Code essays

Code essays Many people may not know it, but they have heard part of Hammurabis Law Code before. It is where the fabled eye-for-an-eye statement came from. However, this brutal way of enforcing laws was not always the case in ancient Mesopotamia, where Hammurabi ruled. The Laws of Ur-Nammu are much milder and project a greater sense of tolerance in an earlier time. The changing Mesopotamian society dictated this change to a harsher, more defined law that Hammurabi ruled from. It was the urge to solidify his power in Mesopotamia that led Hammurabi to create his Law Code. It must first be noted that the Laws of Ur-Nammu were written some time around 2100 B.C., around three hundred years before Hammurabis Code. Because of this, The Laws of Ur-Nammu are much less defined in translation as well as more incomplete in their discovery. However, it is apparent from the text that these laws were concerned with establishing Mesopotamia as a fair society where equality is inherent. In the prologue before t he laws, it is stated that the orphan was not delivered up to the rich man; the widow was not delivered up to the mighty man; the man of one shekel was not delivered up to the man of one mina. This set forth that no citizen answered to another, or even that each citizen answered to each other, no matter their wealth, strength, or perceived power. This distinction of an equal society was important to the growing territory that was Mesopotamia. It allowed each person to feel important to their community because they were not lorded over by a superior class. Also, the sheer amount of different bands of people that made up the initial Mesopotamian society dictated that no distinction between origin or race could be made without destroying the careful balance that was set up. The Laws of Ur-Nammu were also distinct in that most penalties were fines or payments. One law stated that if someone severed the nose of another m...

Geography of the Korean Peninsula

Geography of the Korean Peninsula The Korean Peninsula is an area located in Eastern Asia. It extends south from the main part of the Asian continent for about 683 miles (1,100 km). As a peninsula, it is surrounded by water on three sides and there are five bodies of water that touch it. These waters include the Sea of Japan, the Yellow Sea, the Korea Strait, the Cheju Strait and Korea Bay. The Korean Peninsula also covers a total land area of 84,610 miles (219,140 km).The Korean Peninsula has been inhabited by humans since prehistoric times and several ancient dynasties and empires controlled the area. During its early history the Korean Peninsula was occupied by a single country, Korea, but after World War II, it was split into North Korea and South Korea. The largest city on the Korean Peninsula is Seoul, the capital of South Korea. Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea, is another large city on the peninsula.Most recently the Korean Peninsula has been in the news due to growing conflicts and tensions between Nort h and South Korea. There have been years of hostilities between the two nations but on November 23, 2010, North Korea launched an artillery attack on South Korea. This was the first confirmed direct attack on South Korea since the end of the Korean War in 1953 (there are also claims that North Korea sunk the South Korean warship the Cheonan in March 2010 but North Korea denies responsibility). As a result of the attack, South Korea responded by deploying fighter jets and firing lasted for a short time over the Yellow Sea. Since then, tensions have remained and South Korea has practiced military drills with the United States. Topography and Geology of the Korean Peninsula About 70% of the Korean Peninsula is covered by mountains, although there are some arable lands on the plains between the mountain ranges. These areas are small however so any agriculture is confined to certain areas around the peninsula. The most mountainous regions of the Korean Peninsula are the north and east and the highest mountains are in the northern part. The highest mountain on the Korean Peninsula is Baekdu Mountain at 9,002 feet (2,744 m). This mountain is a volcano and it is located on the border between North Korea and China.The Korean Peninsula has a total of 5,255 miles (8,458 km) of coastline. The south and west coasts are also very irregular and the peninsula thus also consists of thousands of islands. In total there are about 3,579 islands off the coast of the peninsula.In terms of its geology, the Korean Peninsula is slightly geologically active with its highest mountain, Baekdu Mountain, having last erupted in 1903. In addition, there are also crater lakes in oth er mountains, indicating volcanism. There are also hot springs spread throughout the peninsula and small earthquakes are not uncommon. Climate of the Korean Peninsula The climate of the Korean Peninsula varies highly based upon location. In the south, it is relatively warm and wet because it is affected by the East Korean Warm Current, whereas the northern parts are usually much colder because more of its weather comes from northern locations like Siberia. The entire peninsula is also affected by the East Asian Monsoon and rain is very common in midsummer, and typhoons are not uncommon in the fall.The Korean Peninsulas largest cities, Pyongyang and Seoul vary also and Pyongyang is much colder (it is in the north) with an average January low temperature of 13ËšF (-11ËšC) and the average August high 84ËšF (29ËšC). The average January low temperature for Seoul is 21ËšF (-6ËšC) and the average August high temperature is 85ËšF (29.5ËšC). Biodiversity of the Korean Peninsula The Korean Peninsula is considered a biodiverse place with over 3,000 species of plants. Over 500 of these are native only to the peninsula. The distribution of species over the peninsula also varies with location, which is mainly due to the topography and climate throughout it. Thus the different plant regions are divided into zones which are called the warm-temperate, temperate and cold temperate. Most of the peninsula consists of the temperate zone. Sources CNN Wire Staff. (29 November 2010). Seoul Warns: Dear Price if North Korea Attacks Again. CNN World. Retrieved from: cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/11/29/koreas.crisis/index.htmlCNN Wire Staff. (24 November 2010). After North Korean Strike, South Korean Leader Threatens Retaliation. CNN World. Retrieved from: cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/11/23/nkorea.skorea.military.fire/index.html?hptT1Wikipedia.org. (28 November 2010). Korean Peninsula - Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_PeninsulaWorldAtlas.com. (n.d.). Korean Peninsula Map, Map of North and South Korea, Korea Information and Facts - WorldAtlas.com. Retrieved from: worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/asia/koreanpn.htm

Customer Aquisation Versus Retention Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Customer Aquisation Versus Retention - Essay Example Other statistics reason that a business’ 80% sales are just gotten from about 20%, which spells out the critical need for the business to maintain health relations with these loyal customers. It is easier for the retained relations to communicate over a business’ brands than new customers. They therefore play a critical role of tracking the progress of the business in terms of quality standards of commodities as well as the services. Moreover, findings from a report by Reichheld indicate that retained customers eventually buy a lot from this business and as a result, the business records higher profits. The operating costs in serving retained consumers tend to be lower than the costs for serving new consumers. Retained customers are also better placed to refer and bring other customers on board than is the case in new customers. Businesses therefore analyze the profitability of retaining all the customers but the cost effectiveness analysis dictates that a business shou ld strive to maintain the only segment of customers that prove more profitable than the rest (2001, p. 1). Nevertheless, globalization trends are seen to adversely affect the efforts of retaining customers as the internet has opened a whole view world of advertising and promotion. Via just a click of a mouse, it is possible to lose a retained customer. Therefore, the efforts of retaining a customer get more expensive and complicated. On the other hand, the supporters of the customer accusation reason that there is no more growth.... g one customer through promotional services and sales as to being ranging from six to ten times higher than the costs that the business would incur in retaining a customer. Other statistics reason that a business’ 80% sales are just gotten from about 20%, which spells out the critical need for the business to maintain health relations with these loyal customers. It is easier for the retained relations to communicate over a business’ brands than new customers. They therefore play a critical role of tracking the progress of the business in terms of quality standards of commodities as well as the services. Moreover, findings from a report by Reichheld indicate that retained customers eventually buy a lot from this business and as a result, the business records higher profits. The operating costs in serving retained consumers tend to be lower than the costs for serving new consumers. Retained customers are also better placed to refer and bring other customers on board than is the case in new customers. Businesses therefore analyze the profitability of retaining all the customers but the cost effectiveness analysis dictates that a business should strive to maintain the only segment of customers that prove more profitable than the rest (2001, p. 1). Nevertheless, globalization trends are seen to adversely affect the efforts of retaining customers as the internet has opened a whole view world of advertising and promotion. Via just a click of a mouse, it is possible to lose a retained customer. Therefore, the efforts of retaining a customer get more expensive and complicated. On the other hand, the supporters of the customer accusation reason that there is no more growth that can result from an already retained pool of customers than has already been met. This therefore

Documenting the media revolution Research Paper

Documenting the media revolution - Research Paper Example Nonetheless, the Internet began spreading in 1983 as university and research center networks. The Internet got its first significant boost in 1990 following the invention of the web by Tim Berners-Lee. The second boost of the Internet was witnessed in 1993 following the release of the first browser Mosaic. At the time, the Internet was only accessible in few developed countries. The Internet, however, began spreading rapidly from 1994 onwards. Today, almost every part of the world is internet accessible (Kozlowski 2). Nevertheless, the spread of the Internet did not bring an end to the traditional print media, radio, movies, or television. Instead, it created its own space as a new form of media to access documents, obtain information, broaden knowledge, and communicate across the world and languages (Kozlowski 3). With the invention and spread of the Internet, booksellers began selling books online both within and outside the home country. Libraries also began developing websites as ‘virtual’ window and digital libraries stemming from their print collections. The website made it possible for patrons to surf information they needed at a period search engines were less accurate and unreliable. With time, library catalogues went online. This was followed by the availability of online magazines and newspapers, as well as their archives. Lebert notes that, with the spread of the Internet, authors began developing websites for their works online (3). Today there are several online books making it possible for people to read online without having to buy a printed book. Libert reveals that the Internet has become a common mode of communication and interaction since 2009. It offers people the opportunity to work, communicate, study, and entertain through the Internet (Primary Research Group 48). This paper will discuss the history of e-books, as well as the various devices where e-books are read. It will also explore how e-books e-magazines and e-newspaper reading may become more of internet connective or group activity. Finally, the paper will provide a prediction of how books will be read in the next decade. 1.1. History of e-books The history of e-books dates back to 1971 following the invention of the e-text #1by Michael Hart in his Project Gutenberg. Lebert reveals that, after the invention of the e-book, Hart disseminated the e-books to the rest of the world (5). The project Gutenberg allowed people of the twentieth century to have a digital library free of charge. Despite skepticism from many people who criticized Hart for his idea, he went ahead to prove them wrong by inventing an e-book. Hart with the assistance of volunteers began by creating online Bibles, which became a huge success. This was followed by the creating Shakespeare online book. Lebert indicate that, by 1989, Project Gutenberg had completed its tenth e-book. Among the books are The King James Bible (1769) both New and Old testaments and 5M for the entire file s. Research indicates that there were only about 250,000 internet users by 1990. This stage is considered an infant stage of the Internet where the standard was just 360 k disks. Later on in 1991, Hart typed Lewis Carroll’s, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1865) followed by Peter Pan (1904) by James M. Barrie. Lebert reveals t

Why Study Philosophy Essay Example for Free

Why Study Philosophy Essay The ancient Greek philosopher, Socrates, once said that â€Å"the unexamined life is not worth living. † Philosophy provides students with the tools they need to critically examine their own lives as well as the world in which they live. Philosophers are, by definition, â€Å"lovers of wisdom† (from the Greek â€Å"philo† = love and â€Å"sophia† = wisdom). Have you ever wondered why many of your professors have a Ph. D. or â€Å"doctor of philosophy† even if they do not teach philosophy? Philosophy is the oldest academic discipline and as such has no natural boundaries. Philosophers strive to uncover wisdom in every dimension of human existence. The tools one acquires through a philosophical education can be applied to any discipline and will help you to see connections between those disciplines. Consequently, philosophy is of use to students contemplating majors in any field. The philosophy courses at IUS seek to involve students in clear, reflective thought on philosophical issues of major importance and to introduce them to the ideas of several great philosophers. In the first section of this document, you will find information on the general benefits of studying philosophy. Sections two through four, discuss the advantages philosophy majors have over other majors pursuing a graduate education. Section five contains some links to other perspective on the value of a philosophical education. Section One: General Benefits of a Philosophical Education Section Two: Philosophy Prepares Students for Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) Section Three: Philosophy Prepares Students for the Graduate Record Exam (GRE). Section Four: Philosophy Prepares Students for the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) Section Five: Other Perspectives on the Value of a Philosophical Education. Section One: General Benefits of a Philosophical Education The curriculum at IUS includes interesting courses in general philosophy, ethics and logic; additional courses in the history of philosophy, and upper level courses in such areas as symbolic logic, philosophy of science, philosophy of religion, theories of knowledge, and bioethics are also offered. Readings center on writings by the great philosophers. The goals of our program are as follows: 1. Comprehension and Interpretation Through the study of philosophy at IUS, students should increase their abilities to understand and to restate accurately in different words positions or arguments with which they initially disagree or which are entirely new to them. Students should also develop the skill of temporary detachment or neutrality so that they are better able to discern the strengths and weaknesses in such positions. 2 2. Analytical Reasoning Students should be able to make distinctions which are helpful for understanding and evaluating complex positions, arguments, or issues. 3. Synthetical Reasoning Students should improve their awareness of the importance of holding coherent and integrated views. They should develop skills in organizing and integrating their ideas in a systematic way. 4. Critical Thinking Students should develop an independence of thought through which they take responsibility for understanding and evaluating ideas in careful, responsible ways. 5. Skills in Evaluation Students should improve their ability to make reasoned judgments on such matters as moral and aesthetic preferences and to present cogent arguments to support their positions. Students should also improve their awareness of the factors that are involved in making sound evaluations. 6. Ethical Reasoning Students should improve their skills in making responsible, rational judgments on issues of moral rightness and wrongness as well as on matters of moral character. Students should be able to make use of classical ethical theories in formulating these judgments. 7. Openness to New Ideas Students should increase their ability to reflect upon their own views and consider whether other positions are stronger. They should be able to make modifications when their own careful thinking indicates that this is appropriate. 8. Improving Skills in Extended Written and Spoken Presentation Students should develop the ability to present comprehensive interpretations and arguments clearly, accurately, and without prejudice in both written and oral forms. 3 9. Understanding Philosophical Reflections on Other Disciplines Students should increase their understanding of basic philosophical issues and theories associated with areas such as social and political theory, science, and religion. 10. Appreciation of the Diversity of Intellectual History Students should gain an increased appreciation of the variety of philosophical reflections, arguments, and positions that have been developed in different ages and contexts. 11. Gaining Knowledge of the Philosophical Tradition The students should have an awareness and understanding of issues and positions that have been prominent in the philosophical tradition. Section Two: Philosophy prepares students for the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) According to data collected by Law School Admissions Council, philosophy majors do better than any other major on the LSAT with the exception of physics/mathematics majors. Whereas philosophy majors have a mean score of 157. 4 on the LSAT, physics/mathematics majors attain a slightly higher mean of 158. 9. Even so, philosophy majors score much higher than business majors (mean: 149. 6) or education majors (mean: 148. 9). 1 The following statements provided by the American Bar Association discuss the specific advantages that philosophy affords students pursuing a career in a law-related profession. †In assessing a prospective law student’s educational qualifications, admissions committees generally consider the chosen curriculum, the grades earned, and the reputation of the colleges attended. They also view favorably scholastic honors, awards, and special recognition. Solid grades in courses such as logic, philosophy, and abstract mathematics are generally considered a plus. [†¦] [L]aw schools will respect your pursuit of subjects you find challenging. This is especially true if the courses you take are known to be more difficult, such as philosophy, engineering, and science. Also, look for courses that will strengthen the skills you need in law school. Classes that stress research and writing are excellent preparation for law school, as are courses that teach reasoning and analytical skills. † – from â€Å"Education,† from The Council on Legal Education and 1 Official Guide to ABA-approved Law Schools 2003-2004, published by the Law school Admissions Council (LSAC). 4 Opportunity, American Bar Association. (whole article available at: http://www. abanet. org/cleo/edu. html) †Preparation for legal education should include substantial experience at close reading and critical analysis of complex textural material, for much of what law students and attorneys do involves careful reading and sophisticated comprehension of judicial opinions, statutes, documents, and other written materials. As with the other skills discussed in this Statement, the requisite critical reading abilities may be acquired in a wide range of experiences, including the close reading of complex material in literature, political or economic theory, philosophy or history. The particular nature of the materials examined is not crucial; what is important is that law school not be the first time that a student has been rigorously engaged in the enterprise of carefully reading and understanding, and critically analyzing, complex written material of substantial length. Potential law students should also be aware that the study and practice of law require the ability to read and assimilate large amounts of material, often in a short period of time. † – from â€Å"Preparation for Legal Education† Prepared by The Pre-Law Committee of The ABA Section of Legal Education and Admission to the Bar, June 1996 (whole article available at: http://www. abanet. org/cleo/edu. html). Section Three: Philosophy prepares students for the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) The GRE is required by most graduate programs in arts, education, engineering, humanities, life science, physical science, and social science. Success on the GRE is an important part of a successful graduate school application. The exam is broken into three main sections: Verbal, Quantitative, and Analytical Writing. As the below statistics make clear, philosophers do extremely well on the GRE. Students declaring an intention to go to graduate school in philosophy have the highest mean scores on the Verbal section of the GRE (mean: 589) of any major. The best score outside of the humanities and arts in this category is physics, with a Verbal mean of 534. Education majors have a mean score of 450, while business majors come in even lower at 446. The story is much the same for the Analytical Writing section of the GRE. Students declaring an intention to go to graduate school in philosophy get the highest mean scores of any major on this section of the GRE (mean: 5. 1). The best score outside of the humanities in this category was political science, with an Analytical Writing mean of 4. 9. Life and physical sciences majors performed more poorly, however, with the highest mean score again going to physics majors (mean: 4.5). Education majors have a mean score of 4. 3, while business majors again come in slightly lower with a mean score of 4. 2. 5 Students declaring an intention to go to graduate school in philosophy score higher on the Quantitative section of the GRE than any of the other humanities. Compare the scores of philosophy students in Quantitative (mean: 636) with religion majors (mean: 583) or foreign language majors (mean: 573), for examples, who are the next best two in the humanities. Not surprisingly, majors in the physical sciences and engineering do better in this area than philosophy students do. But philosophy students do better here than every major in the life sciences and all but one of the majors in social science (economics students do well here, with mean scores of 706 in this area). Philosophy majors do better than all but the banking and finance students in the business area (whose majors get a mean score of 709 in Quantitative). Education majors fare worse than business majors in this area with a mean score of 534. Compare philosophy students’ mean score in Quantitative of 636, however, with accounting majors, who get a mean of 595 in this area. Aren’t they supposed to know math? 2 Section Four: Philosophy Prepares Students for the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) The GMAT is required for students applying to Masters of Business Administration (MBA) programs. Much as with the GRE for other graduate programs, success on the GMAT is an important part of a successful MBA application. Although it may come as some surprise, philosophy prepares students for the GMAT better then a degree in business. Philosophy majors have a mean score of 574 which is higher than any other humanities major and also higher than any business major. Operational management/production majors scored the highest of any business major with a mean of 547. 8. Only physical science and engineering majors scored better than philosophy majors on the GMAT with Physics topping the list with a mean score of 611. So much for thinking that a business major is the best preparation for the GMAT! 3Ã'Ž Section Five: Other Perspectives on the Value of a Philosophical Education The American Philosophical Association (APA) is the main professional organization for philosophers in the United States. They have published an essay by philosopher Robert Audi that provides a brief guide to the discipline. It is aimed at undergraduates and is a must read for any student thinking about majoring in philosophy. 2 Guide to the Graduate Record Examination Program 2005-2006, published by the Education Testing Service. This section updates statistics from the article ‘Philosophy Rocks the Graduate Record Exam,’ (http://www.lclark. edu/~phil/gre. html). 3 Profile of Graduate Admissions Test Candidates (2000-2005), published by the Graduate Management Admissions Council. 6 For a perspective outside of philosophy, see this New York Times article by Carol Cropper on the pay-off of a philosophical education. Likewise, this Times of London article discusses how philosophy is the quintessential modern discipline and the ultimate transferable work skill. Want know what kinds of careers await philosophy majors? See this list of famous philosophy majors. Some of the names might surprise you!

Exporting US Engineering Labor Overseas, an Ethical Perspective Essay e

Exporting US Engineering Labor Overseas, an Ethical Perspective Introduction The recent trend of outsourcing white collar jobs overseas to countries such as India has angered many American Technology professionals. This is occurring specifically in areas such as computer software, chip design and technical support. This trend has contributed to the increasing difficulty many Americans, who are looking for technical jobs, are experiencing. The purpose of this paper is to determine whether this anti-outsourcing attitude has any moral basis and to discuss the conflict of interests involved. This trend has a huge number of stakeholders, impacting engineers working for US companies as well as the entire economies of the US and the nations who benefit from the practice. The consequences of this trend are newly established markets and improved standard of living in other countries at the expense of technical professionals in the United States and other countries with established technology industries. History of Overseas Outsourcing Outsourcing is defined as services provided for a company by a secondary company that would otherwise be supplied internally. The purpose of this is process is to reduce costs by subcontracting the work to an external company which can provide the service at a lower cost. In addition to lower cost, the benefits also include more predictable costs. This allows companies to concentrate on their core business. This system is advantageous to the secondary external company because they can achieve the benefits of the economics of scales in performing the same specialized work for many companies. Additionally the company can provide lower costs for a service if they can find lower labor costs. Duri... ...; I.B.M. Explores Shift of Some Jobs Overseas.† New York Times Late Edition – Final, Section C, Page1, Column 2. July 22, 2003. Country Profile: India. TechRepublic, 11/18/03, < http://techrepublic.com.com/5100-6298-1029727-4.html> Rachels, James. The Elements of Moral Philosophy. McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. 2003 McLaughlin, Laurianne. "An Eye on India: Outsourcing Debate Continues." IEEE Software, IEEE Computer Society. May/June 2003. Bardhan, Ashok Deo, and Kroll, Cynthia A. "The New Wave of Outsourcing." Fisher Center for Real Estate and Urban Economics. University of California, Berkeley. Fall 2003. 11/18/03, <http://repositories.cdlib.org/iber/fcreue/reports/1103/> Breslin, David A. "On the Ethics of Outsourcing," PM, November - December 1999. 11/19/03, <http://www.dau.mil/pubs/pm/pmpdf99/breslind.pdf> Ulrich von Hutten (1488-1523)

Effects of a Strong or Weak Philippine Peso Currency Essay

Two conflicting stories came out of a national paper this week. One announced that exporters are badly hurt by the appreciating peso while the other states that the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) claims that the surging currency is beneficial to the Philippine economy. Those stories seem to tell the Filipinos that we cannot have our cake and eat it too. Whenever there is a good effect, there is a corresponding draw back. Let us take the first statement. There are two types of exporters. One is who imports raw materials, processes it and exports the finished product. The other is one who buys or produces the raw material locally, processes it and exports the result. In the first case, we export only labor. In the second, we export labor and raw material converted by labor into finished product. When the peso is weak, more pesos are spent to buy raw materials. The product is sold to earn a strong dollar. Then labor is paid in weak peso. When the peso is strong, there will be less pesos spent acquiring raw material. Then the finished product is sold earning weak dollars. There will be more dollars needed to pay labor in strong pesos. What exporters are afraid of is our finished product will be less competitive in the world market if a strong peso raises production costs. Labor costs will rise because there will be more dollars to be converted to pesos to be spent for labor. What will be affected are the export processing zones. Finished products will be less competitive in the world market. Profits will dive and factories may close. On the other hand, the quality of the peso in the world market is raised. We will need less pesos to service our external debt in dollars. There will be more investors coming because they can earn more than when the peso is weak. Philippine economy will be stronger. There will be more investors coming because the strong peso earned will compensate their efforts. The BSP argues that the peso surge is but temporary. Market forces will eventually force the peso to seek its level. Overseas workers are the ones responsible for the strong peso. When remittances slow down the peso will depreciate. There is a tendency for the overseas workers to live permanently in the place where they work if the government of the country will allow. The sad part of the business is that even if the peso appreciates, it is never felt locally. Local prices will remain the same. Take for example oil products. If the world market for liquid petroleum gas rises, our local prices rise along with it. If it falls the peso price for Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) will remain the same. Even if the peso appreciates, there is still no roll back in LPG prices. There must be something wrong with our economics. Perhaps we would be much thankful that the peso appreciates. We are an importing country. Since birth we have been conditioned to believe that anything imported is excellent. Imported wines, whiskeys, cigarettes, chocolates, perfumes and cars are better appreciated than local products. With the appreciating pesos, plus the General Agreement on Trade and Tariff all imported luxuries will now be within the reach of the locals. The incoming dollars will go out again. Our overseas workers will have to stay longer if not forever just to keep our economy afloat. While economy is on the rise, we do not institute measures to keep it up. Our economic planners must pull their acts together. We still are not aware how the strong peso affects the small and medium enterprises. If there is any benefit from the surging currency, the influence must be felt locally in any way otherwise the natives will never be able to benefit from the situation. Is the surging peso beneficial or detrimental?

Organization of International Business

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. was incorporated in 1969 and now is the world’s largest and most successful grocery retailer which was selected as world’s largest company in 2007, by Fortune 500. It has 8,970 stores in 15 countries and total revenue of $421,849 billion (2010). Wal-Mart’s main business strategy is ‘EDLP-Every Day Low Price’ which is the key-point of their success. To accomplish this strategy, they mainly focused on efficiency of distribution structure. They used ‘Cross-docking system’, ‘POS’ system, ‘QR-Quick Response’ System. All those strategies core values are ‘Time’ and ‘Response’.Shorten the time for everything includes distribution, storing, etc directly affected lower the price of goods which could be best response to customer need. In other words, Wal-Mart has been successful since they always managed their time and response to customer. Those points were same for Wal-Mart ’s â€Å"International division† startegy. Their international division wasn’t like these days at the early stage. The international division was centralized so the branches needed to get approval for every action and decision from headquarter in USA.However, this centralization process made whole process slow and it harmed the core value of Wal-Mart. Also, they realized that the system can’t be same in other countries. It needed to be changed and modified in order to fully get into each local market place. By the late 1990’s they started to change their policy for international division. They gave more responsibility to each division so that they don’t have to wait for approval and response from headquarter. By this change, each international divisions could meet their local market’s need more rapidly and effectively.2. Why did the centralization of decisions in Wal-Mart’s international division at headquarters create problems for the company’s different national operations? Has Wal-Mart’s response been appropriate? The headquarter first thought that centralization will help them get into other countries cause the methods and ways they used were already proved in domestic market. The centralization wasn’t that bad when they started because there were not many things to care about. However, by the international division gets bigger, they had to deal with bunch of things from lot of different countries.The headquarter had to consider tons of decisions and problems. Of course the whole process got into arrears. In other word, the headquarter of Wal-Mart was overloaded. This condition was natural because the domestic way couldn’t be fitted same in other countries. Each international division tried their best in order to make maximum profit on their market, and that effort caused lot of things to be approved by headquarter. To solve this problem, Wal-Mart started to decentralize th eir international division. This helped each division to tailor them self more easily for the local customers.They could make decision and take action faster. Also they could response to local customer’s need instantly. I think this decision was pretty appropriate. Headquarter can focus to their main domestic market without waste their energy and international division also can make best result in their local market. 3. Do you think that having an international division is the best structure for managing Wal-Mart’s foreign operations? What problems might arise with this structure? What other structure might work? I think international division is moderate choice for Wal-Mart’s foreign operations.The head quarter can easily replicate the domestic structure to international division so that they don’t struggle from start in new local market. However, I think there could be problems arise with that way. There could be damage to headquarter’s reputatio n they’ve made in domestic market if international division makes mistake or distortion of core value while they try to adjust to local market. It will seriously harm whole Wal-Mart’s name and will affect their sales. For example, while they try to get into Korea, they didn’t know about Korea’s atmosphere and condition.They struggled in Korea for years and finally got out of Korea without getting anything. This mistake damaged Wal-Mart’s name maybe not only in Korea division but also in headquarter. In this case for Wal-Mart, Worldwide Area Structure could worked, too. If they use this structure, the great system they proved in domestic market can be used in all the areas but all the other things can be adjusted to each area’s property. In that way, they can reduce possibility of failure in certain country like Korea or German.4. Conclusion Wal-Mart is one of biggest company in the world and they’re making huge amount of money all ove r the world. There is no doubt that they are successful. But it doesn’t mean that they have nothing to fix or improve. If they want to expand their business, they should make their international division more efficient and effective. That means, sure they should use their great system they have used in domestic market to international division but those strategies are needed to be reformed in each countries. In that way, they might able to make high profit all over the world without struggling from cultural and industry difference.

I refuse to answer that question! The new (intimidating) college essay

I refuse to answer that question! The new (intimidating) college essay On January 25, 2012, someone on the College Confidential discussion group posted this thread: Did you ever dump a college from your list because of the type (or number) of essays? Responses flooded in, mostly from parents of students who had indeed given up on an application because they were intimidated by the essay questions, and many from the students themselves.   One woman’s daughter dropped three applications and added one that had easier essay requirements. One aunt reported that her nephews applied to one school only – Iowa State – because the school did not require essays. And another self-proclaimed lazy procrastinator chose her colleges based on the ease of their essay requirements. Colleges dropped by students ran the  gamut and were headed up by Wake Forest and U Chicago:   Barnard, Brown (2x), BU, Bryn Mawr, Caltech, Carnegie Mellon, University of Chicago (8x), Claremont McKenna (3x), Columbia University (3x), CMC (2x), Cornell, University of Delaware, Duke, Elon, Georgetown, Grinnell (2x), Marquette Honors Program, University of Maryland, University of Michigan, MIT (2x), UNC (3x), Northwestern, Notre Dame (2x), NYU (2x), U Penn (3x), Princeton, Puget Sound, Rice (3x), Rutgers, Tufts (2x), Stanford (2x), Syracuse, UVA, Wake Forest (8x), and Yale (2x). Why the aversion to unique essay topics? I could rant about how students are lazy or haven’t received sufficient training in thinking for themselves or thinking creatively.   I could suggest that if our educational system did a better job on these fronts, and with teaching writing in general, students would not avoid writing essays that challenged them to invest time and thought.   I could also suggest that students don’t start their application process far enough ahead of time to ensure they have the time and attention for some uncommon essay questions. All of those things might be true, but I am more interested in the schools’ logic behind asking unusual question such as â€Å"What does Play-Doh have to do with Plato?† (U Chicago), â€Å"What is your favorite ride at the amusement park?   How does this reflect your approach to life?† (Emory University), â€Å"Imagine you have to wear a costume for a year of your life.   What would you pick and why?† (Brandeis University), and â€Å"What would you do with a free afternoon tomorrow?† (Yale). Why the inclination toward unique essay topics? Colleges may be showing themselves to be current with the times, as suggested in The new college-admission essay: Short and tweet(ish).   Some applications ask for short essay answers of 25 words, such as â€Å"My favorite thing about last Tuesday† (University of Maryland), perhaps catering to the Twitter generation.   Tufts, George Mason and the University of Dayton allow prospective students to submit a video essay instead of a written one.   Students might jump at the chance to communicate in ways that are spreading like wildfire in the world of social media. The right fit In the College Confidential discussion, most students reported that they dropped schools not simply because of the essay requirements but because there was an additional reason the school was not a good fit.   Some were not excited about their on-campus visit.   Some realized when they were asked why they wanted to attend a particular school that they had no good reason.   Conversely, some students reported taking on writing difficult essays because a school was their clear first choice.   Some loved writing the very same essays that sent other students away (Wake Forest and Chicago essays included).   And one student actually rejected a school (Wash U in St. Louis) because they did not ask a supplemental essay question!   He thought the school was trying to increase its U.S. News rankings by encouraging applications.   Not surprisingly, two other students applied to Wash U (as well as to many other schools – Dartmouth, Harvard, and William Mary to name a few) b ecause of the simplicity of their essay requirements. Perhaps colleges like Wake Forest and U Chicago are shooting themselves in the foot.   Several anecdotes appeared in the College Confidential discussion about students who got accepted into one school with a simple application (Harvard, for instance) while they were still working on essays for another school.   Schools with longer or more complex essay requirements might be losing some qualified and motivated students in addition to the ones who just don’t care enough to jump through the hoops. Yet for most schools, it appears that they are doing a good job of weeding out applicants.   If an Honors application intimidates you, that’s a very good sign that you are not meant to be in that program.   If an essay challenge makes you realize that you’re not up for that challenge, regardless of the reason, then that school has done you and itself a favor.   What a great strategy for winnowing down the number of applications to a pool of students who will face an extra challenge or two because they want so much to go to a particular school. As one member of College Confidential, stated, â€Å"Frankly, there are too many well-rounded, excellent students applying to the best universities to distinguish a select few without asking stranger, creative questions. Its there that you begin to see a students personality and thats what gets you in.† Are essay questions scaring you away from a school?   Maybe it’s time to get some help.   If you want to brainstorm with a professional about what you could write in response to some of these wacky questions, contact The Essay Expert.   We’ll be happy to help.

An Introduction to Vanitas Paintings

An Introduction to Vanitas Paintings A vanitas painting is a particular style of still life that was immensely popular in the Netherlands beginning in the 17th century. The style often includes with worldly objects such as books and wine and you will find quite a few skulls on the still life table. Its intent is to remind viewers of their own mortality and the futility of worldly pursuits. Vanitas Reminds Us of Vanities The word  vanitas  is Latin for vanity and that is the idea behind a vanitas painting. They were created to remind us that our vanity or material possessions and pursuits do not preclude us from death, which is inevitable. The phrase comes to us courtesy of a biblical passage in Ecclesiastes. In it, the Hebrew word hevel was incorrectly taken to mean vanity of vanities. But for this slight mistranslation, the term would rightfully be known as a vapor painting, signifying a transitory state. The Symbolism of Vanitas Paintings A vanitas painting, while possibly containing lovely objects, always included some reference to mans mortality. Most often, this is a human skull (with or without other bones), but items like  burning candles, soap bubbles and decaying flowers may be used for this purpose as well. Other objects are placed in the still life to symbolize the various types of worldly pursuits that tempt men. For example, secular knowledge like that found in the arts and sciences may be depicted by books, maps, or instruments. Wealth and power have symbols like  gold, jewelry, and precious trinkets while fabrics, goblets, and pipes might represent earthly pleasures. Beyond the skull to depict impermanence, a vanitas painting may include references to time, such as a watch or hourglass. It may use decaying flowers or rotting food for the purpose as well. In some paintings, the idea of the resurrection is included as well. Among these, you might find sprigs of ivy and laurel or ears of corn. To add to the symbolism, you will find vanitas paintings with the subjects placed in disarray compared to other, very tidy, still life art. This is designed to represent the chaos that materialism can add to a pious life. Vanitas is very similar to another type of still life painting,  known as memento mori. Latin for remember  you must die, this style tended to include only those objects that remind us of death and refrained from using the materialistic symbols. A Religious Reminder Vanitas paintings were  meant not only as works of art, they also to carry an important moral message. They are designed to remind us that the trivial pleasures of life are abruptly and permanently  wiped out by death.   It is doubtful that this genre would have been popular had the Counter-Reformation and Calvinism not propelled it into the limelight. Both movements- one Catholic, the other Protestant- occurred at the same time as vanitas paintings were becoming popular. Like the symbolic art, the two religious efforts emphasized the devaluing of possessions and success in this world. They instead, focused believers on their relationship with God in preparation for the afterlife. The Vanitas Painters The primary period of vanitas paintings lasted from 1550 through around 1650. They began as still lifes painted on the backside of portraits and evolved into featured works of art. The movement was centered around the Dutch city of Leiden, a Protestant stronghold, though it was popular throughout the Netherlands and in parts of France and Spain. In the beginning of the movement, the work was very dark and gloomy. Toward the end of the period, however, it did lighten up a bit. Considered a signature genre in Dutch Baroque art, a number of artists were famous for their vanitas work. These include Dutch painters like David Bailly (1584–1657), Harmen van Steenwyck (1612–1656), and Willem Claesz Heda (1594–1681). Some French painters worked in vanitas as well, the best-known of which was Jean Chardin (1699–1779). Many of these vanitas paintings are considered great works of art today. You can also find a number of modern artists working in this style. Yet, many people wonder at the popularity of vanitas paintings by collectors. After all, doesnt the painting itself become a symbol of vanitas?

My Life as a Soldier in World War I Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

My Life as a Soldier in World War I - Essay Example Life in the trenches was extremely horrible for me. The possibilities of enemy attacks and diseases were haunted me and many other American soldiers who were in my battalion. Trench life prevented us from proper sleeping, bathing, and taking foods. The disturbance of rats, lice etc caused more trouble during my trench life. Some of the rats which caused disturbances to us during WW1 were of the size of a cat. Life casualties were more in WW1 and dead bodies of the soldiers were coming to our army camp quiet regularly. It was difficult for us to give a proper funeral to our colleagues who fought bravely for the country. American government was not much interested in giving respect or paying homage to the dead bodies of the soldiers at that time. Many of the dead bodies were burned using petrol since it was difficult for us to give more attention to the normal funeral activities. I was a commander in American army during WW1. So I forced to take many decisions during the war period. In fact it was difficult for me to allocate different missions to different soldiers. Different emotions that were passing through the faces of the soldiers while getting dangerous tasks were horrible experiences for me. It was evident that many of the soldiers who were sending for the dangerous missions may not come back alive. Being a commander, it was impossible for me to consider humanitarian issues during the war period. I remember many occasions in which I forced to compel even diseased soldiers to engage in some kind of works. On many occasions, I forced to advance further leaving the seriously wounded soldiers behind. It should be noted that giving care to wounded soldiers at the time of intense fight may cause more casualties. Relatives of the soldiers who suffered death never got the information about their death in time. In fact, we had received many letters from the wives of the soldiers who were killed many weeks before. It was really a horrible experience to read all the se letters and send any reply to them. I remember one instance in which I received a letter from a killed soldier’s wife. I realised the depth of their love and intimacy from this letter. She was actually pregnant and the real intention of this letter was to convey the good news to her husband. Some tears filled in my eyes, and decided to send a reply to this woman. It should be noted that communication channels were not much developed during WW1 and sending letters was the major communication activity performed by the soldiers and their relatives. In my reply letter, I described her husband as a brave one and informed her about his death. I asked her to be proud of the heroics done by her husband and expressed the gratitude of American army to her for the great services extended by her husband. It was really a touching moment in my life. At the time of wring the reply, I struggled to get suitable words. American society has changed a lot after WW1. Before WW1, many of the Am ericans supported wars. It should be noted that the first time use of sophisticated weapons caused more death casualties than anticipated in WW1. The loss of beloved ones forced American society to revise their views about wars. The huge destruction of properties forced Americans to think about the necessities of avoiding wars in future. â€Å"In the 1920s, people seemed to be less interested in progress and were more interested in hedonism. It is like