast news is dangerous, not because of whats reported, but because of what is not reported. Fortunately the Internet is becoming a more reliable source of daily news, and it helps fill in the gaps. Anyone looking for current news, can gather more information in five minutes on the Internet than they can get in an hour of watching television. Conclusion The television media culture has become arrogant, often ignorant and mindless, but not quite so dominant as it used to be. Specifically, television news is no the same anymore. The Internet, with its hundreds of news sources, some professional reports and many others not so professional, is doing to television news what television news did to newspapers a generation ago, steadily stealing its audience. Methodology see >> http://www.abdn.ac.uk/sociology/notes06/Level4/SO4530/Assigned-Readings/Seminar%2011.2.pdf Bibliography/Footnotes 1.(see John Pilgers The Secret War on Iraq). 2. The Media Workers Against the War and the Indymedia network media War coverage. wiki 3. http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2003-03-18-iraq-internet_x.htm 4. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/2889171.stm 5. http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_24-3-2003_pg6_1 6. http://prq.sagepub.com/content/56/2/175.short 7. http://search2.scholarsportal.info.myaccess.library.utoronto.ca/ids70/view_record.php?id=7recnum=2log=from_resSID=986263f7ea97c6532362216a8e2aee36mark_id=search:7:76,0,4 8. http://www.pewinternet.org/~/media/Files/Reports/2003/PIP_Iraq_War_Report.pdf.pdf 9. http://www.zcommunications.org/iraq-is-a-trial-run-by-noam-chomsky 10. http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2003-03-18-iraq-internet_x.htm 11. Manufacturing Consent 12. http://www.media-studies.ca/articles/war_propaganda.htm 13. http://www.pewinternet.org/~/media/Files/Reports/2003/PIP_Iraq_War_Report.pdf.pdf 14. http://faculty.maxwell.syr.edu/dwhayes/iraq_mpsa08.pdf 15. http://www.amazon.com/Bias-Insider-Exposes-Media-Distort/dp/0895261901 16. http://ijpor.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/2/1/1.pdf [oxford journals] >> http://ijpor.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/2/1/1.pdf 17. Michiko Kakutani. The Ultimate Reality TV Show: Coverage on the War in Iraq. At Issue: Reality TV. Ed. Karen F. Balkin. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2003. August 2004. 25 July 2010. . 18. http://www.pewinternet.org/~/media/Files/Reports/2003/PIP_Iraq_War_Report.pdf.pdf 19. Lbid, page 20.lbid 21.lbid 22. lbid 23. http://www.lewrockwell.com/greenhut/greenhut34.html 24. http://www.sagepub.com/upm-data/9541_011389ch01.pdf 25. see downloads dooley 26. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/mar/15/john-simpson-bbc-murdoch-journalism -http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/apr/18/embedded-war-reporting-iraq-afghanistn

Bluetooth :: sCommerce Technology Essays

A new technology of the 21st century is reshaping human life. The concept of silent commerce, commonly known as â€Å"sCommerce† is the silent transfer of knowledge and information through mobile phones and electronic devices. Sadly, this technology is initiating the transition from a humanistic society to a more electronically controlled world. This new, perhaps, frightful world introduces electronic devices capable of thinking for themselves without human control. Imagine the average teenager purchasing a CD player with enough intelligence to exchange and communicate with his/her laptop without the child’s consent. Or your Kenmore â€Å"frig† secretly letting your grocer know when you’re out of milk. Scary isn’t it? Well, sCommerce, particularly the Bluetooth chip, gives these electrically run â€Å"gadgets† these abilities. It allows inhuman things to have human capabilities and perhaps exceed our own â€Å"brain power.† T ruly, the Bluetooth chip may be an eye opening technological breakthrough, but has harmful humanistic, economic affects with its integration into the electronic and mobile/telecommunication world . Realistically, the average technologically involved person has heard the term â€Å"Bluetooth.† The apparent name of this chip is derived from the 10th century Scandinavian king, Harald Bluetooth, who was historically known for uniting various unorganized kingdoms. Similarly, Bluetooth is specialized to unite many competing electronic standards under one main specification. By definition, â€Å"Bluetooth is a global de facto standard for wireless connectivity. Based on a low-cost, short-range radio link, Bluetooth cuts the cords that used to tie up digital devices. When two Bluetooth equipped devices come within 10 meters range of each other, they can establish a connection together.

The Mississippi Burning :: Civil Rights Racism Equality Essays

The Mississippi Burning Mississippi Burning brings awareness to the ways of the Jim Crow south. In 1964, three civil rights workers made their way to Neshoba County. Two of the workers were white and the third boy was black. The suspicious disappearance of the men brought the attention of the FBI. Some people question whether the FBI only got involved because two of the workers were white. This movie reveals the improper treatment of African Americans at a time when every American citizen was guaranteed equal rights under the law. Many African Americans felt that there was little concern for the African American civil rights worker. The FBI was determined to find out what actually happened to these boys. The local authorities said that the men were probably in New York or Canada laughing at all of the commotion they had caused. The racism that African Americans dealt with is very clear throughout the entire movie. The town did not feel that it was necessary for the FBI to be investigating the mysterious disappearance. They assured the FBI that there was nothing to uncover and only wanted them to stop disturbing their â€Å"peaceful† town. The Brown vs. Board of education decision is not evident in Mississippi Burning. African Americans sat in the back of the restaurant, separated from whites. The community was not integrated. There was a specific part of town where the African Americans lived. African Americans and whites did not interact very much. The KKK played a major part in controlling these â€Å"niggers.† When one of the FBI agents talked to a local black boy in public, the boy was brutally assaulted by KKK members. The way that whites treated African American shows how their struggle for freedom still continued. Some of the local law-enforcement were members of the Klan. They played a role in the murdering of the three boys. When the FBI came to town, hostility in the town grew. Many African Americans wished that the FBI would just leave because they were just causing more problems. African Americans were being beaten, having their houses destroyed, churches burnt down, and some even lynched.

Essay --

When asked to evaluate the contribution to marketing made by an influential scholar, I decided to choose Phillip Kotler. Phillip Kotler was born on the 27th of May 1931 in Chicago. He was a character who strived during his educational times as he contains a Masters degree from the University of Chicago as well as a PhD from MIT both in the field of Economics. He is known as not just a famous Marketer but a renown author who has published over 55 books such as â€Å"Principles of Marketingâ€Å" â€Å" A Framework for Marketing Managementâ€Å" and â€Å"Marketing 3.0â€Å". The main reason I chose to study Kotler was that over his lifetime he was widely known for his efforts made to the modern marketing era. Of these acknowledgements made I would like to focus in on what I think are his three main contributes to marketing. Firstly, he was given the title as the â€Å"Father of modern marketing† which was seen in the eyes of the nearly all who study marketing. This title was given to him due to his outstanding knowledge and simplest ways to describe and focus in on the future fundamentals of marketing. Secondly, He one of the worlds’s leading authors on marketing placing 4th as an influential character behind the likes of Bill Gates and Peter Drucker. Finally, Kotler is said to be the founders behind the widely known 4 P’s, he is "the world's foremost expert on the strategic practice of marketing" (by Management Centre Europe). Professor Kotler is the expert marketer who discovered the 4 Ps of Marketing. This discovery is one of the most influentia... ...her one of his books â€Å"Marketing Management† is one his widely used graduate level textbook. Many students studying marketing refer to this book, he developed ideas and concepts in marketing including atmospherics (the store's layout, noise level, temperature, lighting), demarketing (reverse marketing in which a company discourages product demand in areas where they cannot realize a desired profit), megamarketing (type of marketing activity required when it is necessary to manage elements of the firm's external environment), and synchromarketing (activity intended to shift the pattern of demand to that it equates more suitably with the ideal pattern of supply). Kotler believes that marketing theory needs to go beyond price theory and incorporate the dynamics of innovation, distribution and promotion systems into analyzing, explaining and predicting economic outcomes.

How Can We Measure the Economic Growth of a Country? Essay

Experts have proposed many techniques to assess the economic progress of a country. One of these techniques is to calculate the sum of all the goods and services produced in the country which is known as gross domestic product (GDP). The indicator was created in the wake of great depression in 1930s and still is used to measure individual countries’ economic performance. But now most of the economists claim that GDP alone cannot reflect the economic performance of a society because it has many flaws and does not acceptably measures the household productions, voluntary work, defensive and remedial spending and cash for clunkers. To begin with GDP does not account for the household productions which have sizable effect on the economy of a nation. Unpaid work for instance, causes fall in GDP as there is no value addition. For example, if a person cooks food for his or her family then it causes fall of GDP but if the family hires a chef then GDP boosts up. Let’s take the example of drying clothes in sunshine. If you let the sun dry your clothes, the service is free and doesn’t show up in our domestic product but if you throw your laundry in the dryer, you burn fossil fuel, increase your carbon footprint, make the economy more unsustainable — and give GDP a bit of a bump. This seems illogical that if a person reduces his or her consumption then it will cause GDP to drop, eventually resulting into reduced welfare of the nation. According to various studies carried out in France, domestic production could represent as much as 75% of standard GDP. If GDP does not accurately responds to domestic production then how it can be considered a good measure for the welfare of a nation? Moreover, GDP does not correctly respond to voluntary work and public administration resulting into imperfect measurement of the welfare of a nation. A bicycle repaired by a friend makes GDP fall if the work used to be done by a professional. Thus, a society where voluntary work is widespread will enjoy a higher level of economic well-being but a lower GDP. As far as public administration is concerned, GDP always underestimates the contribution of public services. They are generally not bought by anyone on a market. For example, public gardens maintenance or tax collection. By the same token, a free service resulting from a past public investment (a road, a fountain, a public park or a public sport facility) will not appear in GDP, contrary to its private equivalent (priced road, private sport facility, etc.). Besides household production and voluntary work, another major flaw in the estimation of economic growth by GDP is that it does not appropriately measure production and often just represent it as a compensation for a previous destruction. For example, reconstruction of a destroyed bridge or repairing of inoperative machinery causes a rise in GDP. Another similar example is a boom in the business cycle after the period of recession. Now consider the upsurge in the income of the lawyers. If lawyers prosper because there are more crimes and more offences, does that mean the country is richer? Obviously not, but GDP states country is richer because GDP does not count for these crimes rather it only takes the rise in the income of the lawyers into account. Moving further, production is the decline of human and natural capital. But while calculating GDP this definition is mistreated. This can be illustrated by the example of two countries having same GDP but depreciation of human and natur al resources are not same. It reminds us of those companies who report profits only by under-reporting depreciation of assets. The case is not just theoretical: Britain and France have roughly the same GDP but British workers work 25% more. Furthermore, the contribution of defensive and remedial spending towards GDP has many shortcomings. For example, expenditures on health care, pollution abatement, flood control and costs associated with population growth and increasing urbanization — including crime prevention, highway construction, water treatment and school expansion increase gross domestic product, although mostly what we aim to buy isn’t an improved standard of living but the restoration or protection of the quality of life we already had. (Polley) In this case, it’s clear that GDP indicates the growth in the economy but it’s only the maintenance of our standard of living. Thus GDP is not reliable to judge the standard of living of a community. What’s more is the cash for clunkers whose influence on GDP is also flawed. The new car purchases are added to GDP, but the destruction of the older vehicles is not subtracted. If instead we had a trade in program for new energy efficient homes that required destroying the older, less energy efficient home, we would reach a different result about GDP effects. The new home purchase would add to GDP as for cars, but the destruction of the old home would result in a reduction of GDP because imputed rent on homes is included in GDP unlike cars. In this case, the economic multiplier effects are different about two very similar programs and as a result our economic policies are affected. There are also hidden problems like underground economy which can’t be taken into account as there are hardly any statistics available. (Polley) If economic development is indicated by GDP, then our experts are proposing faulty policies because GDP is not an accurate measure for the economic growth. If we consider the problems in the calculation of GDP, then inaccuracy of the indicator clearly depicts that it’s not an adequate measure of economic progress. For an instance, let’s assume that GDP is a good indicator of economic well being. In this single number, you get an idea of whether the economy is expanding or contracting. Paul Samuelson, Nobel Laureate and author of many textbook references, once described GDP as â€Å"truly among the great inventions of the 20th century, a beacon that helps policymakers steer the economy toward key economic objectives†. But, we forget that how hard it is to accurately sum all of the goods and services produced in a country together, from bricks and tableware to banking and software. First of all, our definition of production is not clear. We often mix the restoration and production. Secondly, statistics for each component of GDP are not easy to gather. For example, there are no statistics available on black economy. Th ird, we need a sophisticated system that can add it all together, from the number of new cars and haircuts, to the volume of teaching etc. (Blades et all) Due to these problems, GDP cannot appropriately measure the welfare of a nation. Given the fundamental problems with GDP as a leading economic indicator, we should not consider it as a measurement of economic well being. Instead, it  is just a measure of economic activities within an economy and no where it is close of accurately reflecting the living standards of the people of that economy.

Letter

Douglas M. Stillwell Vice President, Human Resources Memorial Health Center Stockton Falls, Ohio 43210 Dear Mr. Stillwell: Please accept my application for the Assistant Administrator position that appeared in this month`s ACHE Job Bank. Recently I served as an Administrator in Training for Marion House Health Care Center (add where that is). As my attached resume describes, I worked with that organization from October 2005 to October 2006. I am prepared to assume the greater management challenges at a larger health care facility like yours.   My experience during my association with Marion House Health Care Center, included planning, implementing and evaluating many of the facility`s programs and activities. I reported my observations and activities to my direct supervisor, the facility administrator. Two of my academic courses proved especially useful while I served as administrator in training. The HSA 571 Medical Informatics Masters course gave me the knowledge and skills necessary to participate in planning, implementing, managing, and evaluating health care information systems for the facility. HSA 685 Special Topics: Quality & Cost & Consumer Issues in Health Care Masters course helped me develop a better awareness of the concepts and emerging issues in quality, cost containment and the growth of consumerism in health care. Thank you for all your time and consideration. Your listed position offers an ideal fit with my professional background and career goals. I would appreciate an opportunity to interview for the position. I will telephone at the end of the week to discuss this opportunity further. Sincerely, Tejesh Patel, MHSA Letter I have already uploaded our family pictures on our new Website. Practically took the time segregating and scanning the images by page and by year. I was also thinking about your move to run as Governor while browsing the site. There are good things and bad things associated with its duties and responsibilities but I firmly feel in my heart that you can overcome all the bad things that come with the position especially during the campaign. I have reared you to be a brave man of honor. Run as you see fit and serve your country, your countrymen and our God well. Always remember to practice accountability. Make it your personal policy to keep a detailed statement of your expenditures. When your separate accounting software is ready I can guarantee you my full support in tracking and monitoring expenditures, people and results. You need to personally check the flow of your transactions, money and the results to avoid sabotage. Keep your antennae out for information to safeguard your integrity in carrying out public duties. It is always a good thing to be transparent and honest. Treat your friends and your opponents with tact and respect. Always perform deliberate acts of kindness. Loyalty is never paid. Loyalty is being given out of deep respect for you as a person, of your vision and hard works. Never rely on loyalty that does not last long. You do not aspire to win for fame. Your goal is to win to help people. Ask respected higher ups for counsel periodically and spend time alone to think before you make any decision. A council is good but you are to pray for guidance from the most High One alone. God shall lead you as to how to perform your duties and how to help your people. Your basic strategy is to aim to do good, serve with compassion and do your works with passion. Make sure everyone knows you did the work by maintaining press releases, emails to higher ups and newsletters from your office. People have the right to be informed of how things are being run and you have every right to claim the good works that you have done. We are not to be silent with politics attacks on good works. But you are to be silent on politics attacks and smear campaigns on personal issues. We want to let you know that we can be silent with all the anticipated negative campaigns directed to us and to you. A man who damages the reputation of another man is a man that cannot be trusted. Remember my son to be careful not to do that in your political campaign no matter how tempting. Always be transparent and deal with the issues in an objective way. You are a man, be always a man. Friends come and go so choose well. Listen with your heart and not your ears. Choose the ones that will serve you with great dedication and loyalty. Real friendships are hard to find. Feel their honesty and seek for their commitment through good works. The most effective way to conquer the hearts of your people and conquer the respect of your opponents is by beating your opponents through good works. You are an open target to an open world. You are to protect yourself and your people as long as you can. You have your mission from God, you have work to do and we’ll always be here to wait for you to come home when you fail and feel like life seems to tumble down to keep you company. I will not ask any questions for any failure you may encounter. I am your mother who will always keep you in my heart and love you forever as my child. God speed my son. Do what you have to do for the love of God. Loving you always, Your mother