Fate Symbolism Essay

Some people believe that each step steps on the way of life is predetermined through the beginning to the end, and people are powerless to resist it. The main character who is the narrator of the short novel, â€Å"A Woman Like Me† by Xi Xi, is trying to convey to us the same concept which is called the fate. She has been an orphan since she was very young, and she and her brother were raised by her Aunt Yifen. Her aunt has so much pressure that she pays less attention on their education, so when the narrator grows up, she lets her inherit their familial skill which is making up for dead. All of these elements lead her life into a miserable fate. From the psychological description of herself, I found that in the depth of her heart, she actually doesn’t want to surrender to her fate, but wants to have friendship and love. In my opinion, our life, whatever love or death, are seem arranged by fate, but we can try our best to alter it and change it. As in the story, althoug h the narrator considers that all the things happened in her life is arranged by fate and she is â€Å"totally powerless to resist Fate† (152), I think most of the misfortunes happened in her life are root in her timidity. The reasons that makes her lacks of courage are her self-abased and doesn’t want to violate her family’s custom. In my opinion, our fate is in our own hand. When she faces the point of transition of fate, she doesn’t have enough courage to change her own fate because of her self-abased, but in the depth of her heart, she is really want to change her destiny. In story she describes herself, â€Å"I’m a person who has no concept of self-protection, and my words and deeds will always conspire to make me a laughing stock in the eyes of others† (152). Her character make people around her can’t accept her and laugh at her. It makes her who originally is self-abased because of low education become more self-abased. Her despaired emotion is expressed many times in the story, â€Å"A woman like me is actually unsuitable for any man’s love† (152). The word, â€Å"actually†, was said with her realistic helpless. She has no confidence to fall in love with a man. She thinks her fate is decided that she can do nothing for it. However, when the narrator who originally surrenders to the fate sees the boy suicide for love, she unexpectedly feels shame of him and refuses to make up for him. She thinks that â€Å"his had been act of extreme weakness: †¦ I should have nothing to do with anyone who lacked the courage to resist the forces of fate.† (157) Her view of other’s fate reflect the real idea in her depth heart. When she face the situation of other people, she is very clear that people should have courage to resist the force of fate. As a Chinese proverb said: â€Å"The spectators understand the chess game better than the players.† When she faces that boy, she is feels humiliating with his weakness. We can find her aspire and insist of love. Unfortunately, she doesn’t have the courage to ins ist her own love. Thus, it is her self-abased make her yell of fate can only leave in the depth of her heart and can’t let it into action. Another reason that makes her hesitates on the edge of fighting to change her fate is she asserted Chinese traditional ideology by family. In one hand, she wants to control her life, but on the other hand some traditional ideas are still leave in her mind. At that time in Hong Kong, because of the Colonization of Britain, many people were influenced by the concept of western culture which was that people could control their life and changed their fate by themselves, but the concept of her family was quite different. The narrator’s family is from the main land of China. Her father and her aunt are all cosmeticians that make up for dead which is the skill that handed down from their ancestors, so in the traditional concept, it must have a person in the family to inherit this skill and her Aunt Yifen choose her as the successor. However, the society also influences her so much. She describes the society as a â€Å"greed-consumed, dog-eat-dog world† (154). From how she describes the society, we can find out most people in that society are all struggling to survive in that competitive world. They don’t follow the fate but create and change it by themselves. Under the influence of the surrounding, she once has thought about many other works she can do, such as â€Å"work as saleswoman in a shop, or sell bakery products, or even be a maid in someone’s home† (160), but finally, she still afraid of to compete with others in that cruel society and follow her fate that decided by her family. On the contrary, I don’t believe that fate is not changeable. I think the destiny is in my hand. In the story, the narrator is so weak that she predicts her fate is predetermined and yields to her fate. She and her Aunt Yifen have the same occupation, and she has already seen her aunt’s miserable fate, so she pessimistically thinks that her â€Å"fate and Aunt Yifen’s are one and same.† (159) She is still young and nobody know what will happen in the future, but she give up at first. I believe that opportunities are for the people who are prepared. If she gives up trying and working hard, she won’t grasp the opportunity to change her fate, even the opportunity has coming. As we know that America is country that full of opportunities for people who work hard to change their fate. That is the reason I came to study in America. As an international student whose first language isn’t English is real tough to success in academic. However, like most of other international students, I know that I need to keep studying hard and never stop. Once I hesitate, I will fall behind of others because everyone keeps fighting and struggling in this competitive society. Therefore, I believe that fate is in my own hand. In conclusion, I really feel regressive for her. If she cares less about other’s view of her, she will have courage to save her love; if she put away her traditional idea, she will have courage to find a new job; if she becomes more confidence, she will against her miserable fate and start a new life. To me, I will have the courage. Stand up from where I fall down and keep working hard, I believe my fate will be different.

Acceptance

An acceptance is â€Å"a manifestation of assent to the terms [of the offer] made by the offeree in the manner invited or required by the offer. † In determining if an offeree accepted an offer and created a contract, a court will look for evidence of three factors: (1) the offeree intended to enter the contract, (2) the offeree accepted on the terms proposed by the offeror, and (3) the offeree communicated his acceptance to the offeror. Common Law: Traditional â€Å"Mirror Image† Rule The traditional contract law rule is that an acceptance must be the mirror image of the offer. Attempts by offerees to change the terms of the offer or to add new terms to it are treated as counteroffers because they impliedly indicated an intent by the offeree to reject the offer instead of being bound by its terms. However, recent years have witnessed a judicial tendency to apply the mirror image rule in more liberal fashion by holding that only material (important) variances between an offer and a purported acceptance result in an implied rejection of the offer. Even under the mirror image rule, no rejection is implied if an offereee merely asks about the terms of the offer without indicating its rejection (an inquiry regarding terms), or accepts the offer’s terms while complaining about them (a grumbling acceptance). Distinguishing among a counteroffer, an inquiry regarding terms, and a grumbling acceptance is often a difficult task. The fundamental issue, however, remains the same: Did the offeree objectively indicate a resent intent to be bound by the terms of the offer? Communication of Acceptance To accept an offer for a bilateral contract, the offeree must make the promise requested by the offer. An offeror must communicate the terms of his proposal to the offeree before an offer results. This is so because communication is a necessary component of the present intent to contract required for the creation of an offer. For similar reasons, it is generally held that an offeree must communicate his intent to be bound by the offer before a contract can be created. To accept an offer for a unilateral ontract, however, the offeree must perform the requested act. The traditional contract law rule on this point assumes that the offeror will learn of the offeree’s performance and holds that no further notice from the offeree is necessary to create a contact unless the offeror specifically requests notice. Mailbox rule Under the so-called â€Å"mailbox rule,† properly addressed and dispatched acceptances can become effective when they are dispa tched, even if they are lost and never received by the offeror. The mailbox rule protects the offeree’s reasonable belief that a binding contract was created when the acceptance was dispatched. By the same token, it exposes the offeror to the risk of being bound by an acceptance that she has never received. The offeror, however, has the ability to minimize this risk by stipulating in her offer that she must actually receive the acceptance for it to be effective. Offerors who do this maximize the time they have to revoke their offers and ensure that they will never be bound by an acceptance that they have not received. As traditionally applied by the common law of contracts, the mailbox rule would make acceptances effective upon dispatch when the offeree used a manner of communication that was expressly or impliedly authorized (invite) by the offeror. Any manner of communication suggested by the offeror (e. g. , â€Å"You may respond by mail†) would be expressly authorized, resulting in an acceptance sent by the suggested means being effective on dispatch. Unless circumstances indicated to the contrary, a manner of communication used by the offeror in making the offer would be impliedly authorize (e. . , an offer sent by mail would impliedly authorize an acceptance by), as would a manner of communication common in parties’ trade or business (e. g. , a trade usage in the parties’ business that offers are made by mail and accepted by telegram would authorize an acceptance by telegraph). Conversely, an improper dispatched acceptance or one that was nonauthorized would be effective when received, assuming that the offer was still open at that time. This placed on the offeree the risk of the offer being revoked or the acceptance being lost. The mailbox rule is often applied more liberally by courts today. A modern version applied of the mailbox rule that is sanctioned by the Restatement (Second) holds that an offer that does not indicate otherwise is considered to invite acceptance by any reasonable means of communication, and a properly dispatched acceptance sent by a reasonable means of communication within a reasonable time is effective on dispatch. The Cantu case illustrates the more liberal version of the mailbox rule. Special Acceptance Problem Areas Acceptance in Unilateral Contracts A unilateral contract involves the exchange of a promise for an act. To accept an offer to enter such a contract, the offeree must perform the requested act. As you learned in the last chapter, however, courts applying modern contract rules may prevent an offeror from revoking such an offer once the offeree has begun performance. This is achieved by holding either that a bilateral contract is created by the beginning of performance or that the offeror’s power to revoke is suspended for the period of time reasonably necessary for the offeree to complete performance. Acceptance in Bilateral Contracts A bilateral contract involves the exchange of a promise for a promise. As a general rule, to accept an offer to enter such a contract, an offeree must make the promise requested by the offer. This may be done in a variety of ways. For example, Wallace sends Stevens a detailed offer for the purchase of Steven’s business. Within the time period prescribed by the offer, Steven sends Wallace a letter that says, â€Å"I accept your offer. † Stevens has expressly accepted Wallace’s offer, creating a contract on the terms of the offer. Acceptance, however, can be implied as well as expressed. Offerees who take action that objectively indicates agreement risk the formation of a contract. For example, offerees who act in a manner that is inconsistent with an offeror’s ownership of offered property are commonly held to have accepted the offeror’s terms. So, if Arnold, a farmer, leaves 10 bushels of corn with Porter, the owner of a grocery store, saying, â€Å"Look this corn over. If you want it, it’s $5 a bushel,† and Porter sells the corn, he has mpliedly accepted Arnold’s offer. But what if Porter just let the corn sit and, when Arnold returned a week later, Porter told Arnold that he did not want it? Could Porter’s failure to act ever amount to an acceptance? Silence as Acceptance Since contract law generally requires some objective indication that an offeree intends to contract, the general rule is that an offeree’s silence, without more, is not an acceptance. In ad dition, it is generally held that an offeror cannot impose on the offeree a duty to respond to the offer. So, even if Arnold made an offer to sell corn to Porter and said, â€Å"If I don’t hear from you in three days, I’ll assume you’re buying the corn,† Porter’s silence would still not amount to acceptance. On the other hand, the circumstance of a case sometimes impose a duty on the offeree to reject the offer affirmatively or be bound by its items. These are cases in which the offeree’s silence objectively indicates an intent to accept. Customary trade practice or prior dealings between the parties may indicate that silence signals acceptance. So, if Arnold and Porter had dealt with each other on numerous occasion and Porter has always promptly returned items that her did not want, Porter’s silent retention of the goods for a week would probably constitute an acceptance. Likewise, an offeree’s silence can also operate as an acceptance if the offeree has indicated that it will. For example, Porter (the offeree) tells Arnold, â€Å"If you don’t hear from me in three days, I accept. † Finally, it is generally held that offerees who accept an offeror’s performance knowing what the offeror expects in return for his performance have impliedly accepted the offeror’s terms. So, if Apex Paving Corporation offers to do the paving work on new subdivision being developed by Majestic Homes Corporation, and Majestic fails to respond to Apex’s offer but allows Apex to do the work, most courts would hold that Majestic is bound by the terms of Apex’s offer. Acceptance When a Writing Is Anticipated Frequently, the parties to a contract intend to prepare a written draft of their agreement for both parties to sign. This is a good idea not only because the law requires written evidence of some contracts, but also ecause it provides written evidence of the terms of the agreement if a dispute arises at a later date. If a dispute arises before such a writing has been prepared or signed, however, a question may arise concerning whether the signing of the agreement was a necessary condition to the creation of a contract. A party to the agreement who now wants out of the deal may argue that the parties did not intend to be bound until both parties signed in writing. A clear expression of such intent by the parties during the negotiation process prevents the formation of a contract until both parties have signed. However, in the absence of such a clear expression of intent, the courts ask whether a reasonable person familiar with all the circumstances of the parties’ negotiations would conclude that the parties intended to be bound only when a formal agreement was signed. If it appears that the parties had concluded their negotiations and reached agreement on all the essential aspects of the transaction, most courts would probably find a contract at the time agreement was reached, even though no formal agreement had been signed. Acceptance of Ambiguous Offers. Although offerors have the power to specify the manner in which their offers can be accepted by requiring that the offeree make a return promise (a bilateral contract) or perform a specific act (a unilateral contract), often an offer is unclear about which form of acceptance is necessary to create a contract. In such a case, the offer may be accepted in any manner that is reasonable in light of the circumstances surrounding the offer. Thus, either a promise to perform or performance, if reasonable , creates a contract. Acceptance by Shipment. The Code specifically elaborates on the rule stated in the preceding section by stating that an order requesting prompt or current shipment of goods may be accepted either by a prompt promise to ship or by a prompt or current shipment of the goods [2-206(1)(b)]. So, if Apex Corporation orders 500 IBM personal computers from Marks Office Supply, to be shipped immediately, Marks could accept either promptly promising to ship the goods or by promptly shipping them. If Marks accepts by shipping, any subsequent attempt by Ampex to revoke the order will be ineffective. What if Marks did ot have 500 IBMs in stock and Marks knew that Ampex desperately needed the goods? Marks might be tempted to ship another brand of computers (that is, nonconforming goods – goods different from what the buyer ordered), hoping that Ampex would be forced by its circumstances to accept them because by the time they arrived it would be too late to get the correct goods elsewhere. M arks would argue that by shipping the wrong goods it had made a counteroffer because it had not performed the act requested by Ampex’s order. If Ampex accepts the goods, Marks could argue that Ampex has impliedly accepted the counteroffer. If Ampex rejects the goods, Marks would arguably have no liability since it did not accept the order. The Code prevents such a result by providing that prompt shipment of either conforming goods (what the order asked for) or nonconforming goods (something else) operates as an acceptance of the order [2-206(1)(b)]. This protects buyers such as Ampex because, sellers who ship the wrong goods have simultaneously accepted their offers and breached the contract by sending the wrong merchandise. But what if Marks is an honest seller merely trying to help out a customer that has placed a rush order? Must Marks expose itself to liability for breach of contract in the process? The Code prevents such a result by providing that no contract is created if the seller notifies the buyer within a reasonable time that the shipment of nonconforming goods is intended as an accommodation (an attempt to help the buyer) [2-206(1)(b)]. In this case, the shipment is merely a counteroffer that the buyer is free to accept or reject and the seller’s notification gives the buyer the opportunity t seek the goods he needs elsewhere. Who Can Accept an Offer? As the masters of their offers, offerees have the right to determine who can bind them in a contract. So, the only person with the legal power to accept an offer and create a contract is the original offeree. An attempt to accept by anyone other than the offeree is treated as an offer, because the party attempting to accept is indicating a present intent to contract on the original offer’s terms. For example, Price offers to sell his car to Waterhouse for $5,000. Anderson learns of the offer, calls Price, and attempts to accept. Anderson has made an offer that Price is free to accept or reject

Describing a Mother and Her Role in Our Society Essay

Describing a Mother and Her Role in Our Society Understanding a Mother’s Role and Encouraging Love, Adoration and Respect for Her In fact, â€Å"Mother’s Role in the Society’ is considered to be quite a sensitive and emotional topic for the discussion. Interestingly, nowadays there are many writers who highlight this issue in their literary works. In general, the mother can be described in various ways and in different situations. Some examples, which can be used in a Mother Essay, are stated elow: * Biologically, a mother is a social female parent of an offspring Collectively, it is she who fulfills the main social role in raising the child But for the various definitions, there is one thing common throughout the whole world: each mother should be loved and respected. Actually, this factor should be emphasized by the society we are living in. Indeed, there can hardly be a community which would say that the mother is nothing but a living being made to deliver children. However, still there might be some humans who would think like this. But in general, every culture has a valued position for the mother. It is a well-known fact that the mother is strongly related to her children. Hence, a Mother Essay should be specially focused on a mother- child relationship. Everyone supports a view that the mother is not Just the woman who gives birth to a child, but the one who adopts the child and considers it to be hers. In reality, there are many reasons why the mother cannot bring up the child she gave birth to: * Poverty It is crystal clear that the raising a child in poverty is a great challenge. If a lonely other cannot earn her living, she may not be able to earn for the child. This makes her abandon her child. * Social problems Some communities still follow Infanticide, which is killing an infant. In such cases, each mother wants her baby to survive and hence she may give away the baby to someone else. * Superstitions In certain uneducated families, new born babies are killed or discarded because they were born with some disease. They tend to give such kid a superstitious name and throw away the baby. In any case, a mother is always unhappy about the departure f her baby. In many communities, a mother is considered an incarnation of Goddess. Therefore, she is highly praised and worshiped. People celebrate Mother’s Day to commemorate the spirit of motherhood. Thanks to this approach, the Mother Essay would bring awareness among the rest of the communities to consider the image of mother as an angel who cares for all family-members equally. Traditionally, the mother is associated with the following roles: * Giving birth toa child * Educating the child with good values * Making a family circle from a house Taking care of all members of the family Dealing with a Mother Essay, it should be kept in mind that in a father-mother- children relationship the closest person for any member is a mother. She is the center towards which all other elements are closely attached. The father may not be Children might not be that close to their father, as he is most of the time away from home. Amazingly, some mothers might act even as a communicative line between the children and their father. This shows the importance of a mother in a family.

Language Therapy of Disorders of Fluency Assignment

Language Therapy of Disorders of Fluency - Assignment Example Moreover, there is his mother’s cousin who stuttered at a young age but later grew over it. Most of the young children undergo a period of stuttering of up to 5% of their speech. Majority of such cases are resolved either through treatment or spontaneously. Thus, chances are also high that Cara would grow over it by the age of five but the mother is concerned that the cycle is deteriorating since her stutters are more obvious and rampant now occurring on a daily basis. The second benefit is visible in the way her mother is concerned about her (Cara’s) wellbeing and thus took her to a speech therapist. She was concerned about the intervention taking place for her daughter. She indicated that Cara’s speech and language skills developed at a similar rate to that of her peers. However, the problem began soon after her 3rd birthday when she began stuttering and having real difficulties in pronouncing words. The stuttering appeared to have gone and then come back worse than ever. Thus, the mother was concerned about the welfare of her daughter since she felt the condition had deteriorated and she could not wait for a longer period before she could intervene for her daughter. The third advantage is the way Cara lives in a well-integrated nuclear family. She lives at home with her mother, father and her baby brother who is one year old. This nuclear family provides her with the required parental support (Cummings 2008). Her health condition is good and she has a very active lifestyle where she is able to meet all her milestones in development. Her gross and even the fine motors skills are of appropriate according to her age and she presents excellent play skills. Cara has developed her language and speech at a similar rate with her peers. This is a good sign indicating that her stuttering could just be a phase that she was going through and she could come over it before the age of five.

A critical study of credit risk management in the First Bank of Dissertation - 2

A critical study of credit risk management in the First Bank of Nigeria PLC - Dissertation Example All types of transactions have risk factors attached to them. If considered as an isolated case, then the loss can be treated as standalone. However, if a portfolio is considered like financial instruments and loans, there is the diversification effect which means risks of individual transactions get diluted. This is because every individual transaction cannot become a bad debt, and it is also not possible that all financial instruments of a trading book will end up as losses caused by market movements. It is universally accepted that the â€Å"sum of individual risks is less than the risk of the sum.† There is also the concept of dependency, i.e. inter-related events which determines the effects of diversification. For instance, a loan can become a bad debt depending on some common factors like the economic condition of market. Therefore to compute the risk of portfolios, it is necessary that these common factors be monitored (Bessis, 2011, pp.25-26). Credit risk can be defin ed as the non-ability of a debtor or issuer of any financial instrument to make payment of the principal amount as per the terms and conditions of the credit agreement (Greuning & Bratanovic, 2009, p.161). The loss that occurs is related to the valuation of the financial instruments and their liquidity. The financial instruments can reduce at high rate if the default is totally unexpected. The resultant loss is the â€Å"difference between the pre- and post-default prices.† (Bessis, 2011, p.29) Banks are most vulnerable regarding credit risk issue since default or delay of payments can lead to cash flow problems or can cause liquidity of the bank. Although there are many aspects of finance, in the balance sheet of the bank 70 percent of it is related to credit risk management. Out of many factors that are responsible for a bank’s failure, credit risk is the most common factor. A bank’s credit risk is mostly determined by its loan portfolio, yet it is equally imp ortant to assess the creditworthiness of any debtor or issuer of financial instruments to understand the potential credit risk. Financial analysts and supervisory agencies of banks give much importance to credit policies designed by the Board of Directors, and how they are implemented by the managers. A credit policy needs to give a framework of the credit structure of bank, i.e. allocation of credit and management of credit portfolio. For instance, the policy should give information about how investments and financing assets are supervised, managed and reviewed. A credit policy need not be excessively conditional, so that proposals for consideration can be placed before the board even if those proposals do not strictly follow the guidelines of the policy. A bank’s credit policy should have enough flexibility to be able to adapt to the changing relations between the bank’s standing assets and the market fluctuations (Greuning & Bratanovic, 2009, pp.161-162). There are certain standard theories of a bank’s credit management and they are – 1) identification and assessment of potential credit risks, 2) credit policies that define the bank’s perspective of risk management, and 3) the parameters of the policies within which credit risk will be monitored. Generally there are three kinds of credit risk management policies. The first one has the objective of minimizing any potential risk and includes policies on â€Å"concentration and large exposures, diversification, lending to connected parties, and overexposure.† The second set of policies targets at classifying assets. These policies make it compulsory to do periodic monitoring of the â€Å"collectibility of the portfolio of credit instruments.† The third set of policies is designed in the manner to set

Zipcar case study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Zipcar case study - Essay Example New entrants required a lot of capital and skills to match this strategy hence barring them from entering the market. Zipcar charge cheap prices for long distances as compared to other rental companies. New entrants will find it hard to charge such prices. There are many substitutes in the market for car rental services. Indeed, buyers can easily choose to switch to other rental services if Zipcar fails to meet their needs. Buyers can use personal cars, family cars, public transport, or taxis. Buyers have medium bargaining power where they have a chance to switch to other rental services if Zipcar does not meet their needs. The market has many buyers but only few have the capacity to influence market forces. However, the increasing number of online buyers can influence market prices in the future. The synergy between the business strategy for zipcar and information technology is very important (Pearlson and Saunders 75). Zipcar uses information and technology to enhance growth by helping the company to offer improved and efficient services. The network effects that are part of the strategy for zipcar are zipsters. They are social networking technologies used to develop an online community (Pearlson and Saunders 75). The zipsters add value to the company by encouraging community development and creating good relations between Zipcar and the customers. As the CEO of zipcar, I realize that the services offered and the price of the services threatens my competitive advantage. To sustain a competitive advantage, I would offer flexibility services, maintain cars, and charge affordable

Michael Jordans biography as a sportsperson as well as a non-sports Essay

Michael Jordans biography as a sportsperson as well as a non-sports person - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that born on February 17, 1963, in Brooklyn, New York, Michael Jeffrey Jordan (MJ) is one of the most famous professional basketball players not only in America but also in the world. He has played around 15 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) in the 80s and 90s. Chicago Bulls and Washington Wizards were the major clubs for which MJ had displayed his basketball skills and abilities. It is believed that no other professional basketball players are as popular as MJ. MJ was instrumental in popularizing basketball not only in America but also across the world. Even though the popularity of MJ as a basketball player is unquestionable, his life is not free from controversies. It is believed that MJ was interested not only in sports activities but also in some of the other unacceptable social activities such as gambling. During the playoff season in 1993, Jordan has reported gambling in Atlanta just before one of the crucial match es of his club.   He admitted in the same year that he had lost around $57,000 in gambling. Moreover, author Richard Esquinas claimed that he had won $1.25  million from Jordan on the golf course (Anderson, 1993). In short, the weakness of Jordan towards gambling is well recorded in the history.   Apart from a great basketball player, MJ is a good businessman also. â€Å"Jordan is involved in a number of business ventures, including several restaurants".

The Economic Impact of Casino Gambling Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Economic Impact of Casino Gambling - Essay Example Person 1 says that casino gambling is licensed, monitored and controlled by the local government or state. As a result, earnings made by casino operators are taxed, over and above payments made for license fees. The local government or the state further uses the tax revenue to run public projects that are healthy for economic growth and development. Fiscal and social costs are the second impact that was highlighted by Person 2. He linked casino gambling to the realization of externalities in the society. While there are positive externalities that relate to gaming and entertainment, Person 2 pointed out a number of social costs in relation to casino gambling. These are: crime, business and employment costs such as lost time on the job, bankruptcy, suicide, illness, direct regulatory costs, family costs such as child neglect and abuse, and abused dollars (Walker, 2010). Person 3 considered the extent to which casino gambling complements other sectors in the economy. Many casino gambling points attract locals and foreigners, many of whom are domestic and international tourists. Casino activities therefore boost tourism, and further extend the underlying benefits to sectors that deal with manufactured products, transport and communication among others. In other words, casino gambling encompasses more than just gaming and entertainment. Person 4 evaluated the effect of casino gambling on state lotteries. The main argument in this point is that gambling is harmful to state lottery. Local governments and states raise significant revenues from lotteries. However, the casino gambling effect on lotteries is negative. Due to low participant activity as compared to casinos, many lottery players are turning to casino gambling. Casinos are also characterized by rapid money exchange, a scenario that exacerbates the need to play. Revenue generation from lotteries therefore decrease as casino gambling increase. Diversity in local government or

Bullshit as a Politics of Discourse Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Bullshit as a Politics of Discourse - Essay Example 2). All throughout his paper, he argues that bullshit has been used in most cases and varies in purpose. Politically speaking, lying and truth can be an issue of public trust and affects the manner of governance. Bullshit can be used in both cases. The bullshit can be considered as a truth depending on the manner of rhetoric. At the same time, it is also a lie which becloud. It can be considered that bullshit is a mechanism of truth and lie. It can be about lying about a lie or lying about the truth. In these cases, it can be seen that the events of the past has made the American government appear to be bullshitting people for the purpose of telling an invented truth and denying the real truth by political manipulation and possibly after of their own personal agenda as well by making such falsified truth statement. How would this be possible, especially in connection to bullshit? This is the matter that I shall delve into in this paper. BODY Bullshit as a Threat to Society Can bullsh it be a threat towards society and the value of truth? Frankfurt mentioned that â€Å"bullshit is disconnected from a concern with truth† and is â€Å"untruthful† (Frankfurt 1986, p. 12). In a personal sense, this cannot be considered a threat because bullshitting can be considered as a pastime. ... Regarding the 9 / 11 attacks, a lot suspicion came from the people, abruptly criticizing the government for its lack of engagement with the truth regarding the matter. America, as one of the highly advance countries, a lot of people have been wary about the non – interception of the planes that have been â€Å"hijacked† supposedly (BBC 2011). The government, back then, has been arguing that it was the terrorists, particularly, the group of Osama Bin Laden, who has been responsible for such horrendous attack. However, upon thorough investigation by people who have been concerned about what has really happened, there is an assumption that the planes used are not powerful enough to ensure the crash of the World Trade Center (BBC 2011). Some have assumed that the government has played a role in this debacle. They could have been the ones who have implanted the bombs in the tower that paved way for its collapse (BBC 2011). However, the blame has been diverted to the terroris t as the government provided: an escape mechanism. Political Discourse as a Mechanism to Assess Bullshit Political discourse, in a simpler sense, would mean an interpolation of the roles and functions of political institutions in doing its roles and functions accordingly to service of the people especially for the leaders. In this case, truth has a crucial role because it serves as a bastion for democracy, transparency and accountability. The discourse on politics and truth provides a condition for assessment of certain actions of institutions, more importantly; the government where most of politicking and power hunger occurs that exemplifies a distortion of truth. Bullshitting, as a dangerous

The Life Styles Inventory Essay Example for Free

The Life Styles Inventory Essay The Life Styles Inventory (LSI) is a self-assessment questioning instrument that processes the information you input into the system into 12 different thinking styles. The LSI encourages applicants to understand and change bad behavior and find ways to improve them by examining one’s thoughts and feeling and why they do things the way they do. After taking the 240 self-assessment exam an individual knows exactly what they need to focus on in terms of their development style, because the assessment gives you raw feedback of the results. The results of the self-description is graphed on a circular diagram and table chart giving visual feedback of the individuals results as it relates to their thoughts and behavior in the 12 LSI styles. This summary is a custom-made developmental needs assessment, which then gives the individuals their strengths and areas they may need improvement in. My Life Style Inventory profile shows my primary style is Avoidance. My backup thinking style is dependent closely followed by Power falling within 5% referred to in the LSI Circumplex. As much as I hate to admit it I found the information in the finding extremely accurate with my primary style. I would definitely agree that Avoidance is in my nature. The information that it has under the avoidance style circumplex describes me to T. All my life I’ve been told that I hide my true feelings, that I shy away from situations that I may not want to get involved in because I make them bigger than they really are, and even that I have a fear of failure and rejection. However, I don’t fully agree with what it says about the Avoidance-Oriented Manager style for me. It states that that (â€Å"Managers scoring higher on this scale are often threatened by the responsibilities of their positions and tend to feel overwhelmed much of the time. By choosing to ignore problems in hopes that things will take care of themselves, they often obtain a false, temporary sense of security. †(LSI 2013). I agree with this statement to a certain extent. I might feel threatened by the responsibility of 1my position sometimes, but that is only because I want to do the job perfectly without any flaws, knots or wrinkles. As this may cause me to feel overwhelmed, it doesn’t make me ignore problems in hopes that things will take care of themselves it makes me strive that much harder to complete the job as best I can. I find myself as a more hands on: we will get it done together type manager because I feel people respect managers who don’t mind getting their hands dirty sometime. That’s not to say that I want delegate responsibilities throughout my team because I certainly don’t have a problem with doing that also. My first back up style is Dependent and I too much don’t agree with everything that was stated in this circumplex but again it kind of fit my personality. The circumplex states that (â€Å"The Dependent scale measures the degree to which we feel our efforts do not count. Dependent behavior originates in a need for security and self-protection: dependent people typically feel that they have very little control over their lives. † (LSI 201) It also stated that this style may be due to some type of life changes which I can see why it fits my personality. I was recently in a long term relationship with the first girl I ever loved and I believe due to that separation I can see how I may feel my efforts do not count and how I may feel I may feel that I have very little control over my life because in this relationship I really wanted to get back with my ex-girlfriend but we never did. And this even ties in with the Power management style which would be like my backup to my backup style. I believe my limiting style would be Self-Actualizing because this is where I scored my lowest score on the LSI circumplex. I believe that my low score in this area is what will possibly keep me from being the most effective manager possible. If I could change one behavior from this area I would change how it says I doubt myself and my ability to make a difference. I would like to have more confidence in my abilities and take the risks because with risk you get big rewards. This style that I would like to change is Achievement. I believe Achievement is one of the styles that I much have working for me because of all that I could gain. I also chose Achievement because this is where I scored one of my lowest scores on the LSI assessment and I agree with the reasoning the assessment had to offer. I think by me not scoring high in this assessment it increase my overall effectiveness in the organization because Achievers have increased opportunities for promotions, higher salary levels, more respect from others and the ability to effectively lead others just to name a few and these are all thing that I want the gain within an organization. My personal style is more laid back. I have a really nonchalant attitude toward most things. I am not really confrontational at all I am more like a mediator. I like to think of myself as an open person accepting of others and very friendly because I have a nature of wanting to be accepted. I feel my management style is somewhat different though. First and for most I demand the respect of all my employees as a manager because I want no misunderstanding what our roles is. Once you start one what you can’t change styles in the middle of the race, I believe you will lose a lot of respect from employees that way even fellow coworkers, top management etc. Also as a manager I feel that I am loyal, honest and fair. I believe that hard work is very important and I always strive to complete assignment at any cost. After I have established my roles as a manager and thing are running smoothly I then let my personality slip into the mix. Once I feel more comfortable with employees I am able to joke around and allow for a un-tense work environment. As I am not a manager at this time I recall my previous positions as a supervisor at my last job as a case manager and as a resident assistant over a floor of 35+ college men. In my job I also strived to complete assignments because I want the team to look good when other department were falling short of the quota. At the same time I was pretty cool with my team because I wanted a non-hostile work environment. My personality was shaped throughout the course of my life. I was raised by a single parent my mother and I was pretty sheltered. I was raised to do the right thing in a Christian household and to do unto others as I would want them to do unto me. I feel that the way I was brought up, my religion and culture definitely plays a part in my personality. I feel my mother sheltering me relates to my need to be dependent on others. I feel that the way I was brought up in a Christian household relates to me thinking the way I do causing me to be a little narrow-minded when it comes to certain issues. Looking back on this assignment I really feel like I learned a lot from the LSI. This experience helped me understand my style a whole lot better and makes me what to take hat I have learned and apply it to my life to make me a better manager. With what I have learned I definitely feel this assignment will influence my personal, academic and professional development because of what I know now. I’ve learned that this chart is not indefinite and that my styles can change if I work on it. The areas that I may feel are character flaw I can work on them and potentially fix them and make me better manager. One goal that I hope to work on is opening up more and not shying away from responsibility. I feel that if I work on these goals I would be a good manager.

Concepts and Theories of Classical Conditioning

Concepts and Theories of Classical Conditioning Aimee Duncalfe Rena Borovilos Classical Conditioning and My Behaviour Behavioural psychology is a theory of learning that is founded upon the idea that all behaviours are acquired through conditioning, which occurs through environmental interaction (Cherry, What is Behaviorism?, 2014). Conditioning is a specific type of learning that has been explored by several different physiologists and psychologists throughout history, and can be broken down into two specific types of learning; classical conditioning and operant conditioning. This paper will discuss classical conditioning while exploring several different examples, including a personal behaviour that can also be identified as classical conditioning. Classical conditioning is a learning process that occurs through associating two stimuli that are repeatedly paired together, resulting in a conditioned response. (Cherry, What Is Classical Conditioning?, 2005). The process of classical conditioning consist of placing a conditioned stimulus before an unconditioned stimulus that naturally results in an unconditioned response. When paired repeatedly, the conditioned stimulus eventually causes a conditioned response, even in the absence of the unconditioned stimulus. An unconditioned stimulus (UCS) is one that naturally or automatically causes a response (Cherry, Classical Conditioning, 2005). For example, when you hear a balloon pop, you may immediately jump in shock. The sound of the balloon popping is the unconditioned stimulus. An unconditioned response (UCR) is the automatic response that occurs naturally in response to the unconditioned stimulus (Cherry, Classical Conditioning, 2005). Using the same example, jumping in response to the sound of the balloon popping is the unconditioned response. The conditioned stimulus (CS) is previously neutral stimulus that, after becoming associated with the unconditioned stimulus, eventually causes a conditioned response (Cherry, Classical Conditioning, 2005). Suppose that immediately before you heard the balloon pop, you saw a flashing red light. The flashing red light is unrelated to the sound of the balloon popping, though if the flashing red light was paired multiple times with the balloon popping, seeing the flashing red light would eventually cause the conditioned response. In this case, the conditioned stimulus is seeing the flashing red light. The conditioned response (CR) is the learned response to a previously neutral stimulus (Cherry, Classical Conditioning, 2005). In the same example, the conditioned response would be jumping to the sight of the flashing red light. This process, often used in behavioural training, was introduced by a Russian physiologist by the name of Ivan Pavlov, who won the Nobel Prize in 1904 for his work on the physiology of digestion (Nobel Media AB, 2014). Pavlovs experiment explored dogs salivating in response to the presentation of food. In his experiment, the UCS was the presentation of food, and the UCR was salivating in response to the food. Pavlov also introduced a CS, the sound of a bell, immediately before presenting the food to the dogs. By combining the sound of the bell with the presentation of food, the sound of the bell alone would eventually produce the conditioned response of salivation. (Cherry, What Is Classical Conditioning?, 2005). There are several occurrences that take place in relation to classical conditioning. The first stages of learning when a response is established is what is known as acquisition. This refers to the period of time when the conditioned response is first established and gradually strengthened (Cherry, Principles of Classical Conditioning, 2005). Going back to the first example of the popping balloon, the conditioned response has been acquired once a person begins to jump at the sight of the flashing red light. In Pavlov’s experiment, the conditioned response has been acquired as soon as the dog begins to salivate in response to the sound of the bell. Once the response has been acquired, the response can be progressively strengthened to ensure the behaviour is well learned. Factors that can influence how quickly acquisition occurs include how noticeable the CS is, as well as the timing of the CS in relation to the UCS. If the CS is too subtle, or if there is too much of a delay bet ween the CS and the UCS, the learner may not notice the CS enough to form an association between the two. The most effective method is to introduce the CS and then quickly present the UCS so that there is an overlap between the two. The more noticeable the CS, and the shorter delay between the UCS and the CS, the quicker acquisition will take (Cherry, What is Acquisition?, 2005). Another occurrence in relation to classical conditioning is extinction. Extinction happens when the frequency of a CR decreases or disappears when a CS is no longer paired with an UCS (Cherry, Principles of Classical Conditioning, 2005). Returning to the previously used example, if the popping of the balloon were no longer paired with the flashing red light, eventually the conditioned response of jumping to the flashing red light would disappear. In Pavlov’s experiment, if he no longer paired the bell with the presentation of the food, eventually the conditioned response of salivating to the sound of the bell would disappear. During his research, Pavlov discovered that when extinction occurs, it does not mean that the subject returns to their unconditioned state. Allowing several hours or even days to elapse after a response has been extinguished can result in spontaneous recovery of the CR (Cherry, What is Extinction?, 2005). Spontaneous recovery refers to the sudden reappearance of the CR after extinction or period of reduced response. If the CS and UCS are no longer associated, extinction will occur very quickly after a spontaneous recovery. Pavlov noted during his experiment that no longer pairing the sound of the bell with the presentation of food led to extinction of the salivation response. However, after a two hour rest period, the salivation response suddenly reappeared when the bell was presented (Cherry, Spontaneous Recovery, 2005). This phenomena shows that extinction is not the same as unlearning. While the CR may disappear, it may not have been forgotten or completely eliminated. Stimulus generalization, the tendency for the CS to prompt similar responses after the CR has been conditioned, is another occurrence of classical conditioning (Cherry, What Is Stimulus Generalization?, 2005). In the first example, our subject has been conditioned to jump at the sight of our CR, a flashing red light. After the subject has been conditioned, he might respond to not only a flashing red light, but all flashing lights. This response to all flashing lights exemplifies stimulus generalization. Closely related to stimulus generalization, stimulus discrimination is the ability to distinguish between a CS and other stimuli that have not been paired with a UCS (Cherry, Principles of Classical Conditioning, 2005). In Pavlov’s experiment where the sound of a bell is the CS, discrimination involves being able to tell the difference between the sound of the bell and other similar sounds, and would then only express the CR at the sound of the bell. Another form of classical conditioning is higher order conditioning. This is where a new CS is created, by pairing a second CS with a previously created CS. The second CS acts as a UCS for the first CS. If Pavlov had begun flashing a red light before he sounded the bell, the flashing red light would become the new CS, and would eventually evoke the same CR as the sound of the bell does. My own behaviour indicates that I have also been classically conditioned. Two years ago, I was involved in a car accident. I was driving on the highway in the fast lane, the lane closest to the centre guardrail, when I lost control of my car and slammed into the guardrail, spinning across all three lanes. My car came to a final rest after hitting the guardrail closest to the on and off ramps. Before my car accident, I was a very confident driver and never experienced anxiety while driving, in general or while driving in the fast lane. Since my car accident, I am unable to drive in the fast lane without becoming very anxious. Experiencing anxiety is generally a natural response when getting into a car accident, so getting into a car accident in this example is the UCS, and experiencing anxiety is the UCR. Immediately preceding the car accident, I was driving in the fast lane, which is the CS in this situation. As a result of my traumatic experience, driving in the fast lane now produces the same anxious feeling as getting into a car accident because I have associated this factor with my car accident. And so, anxiety is the CR in this example. I have included a diagram in Appendix 1 to demonstrate my behaviour and how it associates with the basic classical conditioning model. A CR was achieved very quickly during acquisition of my behaviour. Because the situation was so traumatic, the CR was immediate, and I began to experience anxiety as quickly as the next time I drove on the highway. My behaviour is a good example of generalization because I do not only become anxious while driving in the fast lane on the same highway or in the same area where I hit the guardrail, but also while driving in the fast lane on all highways. There is another possible explanation for my behaviour. By avoiding driving in the fast lane, I am decreasing the likelihood of experiencing anxiety. My personal behaviour is a great example of negative punishment, which involves removing something good or desirable away in order to reduce the probability of a specific behaviour reoccurring. While driving in the fast lane can be beneficial and often desired, by not driving in that lane, I am eliminating the CR of experiencing anxiety when driving in that lane. Be it salivating at the smell of our favourite food cooking, avoiding a specific restaurant because of a bad experience, or putting on our seatbelt to stop the car from making the obnoxious dinging sound, our everyday lives are filled with behaviours that are a result of classical or operant conditioning, whether we realize it or not. Some of these conditioning experiences may be positive ones, others may have more negative effects on our lives, and some may go unnoticed forever. While conditioning is not as prominent today as it was throughout the middle of the twentieth century, it still remains an influential force in psychology. References Cherry, K. (2005). Classical Conditioning. Retrieved from about|education: http://psychology.about.com/od/behavioralpsychology/a/classcond.htm Cherry, K. (2005). Principles of Classical Conditioning. Retrieved from about|education: http://psychology.about.com/od/behavioralpsychology/a/classcondbasics.htm Cherry, K. (2005). Spontaneous Recovery. Retrieved from about|education: http://psychology.about.com/od/sindex/g/spontrec.htm Cherry, K. (2005). What is Acquisition? Retrieved from about|education: http://psychology.about.com/od/glossaryfromatoz/g/Acquisition.htm Cherry, K. (2005). What Is Classical Conditioning? Retrieved from about|education: http://psychology.about.com/od/cindex/g/classcond.htm Cherry, K. (2005). What is Extinction? Retrieved from about|education: http://psychology.about.com/od/eindex/g/extinction.htm Cherry, K. (2005). What Is Stimulus Generalization? Retrieved from about|education: http://psychology.about.com/od/sindex/g/stimgen.htm Cherry, K. (2014). What is Behaviorism? Retrieved from about|education: http://psychology.about.com/od/behavioralpsychology/f/behaviorism.htm Nobel Media AB. (2014). The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1904. Retrieved from Nobelprize.org: http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/medicine/laureates/1904/ Weiten, W., McCann, D. (2015). Custom Pub: Psych 1000 Introduction to Psychology and Study Guide. Toronto, ON: Nelson Education Ltd. Appendix 1

A Servant Leadership Analysis Leadership Essay

A Servant Leadership Analysis Leadership Essay In many situations we are able to draw associations or determine one situation resembles another. Â  When individuals in leadership roles give of themselves so that others may have it is often associated with a negative connotation. Â  Although giving and serving is not viewed in the political or religious aspect, leaders tend to develop their own views and formulate ideas that have been tampered with by politician or religious leaders. Â  Many of the political and religious leaders have a major influence of the day-to-day operation and views of society. We first have to know what leadership is. Leadership is the ability to get other to follow you willingly. A leader must have a vision and know exactly where to go. They also have to take the vision and act upon it and not sit back and let the followers do all the work. Within the vision, they have to communicate with their followers to the point that they are with the vision as well. It also takes dedication to be a leader. They have to do whatever it takes to make sure that they can get to the next step of the vision. There are more qualities but this is some of what take to be a leader. Now, what is servant leadership? Robert K. Greenleaf describes servant leadership as a type of leader that serves others, rather than the followers serving the leader. Doing so will have the followers achieve and improve. As any leader, they are responsible for the followers and those that are not on the same level as others. The people served grow as individuals, becoming healthier, wiser, more autonomous and more likely themselves to become servants (Greenleaf, 1977). There are 10 characteristics that will be briefly discussed: Listening being able to hear what your follower have to say about how they feel in certain situations is very important. Empathy being able to show empathy for your followers, even when some will not accept some views from their co-workers. This will help take more difficult situations Healing healing means a process when something or someone takes time to repair themselves. As a leader, you have to acknowledge the good and the bad situations in life while being able to do well (spiritual). Awareness the leader have to be aware (or in other words, constant communication) of the surroundings of themselves and others that follow them. Persuasion being able to convince and inspire your followers that the vision that you have for the group will benefit not just for the internal (the group), but the external as well (the company to the clients). Conceptualization with the vision at hand, the leader have to think beyond the current goal. They have to see the big picture. They have to have ideas and plans to figure out any problems that may occur. Foresight in order to develop this characteristic effectively, the leader have to be able to analyze any situation and have a great amount of discernment when it comes to decision making. There would be times that the powers that be will expect the leader to complete some tasks that may not suit too well with the leader. Foresight will help the leader to come to a sensible conclusion that will satisfy both their bosses and their followers. Stewardship leaders are stewards first. To become a great leader, they have to be a great follower. Although leading the people, their goal is to serve others. This trait is used continuously with pastors that lead the church. Commitment to the growth of people in order for the world to recognize the changes, the leader must first change themselves. If you are not able to change for the better, whatever changes that are made may not be accepted. Building community the community is not completely healed. Leaders have to take proper actions to help make the community better and not just healed, but to be made whole. One way to do this is by simply being active in the community and show an example that teamwork is very effective when you work together. Servant leadership is heavily influenced by the Christian faith. All Christians are called to be servants, even when you are called to be a leader. In order to be a leader, you had to be a good and obedient servant in order for God to call you higher in ministry. Jesus showed a great example of servant leadership when he washed the feet of the disciples. He also showed us that we need to put aside our personal gain and makes sacrifices to fulfill the needs of others. You have other that will would climb up the ladder and only motivate themselves and not help others. This is something that Jesus did not demonstrate throughout his ministry. The Hinduism religion exemplified servant leadership. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was the political and spiritual leader of India. He used the ahimsa philosophy which means total nonviolence. He was known to tell the truth and encourage those who followed him to do the same. Martin Luther King, Jr. believed that Gandhi was indeed an example of a person that showed servant leadership because Gandhi was not all about him and trying to control the people of India, but to serve them so they can recognize their dignity and power. Even through the process of gaining independence from Great Britain, Gandhi gave India hope that this vision can come true. He never claimed himself as a leader but became a catalyst to many Hindu leaders after him. The Islam religion also exemplified servant leadership. The prophet Mohammad said this about servant leadership: A ruler who has been entrusted with the affairs of the Muslims, but makes no endeavor for their material and moral upliftment and is not sincerely concerned for their welfare will not enter Paradise along with them. (Al-Bukhari, 1997, p.166) Mohammad wanted to show the people that the servant is the leader of the nation, not the leader. Islams concept of servant leadership is serving the workers and the community as their main priority. Like Christians, Islam want to provide services to others, to be an integral part of the community and to further understand their spiritual side of their organizations. A couple of years ago, the past moderator from the Eastern Shore Virginia/Maryland Baptist Association wanted to do something that will help families that could not afford anything (food, toys, clothes) for Christmas. He called it Christmas Without Walls. As an example of the characteristic stewardship, he took it upon himself to buy turkeys, toys and clothes to help these families in his area in order for them to have a better Christmas then they had years before. This led the church to follow his example and they too started to donate items to the less fortunate. In the last couple of years, they were able to bless more than 300 families and looking to do more this year now that other churches are joining to do the same in their own communities. He also showed another characteristic of building communities as becoming an example to show that once you put out, others will follow and together we all can do anything. To model yourself as a leader from a servant leadership approach, self awareness is important. You have to know your own strengths and weaknesses, what inspires you, what motivates you, and how you relate to others. This will allow you to give more of yourself to others when it comes to relationships as this will build up your self esteem and confidence. Emotional intelligence allows you to evaluate others emotions as well as your own. As a result, you understand yourself, your goals, intentions, responses, and behavior. This also led to understanding others and their feelings. Being able to understand other peoples feelings mean that you care about their values and beliefs, even when some of theirs do not agree with your own (this is an empathy characteristic of servant leadership). It do not matter on the religion but no how we treat others in general. Our beliefs may be from a religion but we are given free will on how we treat others. If you are able to put self aside and help ot hers, you will be showing an example to others and will follow you and even inherit your ways.

The Physics Of Scuba Diving Essay -- Scuba Diving Descriptive Process

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to swim with the fish and explore the underwater jungle that covers two-thirds of the earth's surface? I have always been interested in water activities; swimming, diving and skiing, and I felt that scuba was for me. My first dive took place while on a family vacation. I came across a dive shop offering introductory dives, which immediately caught my interest. After much convincing (my parents), with my solemn assurance that I would be careful, I was allowed to participate in a dive. I was ready, or so I thought. The slim basics such as breathing were explained and I was literally tossed in. Sounds easy enough, right!, well WRONG!!. From the moment I hit the water, my experience was much less than fun. I quickly sank to the bottom into a new world, with unfamiliar dangers. I really wasn't ready for this experience. I was disorientated, causing me to panic, which shortened the length of my dive, not to mention my air supply. Let's just say I would not do that again.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To start exploring the underwater world, one must first master a few skills. Certification is the first step of learning to dive. From qualified professionals one must learn how to use the equipment, safety precautions, and the best places to dive. This paper is designed to help give a general understanding of the sport and the importance that physics plays in it. Self- contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus, or SCUBA for short, is a hell of a lot of fun. However, there is considerably more to Diving than just putting on a wetsuit and strapping some compressed air onto ones back. As I quickly learned, diving safely requires quite a bit more in terms of time, effort, and preparation. When one goes underwater, a diver is introduced to a new and unfamiliar world, where many dangers exist, but can be avoided with proper lessons and understanding. With this knowledge the water is ours to discover. The Evolution of Scuba Diving Divers have penetrated the oceans through the centuries for the purpose of acquiring food, searching for treasure, carrying out military operations, performing scientific research and exploration, and enjoying the aquatic environment. Bachrach (1982) identified the following five principal periods in the history of diving which are currently in use. Free (or breath-hold) diving, bell diving,... ...tary, research, business, or recreation, hundreds of thousands of people are heading for the depths, to experience the unknown. My advice for a new diver is to do it right. Get the proper certification and make each dive a safe one. When a diver is fully trained, and in good mental and physical condition, safe diving can be one of the most enjoyable of experiences. The true beauty of the underwater world, coupled with the marvelous almost-weightlessness of floating with neutral buoyancy is an indescribable experience. Bibliography: Ascher, Scott M. Scuba Handbook for Humans. Iowa : Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company. 1975. Cramer, John L. Ph.D. Skin and Scuba Diving: Scientific Principles and Techniques. N.Y.: Bergwall Productions, Inc. 1975. Ketels, Henry & McDowell, Jack. Safe Skin and Scuba Diving, adventure in the underwater world. Canada : Little, Brown and Company (Canada) Ltd. 1975. Koelzer, William. Scuba Diving, How to get started. Pennsylvania :Chilton Book Company. 1976. Resneck, John Jr. Scuba, Safe and Simple. New Jersey : Prentice-Hall, Inc. 1975. Tillman, Albert A. Skin and Scuba Diving. Iowa : Wm. C. Brown Company Publishers. 1966.

Sources of Finance for a Business Essay -- Papers

Sources of Finance for a Business For a business to successfully run, it must have sources of finance. These are methods of financing the running of the business, buying of stock and paying of workers. Small businesses and large businesses have different sources of finance. In this section, I will discuss the different sources of finance used by small and large businesses, and the advantages and disadvantages of each, starting with small businesses. Setting up a business costs money. For instance, setting up a bakery involves buying or renting a shop and buying stocks of flour and so on. One source of finance for a new business is equity or equity capital. This is money which is put into the business by its owners. The baker for instance, may have savings of  £20,000 which are used to buy a lease on a shop and start a sole proprietorship. They may also go into a partnership with another person, with each putting in  £10,000 of their own savings. The advantage of using equity capital is that, as it is the owner’s money, no extra cost or interest is charged when using it. The problem with equity capital is that it is difficult to gather in the first place. It is often difficult for small and medium sized businesses to find individuals to provide equity. Or, if the business is a sole proprietorship, the owner may be short of money to provide equity. Retained profit is also the most important source of finance for large businesses in the UK. Once the business has been set up, it will want to make a profit. This profit is owned by the owners of the business. Retained or undistributed profit is where these profits are kept back for us... ...ho set up their own businesses. They also provide training and support. Other grants are available to businesses which operate in areas of low income and high unemployment. Grants are good for businesses because they are given for free, with no interest or payment charges. However, they are fairly uncommon for everyday businesses and are only given to businesses which need the boost in funds. For a business to succeed, it needs to find the right balance of finance. It is important that it is well-placed to survive any financial problems it might go through. In my business, it is vital to carry out extensive research to ensure that I will have the right amount of funds to carry out everyday running of the business. If this does not happen and I do not find the correct sources of finance then my business will fail.

A Game of Thrones Chapter Eighteen

Catelyn We will make King's Landing within the hour.† Catelyn turned away from the rail and forced herself to smile. â€Å"Your oarmen have done well by us, Captain. Each one of them shall have a silver stag, as a token of my gratitude.† Captain Moreo Turnitis favored her with a half bow. â€Å"You are far too generous, Lady Stark. The honor of carrying a great lady like yourself is all the reward they need.† â€Å"But they'll take the silver anyway.† Moreo smiled. â€Å"As you say.† He spoke the Common Tongue fluently, with only the slightest hint of a Tyroshi accent. He'd been plying the narrow sea for thirty years, he'd told her, as oarman, quartermaster, and finally captain of his own trading galleys. The Storm Dancer was his fourth ship, and his fastest, a two-masted galley of sixty oars. She had certainly been the fastest of the ships available in WhiteHarbor when Catelyn and Ser Rodrik Cassel had arrived after their headlong gallop downriver. The Tyroshi were notorious for their avarice, and Ser Rodrik had argued for hiring a fishing sloop out of the Three Sisters, but Catelyn had insisted on the galley. It was good that she had. The winds had been against them much of the voyage, and without the galley's oars they'd still be beating their way past the Fingers, instead of skimming toward King's Landing and journey's end. So close, she thought. Beneath the linen bandages, her fingers still throbbed where the dagger had bitten. The pain was her scourge, Catelyn felt, lest she forget. She could not bend the last two fingers on her left hand, and the others would never again be dexterous. Yet that was a small enough price to pay for Bran's life. Ser Rodrik chose that moment to appear on deck. â€Å"My good friend,† said Moreo through his forked green beard. The Tyroshi loved bright colors, even in their facial hair. â€Å"It is so fine to see you looking better.† â€Å"Yes,† Ser Rodrik agreed. â€Å"I haven't wanted to die for almost two days now.† He bowed to Catelyn. â€Å"My lady.† He was looking better. A shade thinner than he had been when they set out from WhiteHarbor, but almost himself again. The strong winds in the Bite and the roughness of the narrow sea had not agreed with him, and he'd almost gone over the side when the storm seized them unexpectedly off Dragonstone, yet somehow he had clung to a rope until three of Moreo's men could rescue him and carry him safely below decks. â€Å"The captain was just telling me that our voyage is almost at an end,† she said. Ser Rodrik managed a wry smile. â€Å"So soon?† He looked odd without his great white side whiskers; smaller somehow, less fierce, and ten years older. Yet back on the Bite it had seemed prudent to submit to a crewman's razor, after his whiskers had become hopelessly befouled for the third time while he leaned over the rail and retched into the swirling winds. â€Å"I will leave you to discuss your business,† Captain Moreo said. He bowed and took his leave of them. The galley skimmed the water like a dragonfly, her oars rising and falling in perfect time. Ser Rodrik held the rail and looked out over the passing shore. â€Å"I have not been the most valiant of protectors.† Catelyn touched his arm. â€Å"We are here, Ser Rodrik, and safely. That is all that truly matters.† Her hand groped beneath her cloak, her fingers stiff and fumbling. The dagger was still at her side. She found she had to touch it now and then, to reassure herself. â€Å"Now we must reach the king's master-at-arms, and pray that he can be trusted.† â€Å"Ser Aron Santagar is a vain man, but an honest one.† Ser Rodrik's hand went to his face to stroke his whiskers and discovered once again that they were gone. He looked nonplussed. â€Å"He may know the blade, yes . . . but, my lady, the moment we go ashore we are at risk. And there are those at court who will know you on sight.† Catelyn's mouth grew tight. â€Å"Littlefinger,† she murmured. His face swam up before her; a boy's face, though he was a boy no longer. His father had died several years before, so he was Lord Baelish now, yet still they called him Littlefinger. Her brother Edmure had given him that name, long ago at Riverrun. His family's modest holdings were on the smallest of the Fingers, and Petyr had been slight and short for his age. Ser Rodrik cleared his throat. â€Å"Lord Baelish once, ah . . . † His thought trailed off uncertainly in search of the polite word. Catelyn was past delicacy. â€Å"He was my father's ward. We grew up together in Riverrun. I thought of him as a brother, but his feelings for me were . . . more than brotherly. When it was announced that I was to wed Brandon Stark, Petyr challenged for the right to my hand. It was madness. Brandon was twenty, Petyr scarcely fifteen. I had to beg Brandon to spare Petyr's life. He let him off with a scar. Afterward my father sent him away. I have not seen him since.† She lifted her face to the spray, as if the brisk wind could blow the memories away. â€Å"He wrote to me at Riverrun after Brandon was killed, but I burned the letter unread. By then I knew that Ned would marry me in his brother's place.† Ser Rodrik's fingers fumbled once again for nonexistent whiskers. â€Å"Littlefinger sits on the small council now.† â€Å"I knew he would rise high,† Catelyn said. â€Å"He was always clever, even as a boy, but it is one thing to be clever and another to be wise. I wonder what the years have done to him.† High overhead, the far-eyes sang out from the rigging. Captain Moreo came scrambling across the deck, giving orders, and all around them the Storm Dancer burst into frenetic activity as King's Landing slid into view atop its three high hills. Three hundred years ago, Catelyn knew, those heights had been covered with forest, and only a handful of fisherfolk had lived on the north shore of the Blackwater Rush where that deep, swift river flowed into the sea. Then Aegon the Conqueror had sailed from Dragonstone. It was here that his army had put ashore, and there on the highest hill that he built his first crude redoubt of wood and earth. Now the city covered the shore as far as Catelyn could see; manses and arbors and granaries, brick storehouses and timbered inns and merchant's stalls, taverns and graveyards and brothels, all piled one on another. She could hear the clamor of the fish market even at this distance. Between the buildings were broad roads lined with trees, wandering crookback streets, and alleys so narrow that two men could not walk abreast. Visenya's hill was crowned by the Great Sept of Baelor with its seven crystal towers. Across the city on the hill of Rhaenys stood the blackened walls of the Dragonpit, its huge dome collapsing into ruin, its bronze doors closed now for a century. The Street of the Sisters ran between them, straight as an arrow. The city walls rose in the distance, high and strong. A hundred quays lined the waterfront, and the harbor was crowded with ships. Deepwater fishing boats and river runners came and went, ferrymen poled back and forth across the Blackwater Rush, trading galleys unloaded goods from Braavos and Pentos and Lys. Catelyn spied the queen's ornate barge, tied up beside a fat-bellied whaler from the Port of Ibben, its hull black with tar, while upriver a dozen lean golden warships rested in their cribs, sails furled and cruel iron rams lapping at the water. And above it all, frowning down from Aegon's high hill, was the Red Keep; seven huge drum-towers crowned with iron ramparts, an immense grim barbican, vaulted halls and covered bridges, barracks and dungeons and granaries, massive curtain walls studded with archers' nests, all fashioned of pale red stone. Aegon the Conqueror had commanded it built. His son Maegor the Cruel had seen it completed. Afterward he had taken the heads of every stonemason, woodworker, and builder who had labored on it. Only the blood of the dragon would ever know the secrets of the fortress the Dragonlords had built, he vowed. Yet now the banners that flew from its battlements were golden, not black, and where the three-headed dragon had once breathed fire, now pranced the crowned stag of House Baratheon. A high-masted swan ship from the Summer Isles was beating out from port, its white sails huge with wind. The Storm Dancer moved past it, pulling steadily for shore. â€Å"My lady,† Ser Rodrik said, â€Å"I have thought on how best to proceed while I lay abed. You must not enter the castle. I will go in your stead and bring Ser Aron to you in some safe place.† She studied the old knight as the galley drew near to a pier. Moreo was shouting in the vulgar Valyrian of the Free Cities. â€Å"You would be as much at risk as I would.† Ser Rodrik smiled. â€Å"I think not. I looked at my reflection in the water earlier and scarcely recognized myself. My mother was the last person to see me without whiskers, and she is forty years dead. I believe I am safe enough, my lady.† Moreo bellowed a command. As one, sixty oars lifted from the river, then reversed and backed water. The galley slowed. Another shout. The oars slid back inside the hull. As they thumped against the dock, Tyroshi seamen leapt down to tie up. Moreo came bustling up, all smiles. â€Å"King's Landing, my lady, as you did command, and never has a ship made a swifter or surer passage. Will you be needing assistance to carry your things to the castle?† â€Å"We shall not be going to the castle. Perhaps you can suggest an inn, someplace clean and comfortable and not too far from the river.† The Tyroshi fingered his forked green beard. â€Å"Just so. I know of several establishments that might suit your needs. Yet first, if I may be so bold, there is the matter of the second half of the payment we agreed upon. And of course the extra silver you were so kind as to promise. Sixty stags, I believe it was.† â€Å"For the oarmen,† Catelyn reminded him. â€Å"Oh, of a certainty,† said Moreo. â€Å"Though perhaps I should hold it for them until we return to Tyrosh. For the sake of their wives and children. If you give them the silver here, my lady, they will dice it away or spend it all for a night's pleasure.† â€Å"There are worse things to spend money on,† Ser Rodrik put in. â€Å"Winter is coming.† â€Å"A man must make his own choices,† Catelyn said. â€Å"They earned the silver. How they spend it is no concern of mine.† â€Å"As you say, my lady,† Moreo replied, bowing and smiling. Just to be sure, Catelyn paid the oarmen herself, a stag to each man, and a copper to the two men who carried their chests halfway up Visenya's hill to the inn that Moreo had suggested. It was a rambling old place on Eel Alley. The woman who owned it was a sour crone with a wandering eye who looked them over suspiciously and bit the coin that Catelyn offered her to make sure it was real. Her rooms were large and airy, though, and Moreo swore that her fish stew was the most savory in all the Seven Kingdoms. Best of all, she had no interest in their names. â€Å"I think it best if you stay away from the common room,† Ser Rodrik said, after they had settled in. â€Å"Even in a place like this, one never knows who may be watching.† He wore ringmail, dagger, and longsword under a dark cloak with a hood he could pull up over his head. â€Å"I will be back before nightfall, with Ser Aron,† he promised. â€Å"Rest now, my lady.† Catelyn was tired. The voyage had been long and fatiguing, and she was no longer as young as she had been. Her windows opened on the alley and rooftops, with a view of the Blackwater beyond. She watched Ser Rodrik set off, striding briskly through the busy streets until he was lost in the crowds, then decided to take his advice. The bedding was stuffed with straw instead of feathers, but she had no trouble falling asleep. She woke to a pounding on her door. Catelyn sat up sharply. Outside the window, the rooftops of King's Landing were red in the light of the setting sun. She had slept longer than she intended. A fist hammered at her door again, and a voice called out, â€Å"Open, in the name of the king.† â€Å"A moment,† she called out. She wrapped herself in her cloak. The dagger was on the bedside table. She snatched it up before she unlatched the heavy wooden door. The men who pushed into the room wore the black ringmail and golden cloaks of the City Watch. Their leader smiled at the dagger in her hand and said, â€Å"No need for that, m'lady. We're to escort you to the castle.† â€Å"By whose authority?† she said. He showed her a ribbon. Catelyn felt her breath catch in her throat. The seal was a mockingbird, in grey wax. â€Å"Petyr,† she said. So soon. Something must have happened to Ser Rodrik. She looked at the head guardsman. â€Å"Do you know who I am?† â€Å"No, m'lady,† he said. â€Å"M'lord Littlefinger said only to bring you to him, and see that you were not mistreated.† Catelyn nodded. â€Å"You may wait outside while I dress.† She bathed her hands in the basin and wrapped them in clean linen. Her fingers were thick and awkward as she struggled to lace up her bodice and knot a drab brown cloak about her neck. How could Littlefinger have known she was here? Ser Rodrik would never have told him. Old he might be, but he was stubborn, and loyal to a fault. Were they too late, had the Lannisters reached King's Landing before her? No, if that were true, Ned would be here too, and surely he would have come to her. How . . . ? Then she thought, Moreo. The Tyroshi knew who they were and where they were, damn him. She hoped he'd gotten a good price for the information. They had brought a horse for her. The lamps were being lit along the streets as they set out, and Catelyn felt the eyes of the city on her as she rode, surrounded by the guard in their golden cloaks. When they reached the Red Keep, the portcullis was down and the great gates sealed for the night, but the castle windows were alive with flickering lights. The guardsmen left their mounts outside the walls and escorted her through a narrow postern door, then up endless steps to a tower. He was alone in the room, seated at a heavy wooden table, an oil lamp beside him as he wrote. When they ushered her inside, he set down his pen and looked at her. â€Å"Cat,† he said quietly. â€Å"Why have I been brought here in this fashion?† He rose and gestured brusquely to the guards. â€Å"Leave us.† The men departed. â€Å"You were not mistreated, I trust,† he said after they had gone. â€Å"I gave firm instructions.† He noticed her bandages. â€Å"Your hands . . . â€Å" Catelyn ignored the implied question. â€Å"I am not accustomed to being summoned like a serving wench,† she said icily. â€Å"As a boy, you still knew the meaning of courtesy.† â€Å"I've angered you, my lady. That was never my intent.† He looked contrite. The look brought back vivid memories for Catelyn. He had been a sly child, but after his mischiefs he always looked contrite; it was a gift he had. The years had not changed him much. Petyr had been a small boy, and he had grown into a small man, an inch or two shorter than Catelyn, slender and quick, with the sharp features she remembered and the same laughing grey-green eyes. He had a little pointed chin beard now, and threads of silver in his dark hair, though he was still shy of thirty. They went well with the silver mockingbird that fastened his cloak. Even as a child, he had always loved his silver. â€Å"How did you know I was in the city?† she asked him. â€Å"Lord Varys knows all,† Petyr said with a sly smile. â€Å"He will be joining us shortly, but I wanted to see you alone first. It has been too long, Cat. How many years?† Catelyn ignored his familiarity. There were more important questions. â€Å"So it was the King's Spider who found me.† Littlefinger winced. â€Å"You don't want to call him that. He's very sensitive. Comes of being an eunuch, I imagine. Nothing happens in this city without Varys knowing. Oftimes he knows about it before it happens. He has informants everywhere. His little birds, he calls them. One of his little birds heard about your visit. Thankfully, Varys came to me first.† â€Å"Why you?† He shrugged. â€Å"Why not me? I am master of coin, the king's own councillor. Selmy and Lord Renly rode north to meet Robert, and Lord Stannis is gone to Dragonstone, leaving only Maester Pycelle and me. I was the obvious choice. I was ever a friend to your sister Lysa, Varys knows that.† â€Å"Does Varys know about . . . â€Å" â€Å"Lord Varys knows everything . . . except why you are here.† He lifted an eyebrow. â€Å"Why are you here?† â€Å"A wife is allowed to yearn for her husband, and if a mother needs her daughters close, who can tell her no?† Littlefinger laughed. â€Å"Oh, very good, my lady, but please don't expect me to believe that. I know you too well. What were the Tully words again?† Her throat was dry. â€Å"Family, Duty, Honor,† she recited stiffly. He did know her too well. â€Å"Family, Duty, Honor,† he echoed. â€Å"All of which required you to remain in Winterfell, where our Hand left you. No, my lady, something has happened. This sudden trip of yours bespeaks a certain urgency. I beg of you, let me help. Old sweet friends should never hesitate to rely upon each other.† There was a soft knock on the door. â€Å"Enter,† Littlefinger called out. The man who stepped through the door was plump, perfumed, powdered, and as hairless as an egg. He wore a vest of woven gold thread over a loose gown of purple silk, and on his feet were pointed slippers of soft velvet. â€Å"Lady Stark,† he said, taking her hand in both of his, â€Å"to see you again after so many years is such a joy.† His flesh was soft and moist, and his breath smelled of lilacs. â€Å"Oh, your poor hands. Have you burned yourself, sweet lady? The fingers are so delicate . . . Our good Maester Pycelle makes a marvelous salve, shall I send for a jar?† Catelyn slid her fingers from his grasp. â€Å"I thank you, my lord, but my own Maester Luwin has already seen to my hurts.† Varys bobbed his head. â€Å"I was grievous sad to hear about your son. And him so young. The gods are cruel.† â€Å"On that we agree, Lord Varys,† she said. The title was but a courtesy due him as a council member; Varys was lord of nothing but the spiderweb, the master of none but his whisperers. The eunuch spread his soft hands. â€Å"On more than that, I hope, sweet lady. I have great esteem for your husband, our new Hand, and I know we do both love King Robert.† â€Å"Yes,† she was forced to say. â€Å"For a certainty.† â€Å"Never has a king been so beloved as our Robert,† quipped Littlefinger. He smiled slyly. â€Å"At least in Lord Varys's hearing.† â€Å"Good lady,† Varys said with great solicitude. â€Å"There are men in the Free Cities with wondrous healing powers. Say only the word, and I will send for one for your dear Bran.† â€Å"Maester Luwin is doing all that can be done for Bran,† she told him. She would not speak of Bran, not here, not with these men. She trusted Littlefinger only a little, and Varys not at all. She would not let them see her grief. â€Å"Lord Baelish tells me that I have you to thank for bringing me here.† Varys giggled like a little girl. â€Å"Oh, yes. I suppose I am guilty. I hope you forgive me, kind lady.† He eased himself down into a seat and put his hands together. â€Å"I wonder if we might trouble you to show us the dagger?† Catelyn Stark stared at the eunuch in stunned disbelief. He was a spider, she thought wildly, an enchanter or worse. He knew things no one could possibly know, unless . . . â€Å"What have you done to Ser Rodrik?† she demanded. Littlefinger was lost. â€Å"I feel rather like the knight who arrives at the battle without his lance. What dagger are we talking about? Who is Ser Rodrik?† â€Å"Ser Rodrik Cassel is master-at-arms at Winterfell,† Varys informed him. â€Å"I assure you, Lady Stark, nothing at all has been done to the good knight. He did call here early this afternoon. He visited with Ser Aron Santagar in the armory, and they talked of a certain dagger. About sunset, they left the castle together and walked to that dreadful hovel where you were staying. They are still there, drinking in the common room, waiting for your return. Ser Rodrik was very distressed to find you gone.† â€Å"How could you know all that?† â€Å"The whisperings of little birds,† Varys said, smiling. â€Å"I know things, sweet lady. That is the nature of my service.† He shrugged. â€Å"You do have the dagger with you, yes?† Catelyn pulled it out from beneath her cloak and threw it down on the table in front of him. â€Å"Here. Perhaps your little birds will whisper the name of the man it belongs to.† Varys lifted the knife with exaggerated delicacy and ran a thumb along its edge. Blood welled, and he let out a squeal and dropped the dagger back on the table. â€Å"Careful,† Catelyn told him, â€Å"it's sharp.† â€Å"Nothing holds an edge like Valyrian steel,† Littlefinger said as Varys sucked at his bleeding thumb and looked at Catelyn with sullen admonition. Littlefinger hefted the knife lightly in his hand, testing the grip. He flipped it in the air, caught it again with his other hand. â€Å"Such sweet balance. You want to find the owner, is that the reason for this visit? You have no need of Ser Aron for that, my lady. You should have come to me.† â€Å"And if I had,† she said, â€Å"what would you have told me?† â€Å"I would have told you that there was only one knife like this at King's Landing.† He grasped the blade between thumb and forefinger, drew it back over his shoulder, and threw it across the room with a practiced flick of his wrist. It struck the door and buried itself deep in the oak, quivering. â€Å"It's mine.† â€Å"Yours?† It made no sense. Petyr had not been at Winterfell. â€Å"Until the tourney on Prince Joffrey's name day,† he said, crossing the room to wrench the dagger from the wood. â€Å"I backed Ser Jaime in the jousting, along with half the court.† Petyr's sheepish grin made him look half a boy again. â€Å"When Loras Tyrell unhorsed him, many of us became a trifle poorer. Ser Jaime lost a hundred golden dragons, the queen lost an emerald pendant, and I lost my knife. Her Grace got the emerald back, but the winner kept the rest.† â€Å"Who?† Catelyn demanded, her mouth dry with fear. Her fingers ached with remembered pain. â€Å"The Imp,† said Littlefinger as Lord Varys watched her face. â€Å"Tyrion Lannister.†

How Regional Integration and Globalisation Affects Abu Dhabi

The UAE in the Global Business Environment (ECON 605) Fall 2012 Dr. Fernando Zanella / f. [email  protected] ac. ae Brief course description Deeper global economic integration is a key strategic goal for the UAE and is seen as a catalyst AE’s sustainable economic development. This course will provide students with an in depth understanding of how international business issues affect the UAE and how the UAE is positioning itself in the global economy. The course will provide a clear framework for understanding the process of globalisation, international transactions, financial issues, global trends and their significance for UAE organisations.Learning objectives 1. To understand the importance of globalisation, and evaluate the opportunities and threats for the UAE 2. To understand the process of economic integration through examining international trade and investment 3. To explore the role of regional integration in the international business environment 4. To identify the key strategic sectors of the UAE economy which are driving the UAE’s global integration 5. To critically analyse current international business and economic events in relation to the UAE 6.To understand how government policy can facilitate or hinder economic integration Learning methodology Students are encouraged to participate: 1. Lectures 2. Case study and articles analysis 3. Group work problem solving 4. Class discussions 5. Written reports 6. Presentations and peer evaluation Course meeting times Sundays and Tuesdays 05:30-09:30 pm Course textbook Griffin, R. W. and M. W. Pustay (2010). International Business (6th ed. ). USA: Pearson Course Materials support Dr. Emilie Rutledge Summary of course topics Sessions| References| 1| The UAE in the global economy| | Part 1: Globalisation and International marketsPart 2: The UAE in the global economy| Lecture material: Griffin & Pustay: C1 & C2| 2| The UAE in the global business environment| | | Part 1: National competitive adv antage in a globalised worldPart 2: Strategic planning in the UAE – SWOT framework| Lecture material:Griffin & Pustay: C6 & C11| 3| The UAE – a highly open economy| | | Part 1: International trade theoriesPart 2: A study of UAE trade and trade policy| Lecture material: Griffin $ Pustay: C6 & C9| 4| Foreign Investment| | Part 1: Foreign investment theoriesPart 2: Foreign investment, sovereign wealth and diversification| Lecture material: Griffin & Pustay: C6| 5| International issues in money and finance| | | Part 1: Exchange rate issuesPart 2: The financial services sector in the UAE| Lecture material: Griffin & Pustay C8| 6| Regional economic integration| | | Part 1: The theory of regional economic integration, global experiences and trade blocsPart 2: The GCC economic agreement and the common market| Lecture material: Griffin & Pustay: C10| | Deadline for Business Report| | | UAE Strategic Economic Sectors – Group Presentations and discussions| | | | | 8| Final Exam| | Group presentation (30% ): During the final week of the course groups will be asked to make a presentation. Students will choose a strategic sector of the UAE economy and discuss the implications of globalisation for this sector and use an analytical framework discussed during the course to analyse its strategic position internationally (e. g. SWOT analysis).Each student in the group should present, the presentation should be no less than 12 slides and no more than 20 in length. You should begin work on your group presentation from the second week off the course. Group work and discussion sessions (20%): During the course there will be group work and discussions. Following the lecture and case studies, students will for instance be given a particular economic scenario which they discuss/brainstorm as a group. During these sessions the instructor will observe and assess individual student participation in the group.You will be given feedback your group work and your mark fro m 20% at the end of the third week of the course. Business Report (20%): The topic of the business report is how regional integration and globalisation affects your organisation which employs you (or how it might do so in future if it does not do so significantly already). The business report should be around 9 pages in length, its format should be as follows: 1. Cover-title page (1 page); 2. Summary (1 page) : a short paragraph; 3. Table of contents (1 page) 4.Introduction (1 page) – explaining the particular aspects of regional or international economic integration which affects the business or industry you work in. 5. Background (1 pages) – an overview describing the business or institution where you work. 6. Analysis (2 pages) – Explain in detail using a SWOT analysis how aspects of economic integration affect the business you work in. 7. Conclusion summary (1 page) – main concluding points and prospects for your business in light of your findings. 8. References, appendix, glossary – if any (1 page).Final exam (30%): The final exam will consist of short answer questions. The short answer questions will be open ended/case study questions, where you will be able to choose from a number of questions and discuss a case study or topic which we have focused on during one of the sessions. All open ended exam questions and essay/case study questions will be drawn from the lectures, group exercises and case studies we have completed during lessons. Further details of the final exam will be discussed prior to the exam.Academic honesty and integrity Each student is expected to do his/her own work for individual business r exam. Asking questions and discussing ideas with your colleagues is acceptable report as part of your coursework, but copying the work of another or submitting identical work is not. The business report should also be your own original work. Whilst it is, of course, acceptable to reference other works, it is note t o copy and paste large amounts of text from source on the internet.If you copy word for word you must use quotation marks and proper referencing. Group work on the presentation assumes you are working together and that you are contributing fully to your group’s work. Please note that as a member of your group you are expected to be knowledgeable about all aspects of your groups’ output. During the final exam, any student who cheats or assists another student in cheating will fail the course. The case will also be forwarded to the Academic Affairs for disciplinary action. All UAEU academic policies apply in this respect.