The Cold War--The Real Intentions of the Superpowers Term Paper

The Cold War--The Real Intentions of the Superpowers - Term Paper Example The intentions of the super powers engaged in the Cold War were not simply to defend their territories and interests but they went beyond their defence and took it as an opportunity to spread and establish their influence all over the world. The origins of the cold war could be traced back inside the complex relationship of the two main powers of the world United Stated and Soviet Union after the WWI. These post war relations led to the cold war that tool almost half a century. There are some events also where the origins of the cold war could be traced like different events preceding the WWI and Russian revolution of 1917 is also regarded as the factors that work for the base of the cold war however the tension between the two superpowers of the world was the most important factor that led them towards the cold war (Findley and Gerber, 2007). The important reason behind the cold war was the ideological conflict between communism and capitalism that actually began in 1917 and led tow ards the Russian Revolution after which the relationship between US and Russia were significantly affected. Some of the experts also believe that the cold war began as a result of the legacy of different heritages of empire building between the Russia and America. Both of these countries were hav9ing the intention to build their empire however they are totally different (Painter, 1994). During the war, USA used to a maritime power that was based on the trade and commerce development whereas Russia used to a bureaucratic and land-based power. Moreover there was also an imperial rivalry between Britain and Russia due to which also there was tension between the UK and Russia. In nineteenth century tsar adopted the policy of improving the maritime access of Russia by the main disadvantage of Russia was that despite having large territory they can make use of little sea cost because big portion of their sea cost used to be freeze though out the year (Brands, 1993). Great Britain, on the other hand was significantly progressing towards expansion of maritime. However the completion of the Suez Canal in 1869 was a great concern for Great Britain because it added to the strength of Russia. The other political and territorial expansion policies of Russia were rising worried on Britain side and there were great worried regarding the safety of the frontier areas due to the fear of Russian expansion. Along with the clash of ideologies the two countries USA and Russia also have certain issues of conflict between them. There had been limited trade and diplomatic relationship between these two countries even before the cold war time. US took part in the efforts of crush Bolshevism from 1918 to 1920 that was not liked by Russia and on the other hand Russia work efficiently for the promotion and spread of communism across its own borders that was not liked by US and thus both of these countries has great disagreements with each other. Till 1933, US did not recognize USSR and th ey see Soviet system as a threat. Thus this was the background from where the origin of the cold war can be traced and understood and it shows that the super powers were not simply looking for the expansion and defence of their territory but they want the world community to recognize and accept their ideologies and supremacy

Statistics Problems Speech or Presentation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Statistics Problems - Speech or Presentation Example The mean of the distribution was 60,000 miles and the standard deviation 2,000 miles. 38. The mean amount purchased by a typical customer at Churchill’s Grocery Store is $23.50 with a standard deviation of $5.00. Assume the distribution of amounts purchased follows the normal distribution. For a sample of 50 customers, answer the following questions. 54. Families USA, a monthly magazine that discusses issues related to health and health costs, surveyed 20 of its subscribers. It found that the annual health insurance premiums for a family with coverage through an employer averaged $10,979. The standard deviation of the sample was $1,000. 42. During recent seasons, Major League Baseball has been criticized for the length of the games. A report indicated that the average game lasts 3 hours and 30 minutes. A sample of 17 games revealed the following times to completion. (Note that the minutes have been changed to fractions of hours, so that a game that lasted 2 hours and 24 minutes is reported at 2.40 hours.) 58. The amount of income spent on housing is an important component of the cost of living. The total costs of housing for homeowners might include mortgage payments, property taxes, and utility costs (water, heat, electricity). An economist selected a sample of 20 homeowners in New England and then calculated these total housing costs as a percent of monthly income, five years ago and now. The information is reported below. Is it reasonable to conclude the percent is less now than five years ago? 42. Martin Motors has in stock three cars of the same make and model. The president would like to compare the gas consumption of the three cars (labeled car A, car B, and car C) using four different types of gasoline. For each trial, a gallon of gasoline was added to an empty tank, and the car was driven until it ran out of

Othello (How Is He Lead to His Demise) Essay Example for Free

Othello (How Is He Lead to His Demise) Essay Shakespearean writing are ones of which, with a few strokes of a pen, can achieve more than novelists can achieve in a full length novel. Shakespeare’s writing is complex and includes great measures of love, hatred, loyalty, deception and betrayal. These traits of his texts are all evident in Othello. In Act 1, Othello is perceived as a noble moor. With Shakespeare’s invention of the manipulating and cunning Iago, the multi-layered use of Othello’s mothers handkerchief, and Othello’s past military training being resurfaced due to Iago’s lies, all lead Othello to his demise. Deception and betrayal are two of Iago’s worst traits when he is outranked by Cassio. Iago’s capacity for cruelty appears limitless, and no motivation he gives for his actions seems enough to explain the incredible destruction he wreaks on the lives of the people he knows best. His bitterness in not succeeding on becoming lieutenant is not a sufficient enough reason to match his countless acts of evil machinations. Iago uses a subtle approach when provoking Othello to become untrustworthy of Desdemona. He is able to hurt Othello successfully because he understands him so much. He grows closer to Othello as the plot progresses. In Act 2, scene 1 Iago states, â€Å"The moor, howbeit that I endure him not, is of constant, loving, noble nature†. These 3 adjectives indicate his awareness of Othello’s character. As Iago therefore continues to explain that he knows the noble moor would be a deserving husband of his wife, but then uses this knowledge to his power to play with Othello’s thoughts, using his strong love for Desdemona as a portal to self-destruction for all of those he knows best. He makes this statement in soliloquy after Othello and the entire company land on Cyprus. He is able to acknowledge that Othello is a worthy noble man, however, Iago reveals how evil and manipulating he can be, by wanting to utterly destroy Othello’s life and reputation. He is subbed when Othello gives the lieutenant’s position to Cassio. In return he makes ridiculous excuses that Othello slept with his wife Emilia, as another reason for revenge. It is all because of Iago’s cunning and evil power that he ruins these lives for his own sadistic pleasure. The noble moor is led to become the enraged murder when manipulative Iago tells Othello that Desdemona has given his mother’s handkerchief to Cassio. Act 3 Scene 3 is the beginning of Othello’s â€Å"handkerchief plot†, a seemingly insignificant event that becomes the means in which Othello, Desdemona, Cassio, Roderigo, Emilia and even Iago himself are completely undone. The handkerchief symbolizes love and with the manipulation of Iago, great depths of anger and untrustworthiness. Othello tells Desdemona that an Egyptian witch gave it to his mother, and it serves as a love charm. â€Å"Make it a darling like your precious eye. To lose’t or to give’t away were such a prediction as nothing else could match† Othello tells Desdemona. Othello’s simile here is an alarming one as it is evident that if Desdemona was to be unfaithful, the superstitious purposes can be equated in value for a precious bodily organ. Shakespeare cleverly allows this item to move amongst characters in the novel before Othello demands evidence of his wife’s disloyalty to him. Iago has already planned out his scheme before confronting Othello. Tell me but this, have you not sometimes seen a handkerchief, spotted with strawberries in your wifes hand? Iago uses this rhetorical question as a persuasive technique to make his point more believable. He explains to Othello that earlier that day he seen Cassio wipe his mouth with the handkerchief. We know that Cassio has not seen the item, and it is in Iago’s pocket whilst he asks this question. Othello is so blinded by jealousy that he accepts Iago’s lie as the strongest possible evidence. Although he forgets Desdemona tried to bind his head with it at dinner. Through this imagery and plot device we see that the importance of the handkerchief assists the noble moor in becoming the enraged murderer in scene 5. Scene 5 sees the story unfold and the main characters undone. Othello enters the room as he hovers over Desdemona whilst he tries to prepare himself to kill her. â€Å"It is the cause; it is the cause, my soul, let me not name it to you, you chaste stars! It is the cause†. This use of repetition implies Othello’s constant thought process and how he knows in his mind she has done wrong. He feels as though he must put an end to her betrayal and disloyalty, if not for himself, but for future men she may do it to. His past military training makes the killing of his wife second nature, a routine manoeuvre that’s sees the horrible deed carried out far easier than the circumstances should have allowed. â€Å"Out, strumpet! Weep’st thou for him to my face?† Desdemona is questioned by Othello, asking if she is calling for Cassio right to his face. â€Å"Down, strumpet!†. Othello proceeds to call Desdemona a whore on numerous occasions. This dramatic visualization enforces the idea that Othello has been greatly manipulated. Iago’s words have pushed him to the extent that he can no longer see Desdemona the way he once used too. His second nature of killing and military training is evident when he does not give Desdemona that chance to say a last prayer. He tells her, â€Å"It is too late†, as he smoothers her with the pillow they once both lay on together. This cruel and unfair treatment comes from what he knows best. If in danger, you must protect yourself. Although he was not in physical harm, his heart was in a much deeper pain. He used his unique skills as his defence mechanism to kill. Othello has been considered one of the most painful of Shakespeares tragedies. It explores the collapse of a proud, honourable man, the killing of a beautiful, dedicated woman, and the unreasoning hate of a â€Å"motiveless† villain. The text has evoked terror and pity in audiences throughout the centuries. Othello however holds a power that is perhaps more abrupt and strongly felt for operating on the personal, human plane.

Airtel Pest Analysis and Porters Five Forces

Airtel Pest Analysis and Porters Five Forces AIRTEL PEST Analysis Political The ministry of telecom industry hiked FDI limits from 49% to 74% which enabled Indian promoters of telecom sector to spark off the competition and consolidation by selling their stakes to foreign entities. Airtel already have tie up with foreign partner SINTEL which is going to help in investing more in infrastructure and latest technology to provide the best services to their subscribers. Also due to this increase in foreign direct investment in telecommunication market, Airtel will be able to modulate the foreign stakes in their companies that have already acquired a range between 67-69 percent of their assets. With the increase in globalisation and tremendous growth of Indian telecommunication sector, Airtel launched its mobile services in Srilanka in Jan 2009 and investing to expand its network with latest technology in next five years. Recently Airtel have also acquired Zain for Africa operations which is the second biggest overseas purchase by an Indian company. Economical In telecom budget 2008, raw material for the manufacture of specified electronic hardware items have been exempted from excise duty which lowers the network equipment costs to benefit major mobile services provider, so Airtel can expand their network coverage to more rural areas at much cheaper cost. During the recession period Government policy to reduce the custom duty on convergence product from 10% to 5% helped in establishing parity devices used in communication sector, so this will help Airtel in lowering their cost for DTH expansion. Government has announced per second billing tariff for the subscriber along with the per minute billing plan. Though the per second plan is not beneficial for the telecom operators as this could reduce the sectors annual revenue by 10-15%.Operators are already struggling with the low Average Revenue Per user (ARPUs) due to high taxes (30 % of the gross revenue earned by the operators goes as various taxes) levied by government will now struggle more with this new plan. To overcome this situation Airtel has launched low tariff per minute plans along with per second plan. As majority of the subscribers make longer duration calls and the per second call could be detrimental for them with the new reduced per minute plan. Airtel could also launch pay per character for SMS services to increase the VAS revenue. Social Government has hiked FDI limits which would lead to better infrastructure in telecom due to intake of more investment by the foreign investors. As 70% of Indian population still resides in rural areas, improvement in telecommunication infrastructure and services will reduce isolation, increase business viability, farming productivity and access to educational and medical services. Airtel has already announced to set up 100000 service centres and telecom infrastructure in rural India by march 2010. Rollout of national rural employment scheme to all 596 districts in India with a provision of Rs.160 billion, to aid faster penetration of mobiles and consequently faster growth of Airtel as they hold major Indian telecom market with 24% growth at the end of 31st March 2009. Government has announced the auction for 3G and BWA spectrum and Airtel is one of the qualified bidders for the same and Airtel has already signed a deal with Ericsson to upgrade their network for 3G. It will help Airtel to undertake social initiatives of the government such as e-education, tele medicine, and e-health and e- governance, providing affordable broadband and mobile services to sub urban and rural areas.   As demand for the value added services and high speed broadband is increasing among the youth. Airtel being the leading private broad band service provider in the country has introduced the ultra fast speed of 50 Mbps for the broadband users on next generation VDSL2 technology which will allow users, the convenience to download a full feature film in less than 3 minutes. Along with it is providing free value add services like parallel ringing, website builder (Basic), PC secure (Anti-Virus software), online storage, unlimited gaming on games on demand. Increasing competition with the entry of many new operators in the telecom industry has forced in reduction of tariffs. So consumers get more options and can change their network operator according to their need. In this Airtel has introduced many low tariff plans like youth Plan for young people, ladies special, and friends prepaid plan, family celebration plan according to the requirements of the different customer segments. Segmentation strategy aims towards understanding the need gaps of specific consumer segments and creating special segmented products for them. Technological Increase in FDI limits also benefited inflow of latest technology with improved infrastructure, as AIRTEL is well established with better infrastructure so it can provide better services to its customers in urban and can expand its network in more rural areas. Introduction of Mobile Number Portability (MNP) which allows the consumer to retain their existing mobile number, even when they change the service provider. This will increase the competition among the service providers as the subscribers can change their network if they are not happy with the services of the existing service provider. Airtel has the edge over his competitors as their services are much better than other service providers.   Government has announced the auction for 3G and BWA spectrum which will allow telecom companies to offer additional valued services like high resolution video and multimedia services with high data rate transmission capabilities. Airtel has already qualified to bid for the auction. Also Airtel has signed a 1.3 billion deal with Ericsson to expand and upgrade its network for 3G services in 15 of Indias 22 telecom circles. Porters 5 Forces Analysis Threat from competition High Fixed Cost: The industry also suffers from high fixed cost which makes the entry barrier also very high for the industry. It comes as no surprise that in the capital-intensive telecom industry the biggest barrier to entry is access to finance. To cover high fixed costs, serious contenders typically require a lot of cash. When capital markets are generous, the threat of competitive entrants escalates. When financing opportunities are less readily available, the pace of entry slows. Meanwhile, ownership of a telecom license can represent a huge barrier to entry. There is already 6-7 players in each region excluding 3 -4 big players like Bharti Airtel, reliance, Vodafone and BSNL. Very less time to gain advantage by an innovation: Every company in this industrial sector in investing a huge amount in research and development and marketing strategy. That is why we see when any offer launched by any company is always counter attacked by other companies very soon. This makes the industry rivalry most prominent. E.g. Caller tunes, Life time cards. Price wars:  The price war is really very fierce in this industry. Price war in telecom industry has commoditized the market that branding has taken a backseat. New players are reducing their tariffs to get better hold in the market and in turn the existing big players like Airtel, reliance etc. also have to compete by introducing low tariff new plans such as youth plan for younger generation, ladies special etc. Threat of New Entrant Both potential and existing competitors influence average industry profitability. The threat of new entrants is usually based on the market entry barriers. They can take diverse forms and are used to prevent an influx of firms into an industry whenever profits, adjusted for the cost of capital, rise above zero. In contrast, entry barriers exist whenever it is difficult or not economically feasible for an outsider to replicate the incumbents position. The most common forms of entry barriers, except intrinsic physical or legal obstacles, are as follows: Economies of scale: In telecom industry the economies of scale exists from the supplier side. That is why companies try to increase their subscriber base at drastic rate. Distribution channels: Distribution channels are also providing a major determining factor. These channels are not loyal to any company and competitors can easily access them and make out work for them. Though huge licence fee to be paid upfront and high gestation period reduces the threat of new entrant and discourages investment and infrastructure in the telecom sector. Limited Spectrum availability, Regulatory issue which again leads to high licence fee also restrict new players from entering into the market. Rapidly changing technology and setup the efficient Infrastructure for the same accordingly is also the major factor which stops new player to enter into the telecom sector. New entrants are ready to enter huge capital considering the attractiveness of the market. Increase in FDI limits to 74% is bringing competition from foreign players. Huge investments are being made by the foreign companies to setup better infrastructure and getting latest technology into the country. Threat from the non telecom background brand which could foray into the telecom industry by the ease of outsoucing. Customer switching cost is very low, as cost of new connection is really low. And new connection offers more benefits to the customers Threat of substitute The threat that substitute products pose to an industrys profitability depends on the relative price-to-performance ratios of the different types of products or services to which customers can turn to satisfy the same basic need. The threat of substitution is also affected by switching costs that is, the costs in areas such as retraining, retooling and redesigning that are incurred when a customer switches to a different type of product or service. It also involves: The potential major substitutes for telecom industry are as follows: Products and services from non-traditional telecom industries pose serioussubstitution threats. Cable TV and satellite operators now compete for buyers. The cable guys, with their own direct lines into homes, offer broadband internet services, and satellite links can substitute for high-speed business networking needs. Wireless phones are also getting cheaper each year over the last decade; this has provided consumers with more convenience and mobility, to the extent that the younger demographic now considers a fixed line phone redundant. Just as worrying for telecom operators is the internet: VOIP i.e voice over ip telephony is becoming a viable vehicle for cut-rate voice calls. Delivered by ISPs not telecom operators internet telephony could take a big bite out of telecom companies core voice revenues. Applications like Skype have been extremely popular among younger generation users and are fast emerging as preferred means of communication. BUYERS POWER Buyer power is one of forces that influence the appropriation of the value created by an industry. The most important determinants of buyer power are the size and the concentration of customers. Other factors are the extent to which the buyers are informed and the concentration or differentiation of the competitors. Kippenberger (1998) states that it is often useful to distinguish potential buyer power from the buyers willingness or incentive to use that power, willingness that derives mainly from the â€Å"risk of failure† associated with a products use The following points influence the buyer power: Lack of differentiation among the service provider: As telephone and data services does not vary much regardless of which companies are selling them. Cut throat competition: Competition level has increased a lot with increase in new foreign as well as domestic players in the industry. Operators are engaging in an intense price war which is benefitting to the buyers in every way. Customer is price sensitive: Every operator is offering low tariffs with better services due to high level of competition among the operators which has made customer more sensitive to price. Low switching costs from one operator to other operator. The consumer now has access to several means of communication like email, instant messaging which are diminishing the importance voice services Attractive Schemes for new connections. Availability of all operators everywhere. SUPPLIER POWER Supplier power is a mirror image of the buyer power. As a result, the analysis of supplier power typically focuses first on the relative size and concentration of suppliers relative to industry participants and second on the degree of differentiation in the inputs supplied. The ability to charge customers different prices in line with differences in the value created for each of those buyers usually indicates that the market is characterized by high supplier power and at the same time by low buyer power. In the drawback of Indian telecom industry the following should be kept in mind: Large number of suppliers: The industry basically has a large number of suppliers, which helps them to choose from a lot of options. So they try to select the best option to deliver the value to the customers and to have a competitive advantage from their competitor. Shared tower infrastructure: Technology has helped them to share the tower infrastructure. This basically helps them to reduce the initial investment a lot. Limited pool of skilled managers and engineers especially those well versed in the latest technologies which put companies into weaker side in terms of hiring and salaries. Medium cost of switching since changing their hardware would lead to additional cost in modifying the architecture.

Industrialization in “Hard Times” by Charles Dickens Essay

The industrial revolution was an era of mechanization. During this era, in 1854, Charles Dickens (1812-1870) wrote Hard Times to comment upon the change within society and its effect on its people. Dickens points out the flaws and limitations of this new society in his eloquent and passionate plea on behalf of the working poor (Charles Dickens Hard Times, 2000). The novel shows presents to readers the authors perspective of life during the nineteenth century and makes comments on the central theme of fact versus fancy. Due to this theme, the novel ends with many characters realising that a person needs more than just fact in their life. The novel examines the utilitarian system through various characters such as Tom, who has been brought up in the utilitarian education system. Dickens exposes his own views on this system through Sissy Jupe, the uneducated daughter of a circus master, and the positive influence she has on the Gradgrind family. Thomas Gradgrind has a strong rationalist philosophy and believes that fact, and fact alone is the one thing needful but through the satirical way Thomas Gradgrind is described, Dickens makes his own comments regarding his conflicting views of this philosophy. Dickens introduces Mr Gradgrind as Thomas Gradgrind, sir. A man of realities. A man of fact and calculationswith a rule and a pair of scales, and multiplication table always in his pocket, sir, ready to weigh and measure and parcel of human nature (p48). This portrays Gradgrind as a man who places a numerical value on everything and does not believe in anything other than black and white fact. Gradgrind is described with a satirical tone which signifies that Dickens is mocking Gradgrind and the system which he believes in. Dickens ridicules Gradgrind through his use of sarcasm against him. This is shown when Dickens says You might hope to get some other nonsensical belief into the head of George Gradgrind, or Augustus Gradgrind, or John Gradgrind (all suppositious, non-existent persons), but into the head of Thomas Gradgrind no sir (p48) The no sir is an intrusion of the authors voice which, in a condescending tone, ridicules Thomas Gradgrinds strong belief in the utilitarian system. Through Mr Gradgrind, Dickens ridicules the system and it is evident that Dickens disagrees with it. Tom is a product of the utilitarian system and Dickens uses him to convey his  own opinions of the system. Tom was brought up by his father under a system that allowed room for nothing but fact (p47). He was not exposed to any emotion and as a result he did not develop any decent morals. He was taught to value fact alone whilst remaining ignorant of compassion. His callous nature is evident when he positions Steven Blackpool to be falsely accused of robbing the bank. Tom instructs Steven to just hang about the bank an hour or so (p191) and soon afterwards Tom goes ahead with the robbery. As a result of Toms instructions, the citizens blame Steven for robbing the bank as he was seen hanging about the bank just before the robbery. This incident reveals Toms deceitful nature due to the fact he is mercilessly able to let his fellow worker take the blame for his crime. It also signifies that even thought Tom was brought up in a system that was believed to be infallible; this utilitarian system did not teach him other more important things such as how to be a good person. Another example that reveals Toms cunningness is when Tom decides to visit Louisa after having ignored her for a long period of time. The only reason Tom does this is because he is aware that Mr Bounderby has proposed to Louisa and he wants to ensure that she accepts his proposal as this will increase his earnings at Mr Bounderbys bank. Tom says to Louisa Has father said anything particular to you, today or yesterday, Loo? then her brother glanced at her face with greater interest than usual, and, encircling her waist with his arm, drew her coaxingly to him (p130). The way Tom treats Louisa indicates that he only shows interest in his sister when he has something to gain from it. His actions are manipulative when he coaxingly brings her towards him. This shows that, even though Tom has been provided with what was believed to be the finest education, ad has learnt every Ology, he is still extremely selfish and uses people to his own will and benefit. Tom has turned out to be a very corrupt man and, being a product of the utilitarian system, Dickens uses Tom to declare that this system does not work. Dickens portrays the idea that the utilitarian system has drained all the goodness of human nature through the symbolic description of Sissy and Bitzer within Hard Times. For example, when Sissy and Bitzer are introduced to the reader, it is evident through the symbolism used that Dickens favours Sissy, of the lower class. The girl was so dark eyed and dark haired, that she seemed to receive a deeper and more lustrous colour from the sun when it shone upon her, the boy was so light eyed and light haired that the self-same rays appeared to draw out of him what little colour he ever possessed (p50). This passage is significant because it reveals Dickens opinion of the utilitarian system. It is no coincident that Bitzer, the boy who was educated under the system of fact has been described as colourless while Sissy, the poor and uneducated girl, has been described as lustrous. The colour symbolises the fancy while the paleness represents the fact and through the above passage Dickens states that Bitzer is being filled with so much fact that it is draining all the fancy out of him. Sissy, on the other hand, has not been educated and filled with fact therefore she has been characterised as dark and full of colour. Another example that epitomises Dickens use of colour to represent goodness is when Sissy is revealing to Louisa that she never once envied her. She says I had nothing to complain of, and was not at all hurt (p148). This demonstrates Sissys unpretentious nature and the author believes this is a respectable quality to possess which he highlights by saying Her colour rose as she said it modestly and hurriedly(p148). This shows that Dickens has used colour to represent kindness whilst a lack of colour, such as that describing Bitzer, to highlight the negative outcomes of the system. Through Sissys influence on the Gradgrind family Dickens presents the idea that there is another thing needful than just fact. Another critique, David Craig, also agrees that Dickens conveys is opinions his views on the utilitarian system through inspection of the Gradgrind family. Hard Times is increasingly taken over by an examination of the family, showing how damaging and limiting an upbringing which allows no place for imagination and fancy can be. The effect Sissy has on the Gradgrinds is shown through the way the characters change throughout the novel. For example, at the beginning of the novel Louisa is unable to express her emotions because even if she does try she is told not to. Later in the novel when Louisa becomes ill Sissy spends considerable amounts of time with her. This gives Louisa an  opportunity to learn about love and compassion. This is evident when Louisa cries out Forgive me, pity me, help me! Have compassion on my great need, and let me lay this head of mi ne upon a loving heart. This speech by Louisa is very different to anything said by her earlier in the novel. It is an outburst of emotion and there is evidence of expression which Dickens has indicated through the use of exclamation marks. Another incident that epitomises Sissys kindness, and the consequence this has, is the speech given by Mrs Gradgrind preceding her death. She tells Louisa You learnt a great deal, LouisaOlogies of all kinds, from morning to nightbut there is something not an Ology at all that your father has missed, or forgotten, Louisa I dont know what it is. I have often sat with Sissy near me, and thought about it (p225). Sissys presence is noteworthy because it indicates that Sissy inspires Mrs Gradgrinds emotional being, something that the Gradgrinds were never exposed to before. It shows that Sissy possess a certain touch of humanity that not even the most fact-filled person could provide or teach. Through this Dickens states that even though Sissy has not been educated, she has much to offer to the world; she has more than what Mr Gradgrind could ever have taught his children. Charles Dickens lived during the industrial revolution, an era ruled by utilitarianism. His knowledge of the system as well as his personal opinion is revealed in Hard Times through the characterisation of the Gradgrind family, Sissy Jupe and Bitzer. Mr Gradgrind believes that fact is one and only thing you need whilst Sissy believes there is more to life than fact. Throughout the novel these two philosophies are compared and as an end result readers are positioned to believe, through techniques of characterisation and symbolism used by Dickens, that fancy is just as important as fact. Dickens states that a person without fancy cannot possess the goodness and modesty present within Sissy and that even the most intelligent person who knows all their Ologies cannot be a moral person if they do not nourish their emotion and imagination. References: Oldham, R. (2000). Charles Dickens Hard Times. Retrieved 27 August 2005, from http://www.pillowrock.com/ronnie/hardtimes.htm

Children Obesity Essay

The problem of childhood obesity in the United States has grown considerably in recent years. Between 16 and 33 percent of children and adolescents are obese.From Environmental Health Perspectives website, the recent data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey estimate 17% of youths ages 2-19 years old to be overweight compare to just 5% a few decades ago(â€Å"Child obesity†). This data shows we should act urgently to rescue children because the percentage of child obesity is increasing rapidly.According to Answer.com website, using the BMI (Body Mass Index) calculation, overweight is between 25-30, obese is 30-40 and extremely obese is 40 and up. This calculation is a height and weight comparison (BMI = weight in pounds X 705 / height in inches squared). By usingbody fat analysis, for a woman’s obesity starts about 33% body fat, for a man, it is about 24%(â€Å"How do you know†).Weight and shape of children are affected by hereditary factors from their parents. However, most of unhealthy weight gain is due to poor diet. Children who have obesity have bad habits; for example, they prefer to eat fast food such as hamburgers with french fries and coke than healthy food such as vegetable and multi-grains. Fast food is very tempting to children and theirparents because of its cheap price, taste, and convenience. The reason children like hamburgers is high levels of salt and sugar content found in most fast food items. So far, unhealthy food leads children to become obese which causes various health problems. Overweight children, when compared to healthy weight children, are more likely to develop many health problems such as depression, diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure, which are associated with heart disease in adults. Thepurpose of this paper is to reviewhow children obesity effects on physical and mental health. First, children obesity and overweight have been found to be at an increased risk of depression. Obese children get stress from change of their body shape, perspectives from other people’s awareness that leads to poor self-esteem or social phobia which are related to the cause of depression. [ì ¶Å"ì ²Ëœ][ë ¹â€žÃ« §Å'ìš °Ã¬Å¡ ¸Ã¬ ¦ ] ë ¹â€žÃ« §Å'ê ³ ¼Ã¬Å¡ °Ã¬Å¡ ¸Ã¬ ¦ , ë ¹â€žÃ« §Å'ê ³ ¼Ã¬Å¡ °Ã¬Å¡ ¸Ã¬ ¦ Ã¬ ËœÃª ´â‚¬Ãª ³â€ž – ìž  Ã¬â€¹ ¤Ã¬Å  ¤Ã­  ¬Ã¬ ¸  Ã¬ ¢â€¦Ã­â€¢ ©Ã¬Æ' Ãª °â‚¬Ã¬Å  ¤Ã­  ¼|ìž‘ì„ ±Ã¬Å¾ spom4237236The following article, â€Å"Childhood Obesity and Depression: Connection Between These Growing Problems in Growing Children,† shows how depression is diagnosed in youths. Youthbecome depress if they gain weight more than they expected. Also, obesity and overweight are connected to sleep problem which is associated with increased risk of depression. In study of 400 adolescents with a primary diagnosis of major depressive disorder, change in sleep was most common symptom remaining depression in youths. Relationship between sleep and obesity is intervened at least in part by insulin resistance. In a study of obese children, insulin was connected with shorter sleep duration according to thepolysomnography (Reeves M. G., Postolache T. T., Snitker S.).In addition, that child obesity cause depression is obesity makes children a target for bullying. According to Medscape Medical News, â€Å"Obese children are more likely to be bullied than their non-obese peers regardless of sex, race, socioeconomic status, social skills, or academic achievement† (Harrison).Because childhood and adolescent are a sensitive period, and they focus on other’s appearance, obese children can be targeted of bullying that makes them get hurt and depress. To prevent the depression, children need to eat health food and exercise. In addition to obesity causes depression, the second health problem is obesity causes diabetes. The dietary habits of obese children are eating a lot of sugar and salt which are excessive caloric intake. Being obese means you have more fatty tissue, having more fatty tissue causes the body to become insulin resistant and becoming insulin resistant causes the body to put on more weight. Becoming more insulin resistant and at a certain level of resistance, it becomes known as diabetes. Obese children also are twice as likely to have diabetes than children who are of normal weight, according to a new study from the University of Michigan Health System. The study, published in the February issue of Diabetes Care, is the most recent national study to estimate the prevalence of children with diabetes. It found that more than 229,000 children, approximately 3.2 cases for every 1,000 American children under the age of 18, currently have diabetes. And one-third of those children are obese(â€Å"Obese Children Twice†). Obesity causes the build-up of fats around cell walls. The liver loses the ability for the metabolism of glucose. Glucose is supplied with the help of the insulin hormone. In essence, obesity reduces the body’s ability to use insulin properly. A glucose build up is deposited in the urine.In addition, diabetes is explained from Washington University in St. Louis website. Diabetes mellitus is a group of disorders that have in common high blood sugar and the risk of damage to tissues and organs. There are two major types: Type1, juvenile diabetes and Type 2, adult-onset diabetes. In Type 1 diabetes, the cells of the pancreas that make insulin are destroyed. Often, the body’s immune system destroys these cells, sort of like friendly fire. Without insulin, blood sugar rises and complications occur. Lifelong insulin treatment is required. In Type 2 diabetes, organs and tissues are resistant to insulin; that is, more insulin is needed to have the same effect. When the insulin-making cells can no longer keep up with the extra insulin needed, blood sugar becomes high and diabetes occurs (â€Å"Obesity, Type 2 diabetes†). Overall, children should avoid eatingso muchunhealthy food that contain of high sugar, salt and fat that causes diabetesto continue into adulthood. In addition to obesity causes diabetes, the third health problem is obese puts children at risk for high cholesterol levels and high blood pressure that cause heart disease. Children’s diets have changed dramaticallybecause it is influenced by television commercials and the convenience of fast foods that have too much sugar and salt that leads high cholesterol level. In â€Å"Cholesterol in Childhood† by Vincent Iannelli, M.D., the author reported â€Å"The effects of cardiovascular disease is something that will especially be a problem once an overweight child grows up, when he will be at risk for a heart attack or stroke.†Also, the article exposes children who have heart disease with high cholesterol was 2.3 times as likely to have died early. These factsgive a warning to how obesity is related to serious health problem to children. The connection between high cholesterol and high blood pressure was explained on Livestrong.com website, â€Å"Cholesterol is a soft waxy material in the blood that mixes with lipids. It shapes membranes and some hormones but does not dissolve in the blood. Since it does not dissolve, lipoproteins carry it to and from cells. Blood pressure is the force that pushes blood through blood vessels, then to all body organs. When these two functions of the body are not working correctly, it can be devastating to overall health.†(â€Å"Connections Between†).According to Webmd.com website, when there is too much cholesterol in blood, it builds up in the walls of arteries, causing a process called atherosclerosis, a form of heart disease. The arteries become narrowed and blood flow to the heart muscle is slowed down or blocked. The blood carries oxygen to the heart, and if enough blood and oxygen cannot reach the heart, it may cause chest pain (â€Å"Heart disease†).Because ofhigh cholesterol, high blood pressure that are related to the heart disease, obese children need dietary changes and weight loss to help lower their cholesterol. In conclusion, children obesity is an increasingly prevalent health disorder and is of particularly concern because children who are obese are more likely to continue to become obese through adolescence and into adulthood with various health problems. Eating unhealthy food and lack of exercise lead to most of child obesity and overweight. Obesity can cause mental and physical problemsinchildren. According to â€Å"Child obesity ‘time bomb’ a threat to life expectancy†, Food Standards Agency chairman, John Krebs, told: â€Å"We already know that many children’s diets contain more fat, sugar and salt than is recommended. We know that the level of obesity in children is rising and, in the words of the chief medical officer, is a health time bomb that could explode.† (Carey). Also, children obesity can be targeted of bullying and give rise to diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and heart diseases. Also, child obesity has high probability to become an obese adult. Therefore, we need to accept the children obesity as a serious problem in current society in the United States and seek the solutionsto make children free from obesity and being overweight. Works Cited Brown, Joni.â€Å"Connections Between High Blood Pressure & Cholesterol†. livestrong.com, 17 Dec. 2010 Web. 22 May 2012 Carey, Dorothy. â€Å"Child Obesity ‘Time Bomb’ A Threat To Life Expectancy.† Nutridate 15.1 (2004): 8. Web. 22 May 2012. Harrison, Pam. â€Å"Obesity Makes Children a Target for Bullying.† Medscape Medical News. 4 May 2010. Web. 22May 2012. â€Å"Heart Disease and Lowering cholesterol†.Webmd.com,Web. 22 May 2012 Iannelli,Vincent. â€Å"Cholesterol in Childhood†.About.com, 13November 2011 Web. 22 May 2012 â€Å"Obese Children Twice as likely to have Diabetes†. University of Michigan, 2 Feb. 2006. Web. 22 May 2012 â€Å"Obesity, Type 2 Diabetes Growing rapidly among Children†. Washington University in St. Louis., 11 March 2005. Web. 22 May 2012 Reeves, Gloria M., Teodor T.Postolache., and Soren Snitker. â€Å"Childhood Obesity and Depression: Connection between these Growing Problems in Growing Children.† NIH Public Access. Aug. 2008. Web. 22 May 2012

The Roles of an Internal Auditor in Corporate Governance

The Roles of an Internal Auditor in Corporate Governance Internal auditors are very important for healthy operations of companies. This function increases in significance with the size of the corporation. However, the functions that internal auditors perform are significant enough for every company, no matter how small, to have an expression of internal audit.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Roles of an Internal Auditor in Corporate Governance specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More There is debate on the best governance structure to use to derive the best value from an internal audit unit. Corporate governance structures include all stakeholders such as the shareholders, company staff and management, board of directors and regulators. There two options are having the internal auditors report to senior management or directly to the organizations board. Boards have the role of ensuring that internal controls work, which makes it very important for them to have the services of the internal audit team. â€Å"An effective internal audit function plays a key role in assisting the board to discharge its governance responsibilities† . The following are the key functions of an internal auditor. Risk Evaluation The first role that internal auditors play in corporate governance is risk evaluation. It involves the identification of processes that carry significant risks for the company. While many of these risks are financial in nature, the process cuts across all operations that have an influence on the financial standing of the company. For instance, internal auditors care about information systems because of the financial risks that a security lapse in information systems may cause. Tracking Fraud and Irregularities The second role that internal auditors play is that they help the organisation to track fraudulent activities and other financial irregularities. Fraud comes about when an individual or group of people try to get dishonest gain. Such individu als can be insiders or outsiders. Irregularities refer to financial processes that do not conform to proper policies. The internal audit office acts like the first line of defence against these schemes.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Analysis of Efficacy of Corporate Governance Processes The next role that an internal auditor plays is that of policing the efficacy of the corporate governance processes. Corporate governance manifests most clearly in the financial management systems. As the auditor polices the entire financial system in the organization, he makes it possible for the organization to tell just how strong its corporate governance processes. Tracking the Value of Assets Another important role that the internal auditor plays for an organization is tracking the value of assets for the company. As the person who keeps the asset register, an internal audito r adjusts the value of the assets to reflect the impact of inflation, depreciation and appreciation of the value of assets. These changes come because of the changes in both the internal and external environment. This information is important because it affects the values on the balance sheet, which in turn affects the shareholder relations. The structure and value of assets forms an important part of the decisions executives take in as far as the goals of the organization. This impact makes an internal auditor a very significant player in the corporate governance process. Review of Corporate Performance in Operations and Financial Issues The internal auditor provides a global view of the corporate performance and its financial issues. This role is very critical when conducting analysis to determine whether the organization made profits or losses. These reviews reflect the effectiveness of the corporate governance processes such as business planning and implementation. The advantage an internal auditor has over an external auditor is the capacity to trace small changes in the company’s financial deals that may point towards future profits or losses. Recommendation of Policy Actions Another important role that an internal auditor plays is that he develops policy recommendations for the organization to enable it to improve its corporate governance processes.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Roles of an Internal Auditor in Corporate Governance specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Since the internal auditor spends a lot time investigating the lapses in the corporate governance process, he tends to become an internal consultant on the things that the company can improve. The execution of this function improves in organizational structures where internal auditors report to board. One of the new frontiers that internal auditors must deal with comes from the impact of businesses trading online. It is now possible to cause a lot of damage to a company’s reputation from any location in the world. There is an increasing rate of fraud from online sources. Cases of identity theft are also increasing including impersonation and hacking of servers. Internal auditors are gaining prominence as the first line of defence against these emerging issues in the online environment because of their unique place in detecting suspicious activity. Conclusion In conclusion, the role that an internal auditor plays in the corporate governance process depends on the organizational structure of the particular organization. An internal auditor has the responsibility of raising the red flags and providing the alternative courses for their parent companies. They act as sentinels for the company providing early warning and ensuring that the company’s decision making organs have the best information to make sound decisions in the corporate governance process. Reference List KPMG, 2003. In ternal Audits Role in Modern Corporate Governance. Hong Kong: KPMG KPMG. Schartmann, B., 2007. The Role of Internal Auditing in Corporate Governance in Europe: Current Status, Necessary Improvements, Future Tasks. Berlin: Verlag.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More