Commonly Confused Words

Accept / Except Affect / Effect A Lot / Alot Allusion / Illusion All Ready / Already Altogether / All Together Apart / A Part Ascent / Assent Breath / Breathe Capital / Capitol Cite / Sight / Site Complement / Compliment Conscience / Conscious Council / Counsel Elicit / Illicit Eminent / Immanent / Imminent Its / It's Lead / Led Lie / Lay Lose / Loose Novel Passed / Past Precede / Procede Principal / Principle Quote / Quotation Reluctant / Reticent Stationary / Stationery Supposed To / Suppose Than / Then Their / There / They'reThrough / Threw / Thorough / Though / Thru To / Too / Two Who / Which / That Who / Whom ACCEPT-to receiveex: He accepts defeat well. EXCEPT-to take or leave outex: Please take all the books off the shelf except for the red one. AFFECT-to influenceex: Lack of sleep affects the quality of your work. EFFECT-n. , result, v. , to accomplishex: The subtle effect of the lighting made the room look ominous. ex: Can the university effect such a change without disruptin g classes? A LOT (two words)-many. ALOT (one word)-Not the correct form.ALLUSION-an indirect referenceex:The professor made an allusion to Virginia Woolf's work. ILLUSION-a false perception of realityex: They saw a mirage: that is a type of illusion one sees in the desert. ALL READY-preparedex: Dinner was all ready when the guests arrived. ALREADY-by this timeex: The turkey was already burned when the guests arrived. ALTOGETHER-entirelyex: Altogether, I thought that the student's presentation was well planned. ALL TOGETHER-gathered, with everything in one placeex: We were all together at the family reunion last spring.APART-to be separatedex: The chain-link fence kept the angry dogs apart. OR My old car fell apart before we reached California. A PART-to be joined withex: The new course was a part of the new field of study at the university. OR A part of this plan involves getting started at dawn. ASCENT- climbex: The plane's ascent made my ears pop. ASSENT-agreementex: The martian a ssented to undergo experiments. BREATH-noun, air inhaled or exhaledex: You could see his breath in the cold air. BREATHE-verb, to inhale or exhaleex: If you don't breathe, then you are dead.CAPITAL-seat of government. Also financial resources. ex: The capital of Virginia is Richmond. ex: The firm had enough capital to build the new plant. CAPITOL-the actual building in which the legislative body meetsex: The governor announced his resignation in a speech given at the capitol today. CITE-to quote or documentex: I cited ten quotes from the same author in my paper. SIGHT-visionex: The sight of the American flag arouses different emotions in different parts of the world. SITE-position or placeex: The new office building was built on the site of a cemetery.COMPLEMENT-noun, something that completes; verb, to completeex: A nice dry white wine complements a seafood entree. COMPLIMENT-noun, praise; verb, to praiseex: The professor complimented Betty on her proper use of a comma. CONSCIENCE-s ense of right and wrongex: The student's conscience kept him from cheating on the exam. CONSCIOUS-awakeex: I was conscious when the burglar entered the house. COUNCIL-a group that consults or advisesex: The men and women on the council voted in favor of an outdoor concert in their town. COUNSEL-to adviseex: The arole officer counseled the convict before he was released. ELICIT-to draw or bring outex: The teacher elicited the correct response from the student. ILLICIT-illegalex: The Columbian drug lord was arrested for his illicit activities. EMINENT-famous, respectedex: The eminent podiatrist won the Physician of the Year award. IMMANENT-inherent or intrinsicex: The meaning of the poem was immanent, and not easily recognized. IMMINENT-ready to take placeex: A fight between my sister and me is imminent from the moment I enter my house.ITS-of or belonging to itex: The baby will scream as soon as its mother walks out of the room. IT'S-contraction for it isex: It's a beautiful day in th e neighborhood. LEAD-noun, a type of metalex: Is that pipe made of lead? LED-verb, past tense of the verb â€Å"to lead†ex: She led the campers on an over-night hike. LIE-to lie down (a person or animal. hint: people can tell lies)ex: I have a headache, so I'm going to lie down for a while. (also lying, lay, has/have lain–The dog has lain in the shade all day; yesterday, the dog lay there for twelve hours).LAY-to lay an object down. ex: â€Å"Lay down that shotgun, Pappy! † The sheriff demanded of the crazed moonshiner. ex: The town lay at the foot of the mountain. (also laying, laid, has/have laid–At that point, Pappy laid the shotgun on the ground). LOSE–verb, to misplace or not winex: Mom glared at Mikey. â€Å"If you lose that new lunchbox, don't even think of coming home! â€Å"LOOSE–adjective, to not be tight; verb (rarely used)–to releaseex: The burglar's pants were so loose that he was sure to lose the race with the cop chas ing him. x: While awaiting trial, he was never set loose from jail because no one would post his bail. NOVEL-noun, a book that is a work of fiction. Do not use â€Å"novel† for nonfiction; use â€Å"book† or â€Å"work. â€Å"ex: Mark Twain wrote his novel Adventures of Huckleberry Finn when he was already well known, but before he published many other works of fiction and nonfiction. PASSED-verb, past tense of â€Å"to pass,† to have movedex:The tornado passed through the city quickly, but it caused great damage. PAST-belonging to a former time or placeex: Who was the past president of Microsquish Computers? x: Go past the fire station and turn right. PRECEDE-to come beforeex: Pre-writing precedes the rough draft of good papers. PROCEED-to go forwardex: He proceeded to pass back the failing grades on the exam. PRINCIPAL-adjective, most important; noun, a person who has authorityex: The principal ingredient in chocolate chip cookies is chocolate chips. ex: The principal of the school does the announcements each morning. PRINCIPLE-a general or fundamental truthex: The study was based on the principle of gravity. QUOTE-verb, to citeex: I would like to quote Dickens in my next paper.QUOTATION-noun, the act of citingex: The book of famous quotations inspired us all. RELUCTANT-to hesitate or feel unwilling ex: We became reluctant to drive further and eventually turned back when the road became icy. RETICENT-to be reluctant to speak; to be reserved in manner. Note that The American Heritage Dictionary lists â€Å"reluctant† as a synonym for â€Å"reticent,† as the third definition. For nuance and variety, we recommend â€Å"reticent† for reluctance when speaking or showing emotion (after all, even extroverts can become reluctant). ex: They called him reticent, because he rarely spoke.But he listened carefully and only spoke when he had something important to say. STATIONARY-standing stillex: The accident was my fault becau se I ran into a stationary object. STATIONERY-writing paperex: My mother bought me stationery that was on recycled paper. SUPPOSED TO-correct form for â€Å"to be obligated to† or â€Å"presumed to† NOT â€Å"suppose to†SUPPOSE-to guess or make a conjectureex: Do you suppose we will get to the airport on time? When is our plane supposed to arrive? We are supposed to check our bags before we board, but I suppose we could do that at the curb and save time.THAN-use with comparisonsex: I would rather go out to eat than eat at the dining hall. THEN-at that time, or nextex: I studied for my exam for seven hours, and then I went to bed. THEIR-possessive form of theyex: Their house is at the end of the block. THERE-indicates location (hint: think of â€Å"here and there†)ex: There goes my chance of winning the lottery! THEY'RE-contraction for â€Å"they are†ex: They're in Europe for the summer–again! THROUGH-by means of; finished; into or out ofex: He plowed right through the other team's defensive line.THREW-past tense of throwex: She threw away his love love letters. THOROUGH-careful or completeex: John thoroughly cleaned his room; there was not even a speck of dust when he finished. THOUGH-however; neverthelessex: He's really a sweetheart though he looks tough on the outside. THRU-abbreviated slang for through; not appropriate in standard writingex: We're thru for the day! TO-towardex: I went to the University of Richmond. TOO-also, or excessivelyex: He drank too many screwdrivers and was unable to drive home. TWO-a numberex: Only two students did not turn in the assignment.WHO-pronoun, referring to a person or personsex: Jane wondered how Jack, who is so smart, could be having difficulties in Calculus. WHICH-pronoun, replacing a singular or plural thing(s);not used to refer to personsex: Which section of history did you get into? THAT-used to refer to things or a group or class of peopleex: I lost the book that I bought la st week. WHO-used as a subject or as a subject complement (see above)ex: John is the man who can get the job done. WHOM-used as an objectex: Whom did Sarah choose as her replacement? Back to ‘Commonly Confused Words' or ‘Clarity and Style'Copyright 2010

Globalization and the Asian Financial Crisis

Globalization and the Asian Financial Crisis The Asian financial crisis is a prime example of an economic meltdown and it exemplifies the effects globalization has during times of widespread economic downturn. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, globalization is â€Å"the integration of national economies into the international economy through trade, foreign direct investment (FDI), capital flows, migration and the spread of technology. † The global economy is becoming further inter-twined and therefore it is very difficult to stop the effects of an economic crisis. The Asian financial crisis was a major economic crisis that spread throughout several Asian countries. The beginning of the Asian financial crisis can be traced back to July 2, 1997, with many believing the start of the crisis was triggered in Thailand (King 439). On this day, the Thai government floated their currency, the Thai Baht, and it also went to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for â€Å"technical assistance. † One by one, South-East Asian countries such as Thailand, Indonesia, South Korea and Japan saw their economies crash in the wake of heavy foreign investment. An economic boom had made the region an attractive investment proposition for investors for much of the 1990s. From 1990 to 1997, the private capital flow to developing countries rose more than fivefold, from US $42 billion in 1990 to US $256 billion in 1997 (King 441). However, in the summer of 1997, the economic climate changed, on July 2, 1997, the Thai Baht fell around 20% against the US Dollar (King 441). This was seen as the trigger for the crisis, as investors grew nervous, which led to disinvestments on the Baht, resulting into domestic production and development stalling. The reason why this was happening was because many corporations depended on foreign investment and when they dried up, the businesses could not meet their debt repayments, leading to many firms folding across Asia. Within a week of that day in July, the Philippines and Malaysian governments were heavily intervening to defend their currencies. Soon other East Asian countries became involved; Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and others to varying degrees. As global integration was spreading and growing rapidly, the markets were opening up and becoming more liberalized. This enabled these countries to get a huge influx of foreign capital. These countries were targeted by investors because they were classified as â€Å"emerging markets,† meaning that they had rapid growth and industrialization (Hanieh 65). Hence, they seemed to be ideal for investors as they sought after high profits and yields. It must be emphasized that most of the inflows that came were for short term portfolio investment purposes. Private capital inflows coming into the â€Å"emerging markets† were $42 billion, which increased to a gigantic $256 billion in 1997 (Hanieh 70). Ironically, that peak was the same year as the markets crashed. As mentioned previously, most of the inflows were for portfolio purposes; therefore, the stock markets were experiencing high booms and estate prices were also on the rise. Most of the countries had their currency pegging loosely against the US dollar in the run up to the crisis. The informal pegs to the US dollar encouraged capital inflows due to the large interest rate differential. This though, attracted problems too, due to the predictable nominal rates, it encouraged unhedged external borrowing. This asset boom continued to grow and the flow of credit continued to increase. This resulted into Japan, who was already suffering from their lost-decade, into depreciating their currency (Hanieh 74). As a result, this made their currency weaker and doing so, it made the exports of the South-Eastern countries uncompetitive. This was damaging to the rest of the countries to integrate on a global scale. Most of the functions that these countries undertake are producing parts of a production that would be later assembled and completed in countries like Japan or China. As stated earlier, these tiger-economies operated in a fixed exchange rate system; therefore, their central banks needed to keep enough reserves so that they could support the Baht at the fixed exchange rate. As the central banks ploughed money in to support their currency to maintain the exchange rate, business confidence was shattered and spread across other countries. The effect of this was further felt as their exports were much dearer since Japan devalued their currency. The knock-on effect was that foreign investors started to take their money out. Thailand was the major casualty of this and it quickly passed onto its neighbours; thus, the start of the Asian financial crisis. The financial crisis heavily affected three main emerging economies in the global market; Thailand, Indonesia and South Korea (Hanieh 64). These were the hot-bed for foreign investors who sought high returns on their investments. As the fixed currency fell, the more the investors pulled out; thus, worsening the currency further. The central banks tried in vain to hold the exchange rates as the Thai government spent $23 billion buying the Baht to maintain to US dollar peg (King 440). Investors sank money into these economies without knowing the full extent of policies involved; therefore, as the mounting hidden information of the Thai economy came to surface, it resulted in many speculative attacks on the Thai Baht, which finally forced the central bank of Thailand to float the Baht as it was no longer able to defend the itself against the US Dollar. It can be argued that the uncertainty, which is the absence of quality information on which to base investment decisions had increased the investment risk. This resulted in a contagion effect to other Asian countries. Much of the instability in the economy of Thailand was brought about by heavy short-term borrowing that required debt maintenance. The Thai government attempted to shore up shaky investor confidence by officially backing the financial institutions that were heavily indebted aboard. By October 27, 1997 the crisis had spread worldwide and had an impact on a global scale (Prakash 127). On that day, it provoked a substantial response from Wall Street with the Dow Jones falling by 554. 26 points (or 7. 18%), its biggest point fall in history, causing stock exchange officials to suspend trading (Prakash 128). There are several thoughts as to why the Asian financial crisis occurred. One of the clearest problems that can be seen is that of their financial systems. It has been evident that because the sudden influx of capital flows, the financial systems were not capable of handling the vast amounts. The weak financial systems led to poor investments and excessive risks. Negligent oversight of corporations caused consequences in economic downturns that were not a concern in the mid-nineties boom. The macroeconomic policies of the South-East Asian countries made their economies vulnerable to the uncertain confidence of their foreign investors. However, many economists argue that market overreaction and herding caused the plunge of exchange rates, asset prices and economic activity to be more severe than warranted by the initial weak economic conditions. Also, the deeper roots of the economic crisis went back to the early 1990s. Throughout the 1990s, growth in South-East Asia attracted huge capital flows. The account deficit of Thailand had grown from 5. 7% in 1993 to 8. 5% in 1996 (Khan, Islam, Ahmed 177). This was worsened as the domestic production slowed as the account deficit represented an even greater percentage. Much of the instability in the Thailand economy was caused by heavy short term borrowing and as previously stated; the government spent a lot of their reserves to maintain the exchange rate. This created a false sense of security in pretending the economy was stable. However, this support of the highly leveraged private sector by the Thai government lent the appearance of stability towards an unstable system and attracted even more foreign loans. In February 1997, the Thai company Somprasong was unable to make maintenance payments on its high levels of foreign debt. In the face of such instability, Finance One, the largest finance company in Thailand, failed at the end of May (Khan, Islam, Ahmed 182). Most of the lending by the company was made up of risky loans for real estate and stock market margin investment. This political instability resulted in the resignation of the Thai Finance Minister; thus, worsening the situation. The speculative attacks on the Baht forced Thailand to let the currency float on July 2, 1997, a key date in the Asian financial crisis. As an after effect, the currency depreciated further devastated the Thai economy. This forced the Thai government to call on the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for economic help. In August 1997, Thailand was the first country to seek help and the IMF approved a loan for $3. 9 billion (Glassman 126). However, the IMF gave stipulations that the government had to follow. These were maintaining a level of government reserves, increasing the VAT, government cuts and a reorganisation of the financial sector. As the Baht declined sharply, a second bail-out was approved. Indonesia and South Korea also approached the IMF for financial assistance. Another key element that caused the crisis was that in a lot of East Asian countries the capital account was liberalized for inward and outward flows for foreign investors; however, domestic investors could not invest aboard and this meant they could not diversify their risks. Throughout these countries, financial institutions were inadequate. They had poor prudential management of currency risks, credit evaluation and public financial reporting. Rising global credit and liquidity fed vast amounts of capital to badly regulated institutions. Those had limited transparency and poor due diligence from foreign lenders. The poor macroeconomic policies failed to manage these problems and left the countries vulnerable to shocks in many ways. Firstly, widening current account deficits, financed by short-term debt, exposed the economies to sudden reversals in capital flows. Secondly, weaknesses in the under-regulated financial sector fuelled risky lending. A further problem with exacerbated the crisis was the tendency for the government to intervene and bail out floundering companies. These guarantees put further pressure on the global market as the level of debt kept escalating. Together with the depreciating of the currency meant foreign debt proved to be too much of a burden. A further domino effect was evident between the economies. As the currency of the country depreciated, this had a negative effect on the competitiveness of other countries. Therefore, as the Thai Baht was tumbling, their goods became competitive and had a negative effect on other currencies, such as the Rupiah of Indonesia and the Ringgit of Malaysia (Glassman 129). After the Baht was put on the floating exchange rate, the economy of Thailand started to recover and was able to alleviate their debt earlier than they thought in 2003 (King 459). South Korea did manage to recuperate despite its weak financial system. However, Indonesia was especially hurt by firms going bankrupt and the devaluation of the Rupiah made it harder for them to recover. Monetary and Fiscal policies were tightened as countries fought to cope with the financial panic. The countries also raised interest rates in order to attract foreign currency and increase the price of domestic assets. On the other hand, higher rates meant higher repayments and many could not survive their debts. Following the Asian financial crisis, Russia, Mexico and Argentina all suffered economic collapses (King 61). Another factor that is thought to be one of the reasons for the crisis, the Asian currencies appreciated to levels that were too high leading to a crash in the markets. The IMF gave these countries support during these times and in return they wanted the countries to follow three key elements; large official financing packages, structural reforms, and macroeconomic policies that intended to counter the crisis itself (King 463). Structural reforms were seen as the root causes of the crisis. They intervened to shore up institutions and more importantly, improved the financial supervision and regulation. Thus, reducing the likelihood of a crisis reoccurring. Other structures were also altered to help the economies in the long run; they strengthened competition laws and increased transparency. This would help reduce eradicate corruption. Macro policies were harder to implement due to the turbulent market conditions; though, after some initial hesitations, nominal and real interest rates fell to pre-crisis levels. However, Indonesia’s policies steered them off course for a while before it was brought under control in late 1998 (King 464). The Asian financial crisis raised certain important issues that need to be taken into account for the international financial system. It is very important to prevent a crisis from occurring in the first place, because the short term flow of capital can be moved within seconds; therefore, prevention is the best sought achievement/target. Transparency is also important to crisis prevention. At the height of the Asian financial crisis, some unpleasant information was revealed, in particular, on the weaknesses of central banks international reserve positions. The IMF pointed this out as an integral part as closer monitoring of the finance sector could give alerts to any such problems in the future. Another issue that needed to be analyzed after the crisis was that of capital controls. As the countries liberalized the capital accounts, they left many short falls in the regulation of them. Tighter restriction and closer monitoring of the capital flows would have helped the financial institutions to keep greater control. An additional issue that should be noted is what policies the governments used and which ones seemed to be successful in such a crisis. Looking back at the Asian financial crisis, it seems that monetary policy worked. A period of high interest rates and the market pressures eased and interest rates soon fell below pre-crisis levels. In theory, if monetary policies were implemented earlier, it might have contrasted the spread of the crisis. However, the higher interest rates meant that debt repayments were higher and led to widespread insolvencies. These macroeconomic policies are crucial as they can be implemented to the changing economic conditions. The Asian financial crisis has brought a new way of thinking in the world of global finance. There are lessons that were harshly learnt by a few countries; however, the overall effect was a global one. In the contemporary world, one country does not stand by itself, global integration has meant that countries are connected and interlinked. Therefore, as we witnessed from the Asian financial crisis, the end result of poor management of financial institutions can have a drastic impact on the world economy. In the current climate, we are facing a global recession, an expected drop in world trade, all this as a result of a credit boom. The government and regulators must learn from the Asian financial crisis and hopefully they will be able to contain the latest economic crisis. Works Cited Oxford English Dictionary. Oxford University Press 2010. Web. 18 March 2011. McNally, David. Another World is Possible: Globalization & Anti-Capitalism. Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada: Arbeiter Ring Publishing. Print. Adam Hanieh. â€Å"Forum of Hierarchies of a Global Market: The South and the Economic Crisis. † Studies in Political Economy Volume 83. (2009): 61 – 81. Print. Michael R. King. â€Å"Who Triggered the Asian Financial Crisis? Review of International Political Economy Volume 8. Issue 3 (2001): 438 – 466. Print. Aseem Prakash. â€Å"The East Asian Crisis and the Globalization Discourse. † Review of International Political Economy Volume 8. Issue 1 (2001): 119 – 146. Print. Saleheen Khan, Faridul Islam, Syed Ahmed. â€Å"The Asian Crisis: An Economic Analysis of the Causes. † The J ournal of Developing Areas Volume 39. Issue 1 (2005): 169 – 190. Print. Jim Glassman. â€Å"Economic Crisis in Asia: The Case of Thailand. † Economic Geography Volume 77. Issue 2 (2001): 122 – 147. Print.

Please pick a catchy title for me Personal Statement

Please pick a catchy title for me - Personal Statement Example My home has been my place of healing. I understand the effect of a comforting smile or hand and reassuring confidence of friends and family and doctors has on a patient. As a result, my GPA has improved to 3.72 and I am sure I will make it better. The presentation of health problems in the world has increased my attention in medical studies, but my life has been my drive. I am aware that medicine is not by any means a glamorous source of easy to go money. I understand the long working hours and antisocial character that comes with it. It is an intrinsic sacrifice that I am willing and eager to take just like my parents have done with me. Medicine has been a long part of my life and I am happy that a chance to give it a new role has finally come. I eagerly wait to join a community of experts who share my kind of enthusiasm to share their knowledge and experiences, to facilitate my growth into a renowned doctor and make my parents

Journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 38

Journal - Essay Example It is important for any relationship, of whatever kind, that all involved feel like they are equals. In problem orientation, this is attained. However, in control orientation, one party ends up feeling like they are less powerful. Moreover, if problem orientation is used, the parties involved feel that their interests and needs are taken care of and are not ignored. In control orientation, often there is a feeling of being ignored that can cause distress. Since problem orientation tries to ensure that the solution benefits all parties involved, it is more beneficial to everyone involved as it not only solves the problem at hand, but also caters to the needs of as many parties as possible. In short, problem orientation is the right way to solve problems because it ensures that all those involved not only feel equal to one another, but that the problem goes away and the parties do not feel as if their interests were

Victimization within Controlled Populations Essay

Victimization within Controlled Populations - Essay Example The second context of organizational crime is the technological advancements and innovations that make it possible for criminals to proliferate their activities below the radar screen of many authorities. Through the use of the Internet and electronic banking, criminal organizations are finding these means extremely convenient and simple to operate in order to extract large funds usually at the expense of an unsuspecting victim. The third context of organizational crime is the ability to propagate large schemes involving financial corruption by defrauding not only the citizens but civic institutions. The fourth context is through the ability to manage identity fraud itself based on the slow speed of authorities in catching criminals and the speed that these criminals can manipulate the system to their advantage. The largest degree of success in lowering victimization rates is to continue making the public aware of these types of frauds and illicit activities being performed. The average citizen is entirely unaware of these problems existing or that there are such deviant activities being committed. By continually educating citizens of the dangers of even letting someone look at their personal identification is a license to a potential criminal to engage in unsavory activities. A second and most important element in lowering victimization rates is to help the victim regain his/her self-worth and through this "umbrella" a person does not feel ashamed in reporting the crime itself. Many times, judicial authorities tend to look upon the victim as the criminal insomuch as making the victim believe they should have know this could happen to them. By also ensuring that many of these groups are not provided a safe haven in any democratic country will ensure that they cannot use that country as a base for illegal activities and through "cooperating with foreign partners in the investigation and prosecution of international crime groups and assisting our foreign partners in that endeavor by providing them with training and technical assistance in the recognition, investigation and prosecution of these groups." (International Crime Control Strategy) Through the many efforts of both government and international agencies, it is entirely possible to lower victimization rates wherein the criminals have a lower success rate in infiltrating any person's life or well-being. Many strategies have been put in place by the U.S. government, such as: Cooperating with foreign partners in the investigation and prosecution of international crime groups and assisting our foreign partners in that endeavor by providing them with training and technical assistance in the recognition, investigation and prosecution of these groups Cooperative Investigation Established a working relationship with the Special Frauds Unit of Nigeria's Federal Investigation and Intelligence Bureau to combat Nigerian organized criminal activities FBI, DEA and Customs Service are currently engaged in a

Recommendations to Manage Employee Behaviour Essay

Recommendations to Manage Employee Behaviour - Essay Example According to the discussion, a happy workforce is better equipped to contribute constructively to the shared goals of the organization for higher work performance as psychological well-being is associated with the psychological well-being of the employees. Dowling, Festing & Engle assert that each worker is unique with feelings, emotions, expectations and frames of references that is distinct to him/her. Consequently, individuals or employees require constant reassessment, evaluation and capacity building within the work context in order to meet the new challenges of time. Scholars reveal that within work environment, workers experience different physical, social and psychological influences that impact their work place behavior and subsequently their performance. The issues have to be addressed with innovative approach that considerably enhances their work satisfaction. Case study of Stockington branch of Superbrand, a leading retail organization of UK is undertaken to analyse facto rs that influence employees’ behaviour. It is one of the leading chains of supermarket in UK with focus on food items. It has more than 1000 medium and large supermarkets and around 450 convenience stores. It has wide range of products ranging from exclusive to low cost products to meet the requirements of different demographic segment. It is renowned for excellent customer service and quality products. The Stockington branch is facing some difficulties for the last nine to twelve months. A new supermarket in the town has put pressure on the sale. Currently it employs 31 managers supervising 500 strong workforce including permanent, part-time and temporary workers to meet the demands of fluctuating numbers of customers. It has weekly turnover of  £1m. It has 6 departments with checkouts department having maximum numbers of employees, high absenteeism and lowest satisfaction level.  

Political Science Study Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Political Science Study Review - Essay Example In this reading, we are looking at three kinds of variables, which are independent variable, dependent variable and intervening variable. Firstly, when we look at independent variable, it can be mentioned as the ethnicity of the people and the culture followed by them. The reason for this is it is on these elements the whole study of research is based on. The ethnicity and culture of the various group of people is determining the flow of the research and is the one which decides about the dependent variable and intervening variable. On the other hand, the dependent variable is the protest or rebellion. Here, it is the ethnicity and culture of people which causes protest of rebellion among various groups of minority and majority in a community. These independent and dependent variables are the cornerstone of the research and bring about a clear picture of the study conducted by the researcher. There is also intervening variable which plays a significant role in conducting the empirical study by the researcher. As per (Nevarez)â€Å"A third variable that is simultaneously independent and dependent.Here the intervening variable can be pointed out as the residential locality. Residential locality in this research study stands between ethnicity and culture of the people and the resultant factor protest or rebellion. Here, just because someone is from a particular ethnicity cannot cause protest or rebellion. Instead, there need to be a localization of different ethnical people in a locality for protest or rebellion to occur. ... The ethnicity and culture of the various group of people is determining the flow of the research and is the one which decides about the dependent variable and intervening variable. On the other hand, the dependent variable is the protest or rebellion. Here, it is the ethnicity and culture of people which causes protest of rebellion among various groups of minority and majority in a community or society. These independent and dependent variables are the cornerstone of the research and bring about a clear picture of the study conducted by the researcher. There is also intervening variable which plays a significant role in conducting the empirical study by the researcher. As per (Nevarez)â€Å"A third variable that is simultaneously independent and dependent .Here the intervening variable can be pointed out as the residential locality. Residential locality in this research study stands between ethnicity and culture of the people and the resultant factor protest or rebellion. Here, just because someone is from a particular ethnicity cannot cause protest or rebellion. Instead, there need to be a localization of different ethnical people in a locality for protest or rebellion to occur .Here we can understand that ethnicity or culture of a particular group reflects on their centralized living locality and this leads to protest and rebellion on them by major ethnical people. Causal mechanism and other factors related to research Here the causal mechanism focus on the credible pathway that connects the ethnicity and culture of a population to protest and violence. The causal mechanism in this reading which relates the independent variable to dependent variable is the religion. In her book (Tienda 5)writes â€Å"Causal inferences becomes

Studying Hospitality and Events in Higher eduaction Essay

Studying Hospitality and Events in Higher eduaction - Essay Example The paper tells that the best candidate for lodging and accommodation for the conference is the Days Hotel Luton. It is more expensive than the other options but well worth the additional cost. The Days Hotel Luton is centrically located upon the Channel Viaduct. The Days Hotel Luton also provides access to those who are physically challenged. The Days Hotel Luton has a five star rating out of six which is the highest rating of all of the options in this group. The second choice is the Best Western Menzies Strathmore. The rates start from 49 pounds and 50 pence. The location is centric to all forms of transit. The Best Western Menzies Strathmore has 152 rooms which would probably make it the most likely candidate for the convention. The Chiltern Hotel would be the next most likely candidate as it is located right outside the airport. The room rate is at 49 pounds and 50 pence per night. There is also an ample parking facility. The space within this parking facility may be rented and a portable structure may be erected on the site. This portable structure implies a greater risk but it also would allow for a greater allocation of resources towards security, safety, health, food, beverage and post dinner entertainment. A tent structure may be used for the conference, this innovation would allow for lower expenses. The reallocation of resources could be applied toward other conference concerns (Chiltern Hotel). The fourth option would be recommended as the Quality Hotel on Dunstable rd. The Quality Hotel has easy access from the M1 motorway Junction 11 from the south. It is located on the A505. The rate of Quality Hotel’s accommodations is fairly reasonable starting at 32 pounds 50 pence per night. This hotel is a three star facility. With all of these options it may be possible that a discount may be applied to the academic community of the University of Bedfordshire. One of the objectives of this essay is to demonstrate the ability to optimize the resource s allocated to this conference by minimizing the number of man hours allocated to human resources in this conference which is proposed on 9 May 2012 (Burke and Soubeiga 2003). It is also the objective of this essay to demonstrate the importance of emotional intelligence by assessing the strengths and weaknesses of the proposed options for the conference: ‘Studying Hospitality and Events in Higher Education’

Ocean of information Essay Example for Free

Ocean of information Essay Information seeking skills are needed whenever there is a search for new information. With the advent of the internet there is suddenly a lot of information available at the click of a mouse and yet, one needs to have some knowledge and skills to obtain the relevant information from the vast ocean of information on the internet. When it comes to searching on the internet, there are many search tools available: search engines, subject directories / virtual libraries, invisible (deep) web databases, Meta search engines, etc (Barker, 2007). Search engines such as Googleâ„ ¢, AlltheWeb, MSN, Teoma, AltaVista and Wisent provide specific information (Bazac, 2006). Metasearch engines such as ez2Find, Division, Info Grid, Info NetWare, boogie, etc can be used when searching for a unique search term, or in-depth information on a particular subject (Bazac, 2006). Web directories such as Googleâ„ ¢ Directory, Open Directory Project (ODP), Yahoo! Zeal, JoeAnt and Gimpsy provide general information on popular topics, and scholarly information is best got from virtual libraries such as Librarians Index to the Internet, INFOMINE, and Internet Public Library (Bazac, 2006). Real time information is best obtained through deep web which are specialized databases (MU, 2007). Examples of excellent invisible web databases are Profusion, Invisible-web. net, Complete Planet, Resource Discovery Network and direct search (Moore, 2007). Robert Muldrow Cooper Library, attached to the Clemson University, is known for its automated information retrieval system, the Clemson facilities (CU, 2007). Numerous periodical indexes are housed on-line and available for automated searching. The collections deal mainly with agriculture, natural and physical sciences, economics and technology. Many of the databases that include full text of many articles are available for access through the internet. There are many links to web indexes, search engines, and tips on searching and evaluating sources (CU, 2007). The essential steps in an internet-based search strategy are having a focus, identifying and understanding the key concepts of the topic, finding alternative terms for these concepts and identifying the place for searching and this includes synonyms, plural/singular forms, spelling variations, variations of root words and acronyms (MU, 2007). If the initial information is too little or too much, the search terms should be modified. A search may be broadened by any of the following steps: reducing the number of concepts, using an OR search, looking for alternative terms, using more general search terms, using subject headings as search terms or using alternate spellings. On the other hand, a search may be narrowed by using an AND or NOT search, looking for more specific alternative terms, using subject headings as search terms, or using more precise terms (MU, 2007). Journal websites that can provide full text articles for nursing students and professionals include NursingCenter, Medscape, Hardin MD and Online Journals (Research Medical Library). CINAHL sources provide links to websites of interest to various journals of interest to nursing and allied professions (CINAHL, 2007). CINAHL stands for Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature. Other important websites for nursing information include Medscape, Toxline and AIDSLINE, Journal of Nursing Management, NursingCenter, and The American Journal of Nursing (AJN). The AJN site allows one to find articles from more than 50 trusted nursing journals, including AJN and Nursing2007. Registration is free (AJN, 2007). Thus, the internet is a treasure trove of information for the searcher with the right set of searching skills. Bibliography: CINAHL (2007). http://www. cinahl. com/csources/csources. htm Barker, Joe (2007). Finding Information on the Internet: A Tutorial. http://www. lib. berkeley. edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/FindInfo. html MU (Monash University) (2007). Library Online Tutorials. http://www.monash.edu/library

US and US Government Formation Comparison

US and US Government Formation Comparison CONTENTS PAGE (Jump to) INTRODUCTION Communication strategy used by George Bush and Tony Blair [Similarities and Differences] LITERATURE REVIEW METHODOLOGY FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION Reformation of the Labour Party Labour gets new supporters The Tony Blair effect The Media – role of press, television and papers American Value system and Image – Differences between USA and UK- Social, Cultural, Political and Electoral CONCLUSION BIBLIOGRAPHY INTRODUCTION The political environment of two of the world’s leading countries has always held a degree of interest amongst researchers of international relations and politics. It has perhaps to do with the level of impact that the internal and external policies of these two governments have on the global economy. In this paper, we shall attempt to understand the differences and similarities between the political setups of the UK and the USA and follow the strategies and tactics of the elected governments over the past decade or so. At this stage, it is important to point out that there are many contrasting viewpoints on some of the decisions taken by the governments of these countries, hopefully; they can in their own way provide an all encompassing picture of the political canvas that surrounds these countries. On the one hand, we shall discuss in detail the formation of the Democratic government with Bill Clinton until the current Republican administration of George Bush. On the other side of the Atlantic, we shall visit a different piece of history where Tony Blair and the British Labour Party which has been in power over much the same period. Beginning with the UK, the Labour Party has been somewhat of a trendsetter. It has been in power in the UK since 1992 with its first elected leader as John Smith. 2 years later, with the passing away of John Smith, Tony Blair was elected as the leader of the Labour Party and has remained so ever since. The party has been in existence through the most part of the 20th century and it came into being on the backs of the large labour force during the advent of the industrial revolution in the UK. It has been seen as the voice of the people and responsible for many social causes such as the introduction of free education and healthcare (when it has been in power during various pockets of the 20th century). The NHS (National Health Service) was created by the Labour Party and is the lifeline on which the people of Britain are heavily dependent upon. Over the years, the Labour party has also been known to be the ‘People’s party’ – as the name suggests it represent s the needs of the people at all levels of society. Interestingly, Tony Blair in the Book – â€Å"The People’s Party† by Wright Carter (1997) mentions that the Labour Party is different from all other parties in Britain for 2 primary reasons. Firstly, it is a relatively new party that has been created over the course of the 20th century and imbibes the modern values and cultural needs of the people. Unlike other parties, it understands the contemporary needs of people and is proxy to the more recent callings of the nation. Secondly, the formation of the party did not take place in the City of Westminster. It was created as a result of the needs of the people in the countryside and in the small towns that lined the UK. The Labour Party was also renowned for bringing in a breath of fresh values and beliefs in comparison to the Conservative Party that had become to be known as the party which didn’t bring about changes to the degree required by the people. With Labour in power over the last decade, things have changed today. It all began very well with Tony Blair drafting policies that was well accepted by the people, but ever since; the Party has seen a steady decline in support over the years. A few years back, there were reservations that the Labour government could not take the country beyond a certain point. Soon after, Tony Blair’s uncompromising support of the US to enter the Iraq War was seen as a shot in the foot for the party. The people were divided in their sentiments on supporting Labour to take down the Saddam Hussein regime. In their opinion, it was correct to go into Iraq but through the United Nations and not as part of the US Taskforce. The few who believed otherwise b egan to change their minds after the invasion of Iraq when more and more British soldiers were killed in action. This created huge waves of disappointment in the UK and the support of the British people slowly left Labour. Whilst Tony Blair was re-elected in 2005, it was by the narrowest margin in the decade old history of the government. And even though Tony Blair finds himself in power, his position at the moment isn’t the best it could be. Moving on to the US side of elections and government policies, the most basic difference in the US is that it has adopted a presidential form of government as opposed to the parliamentary system in the UK. Bill Clinton, a democrat was voted into power in 1993. This was around the same time that the Labour party came into power in the UK. However, the political campaign was not a bed of roses for Clinton. His character was questioned with examples being cited from the Vietnam War of a ‘character issue’. At the same time, he was also personally attacked for alleged infidelity which both him and his wife – Hillary refuted and embarked on a campaign through television interviews and other media vehicles to reassure the American public that they had a strong and workable marriage. To add to this, just prior to the elections, the Clinton’s were involved in what came to be known as the ‘Whitewater Real estate’ scandal. Through trial in 1996, the partn ers in the venture were all convicted of fraud whereas the Bill Clinton was never accused of any wrong-doings on his part. The first real challenge that Clinton faced after being elected was to allow homosexuals in the armed forces. This was faced with a lot of resentment and he received considerable flak for allowing such a rule to prevail in the military. After much debate, it was agreed that homosexuality would not be used against the people serving in the armed forces – more like a ‘Don’t ask me and I wont tell’ policy. Internally, Clinton also faced problems with the issues of welfare reform, the prevention of crime and the healthcare system. The one area that Clinton really shone was on the international map. He instrumented many successes for the US and built valuable bridges for the country’s future. Some of these achievements included the showcasing of America as a friend to the Israel – Jordan peace program, an improvement in the re lations with Russian by proposing economic benefits to President Boris Yeltsin, tackling the instability and security issues in countries in Eastern Europe such as Bosnia and lastly, the improving of relations between the US and India, China and the Far eastern countries. The one significant area which was worked upon together with Tony Blair was the NATO intervention in 1999. Here, the 2 leaders worked to get the NATO to respond to the ethnic cleansing that was taking place in the Serbian capital of Kosovo. As a result, they were able to bomb Serbia for 78 days. However, Clinton did face some degree of criticism of holding back the troops to enter Serbia but was rewarded soon after since the President of Serbia did sign a peace treaty in the following months after the bombing campaign. And Clinton was re-elected and stayed in power till 2001. During his stint, he was popularly renowned for giving America its most prosperous period in terms of peace and economic well-being. The US faced its lowest ever period of unemployment, the highest home ownership in the history of the country and the lowest rate of inflation as well. The only slur on his tenure came in the form of the ‘Monica Lewinsky Scandal’ where he was allegedly involved intimately with one of the White House interns. It must be noted that Clinton was the first president to ever appear before a grand jury in an investigation. Over a period of time, the people of the US gradually forgot about this scandal and allowed him to move on with the governing of the country. On the whole, Clinton was remarkably adept at improving the American equation with a host of countries it had not done so in the past – South Africa, India, China and many more especially in the South East. (http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0760626.html) George Bush came into power in the year 2001 as the successor to Bill Clinton. However, he is a Republican and in a short space of time, came to have an impact on world politics and international relations in a way never conceived before. Bush’s tenure has been populated wit the fight against terrorism which began with the attack on the World Trade Centre on September 11th 2001. This has been somewhat of a 2 phased campaign against terrorism. Initially, it began with the hunt for Osama Bin Laden, the terrorist responsible for the September 11th attacks and the corresponding hunt to catch him in the country of Afghanistan. More recently, the campaign trail has focused its efforts on the Saddam Hussein regime in Iraq. And this in turn, has divided the American public in their opinion on whether the act of entering Iraq was in fact, justified. The problems for Bush rose closer to the end of his first electoral period when many American soldiers were being killed in Iraq. The peop le of the US were growing more and more uneasy with the Iraq campaign and Bush was on the verge of losing his chances of being re-elected in the next election. Experts found that Bush had unfortunately concentrated his efforts and attention too heavily on the war against terror and people were getting tired of it. Additionally, the common man was looking to improve his / her standard of living and with unemployment rising and a stained economic scenario, Bush was looking like he might be in trouble. However, the primary strategy adopted by the Republican administration was to try and highlight the economic benefits that the Bush administration had created over the years and try and push into the background, the campaign against terrorism and the Iraq War. Add to this, the opposition leader from the Democratic Party did not have the political clout to seriously challenge the Republicans. All these ingredients came together to ensure that George Bush was re-elected into power for the second election term. Ever since his second elected term, George Bush and his political policies have stayed relatively sublime in the eyes of the people and the media. What has never ceased to stir interest and conflict in the minds of the people of both the US and the UK is the relationship shared by the two leaders. Both Bush and Blair have been known to share similar political agendas and Tony Blair has received a lot of flak for supporting Bush on the Iraq War and other global political campaigns. The general consensus in the UK is that Tony Blair has not done justice to the UK by bending backwards to the demands of the US. This was once again, explicitly highlighted with growing number of deaths of British soldiers in Iraq. At the time of writing this report, the feeling shared by most people is whether the War on Iraq was justified in the first place and was there a need to go in to it supporting the US as opposed to entering Iraq as the United Nations. Unfortunately, the UK has been hit by a wave of terrorist attacks in the last few months and this has made the people much more uncomfortable in the security assurances by the Blair government. Going forward, the relationship between these 2 leaders is always going to be tested as the people of these countries learn to live through problems inflicting upon them. (http://www.whitehouse.gov/) People and Democracy have been long standing battles between governments and masses. There are a lot of issues which are of prime importance to the government for resurrecting their policies and objectives, the people on the other hand have to understand the impact of these policies to determine how they vote for the government and their representative. In the current scenario, the re lections of George Bush and Tony Blair took place amidst a lot of surprise, indignation, horror and laxity, while some people were expecting it, the others had nothing but stingy remarks about how uninformed people are about world issues to bring back leaders like Bush and Blair back in the lime light. The highlight and common issue which has plagued both these leaders has been terrorism and the Iraq war. It all started with the unfortunate 9/11 attacks on the twin towers. In his quest to prove to the American public his commitment to the people, Bush extended his powers to regimes in Iraq and other pla ces which were supposed breeding grounds for the likes of Osama Bin Laden and terrorism. Tony Blair in his quest to support the American government participated in the war at an equal footing. The people and democracy in USA and UK has harnessed a notion of fight against terror yet the public has been against the government’s initiatives. Communication strategy used by George Bush and Tony Blair [Similarities and Differences] Canvassing Approach and Messaging Public Meetings Agendas for these meetings – Iraq, Health, Taxation, Drugs, Education, Homeland Security, National Security and Environment Advertisements Press Relations Communication is a powerful tool which has been used many a times to gain power and win elections. The communication strategy can be based on various levels covering press releases, campaigns, canvassing, advertisement and mailers among other avenues. Even then the communication strategy used in USA differs a great deal from that of UK; this will be discussed and dissected later in another section. LITERATURE REVIEW Richards Paul(2001) in his book, How to win an election talks about preparation and planning, the different tribes of politics, planning a campaign, direct campaigning and indirect campaigning. Elections are probably one of the most components which differentiate a democratic society from a non democratic society. An election is what makes a democracy work when people truly have a right to vote and choose who is their representative and who would drive and support their. General elections decide which party goes ahead and forms a government and also how the politics and economy work for a country. There have been various attempts to increase interest in elections and their outcomes. In UK, the home office came up with a list of variations:- â€Å"Polling hours: variations in polling hours to allow different start or finish times. Polling days: moving polling to an alternative weekday or a day at the weekend or allowing voting over more than one day. Early voting: opening a limited number of polling stations in the period before polling day at accessible locations to allow any eligible elector to vote. Mobile polling: providing a mobile polling station which could take the ballot box to groups of voters, for example, by visiting residential and convalescent homes. Out of area voting: allowing electors to vote at any polling station in the electoral area, or even outside it All postal ballots: allowing an election to be held on the basis of postal voting only Electronic voting: supplementing polling booths and polling stations with automated voting equipment, telephone voting or online remote voting via the internet.† [Richards Paul (2001), p 20-70] No election can be fought in isolation; there are always background issues which have relevance to the election and campaigning. In September 2000 the British government almost came to a halt due to the widely proclaimed petrol price protests, yet no politician or government was prepared for this action and its repercussions. Candidates who are seen as rising stars could soon be biting dust; history is littered with example of failed careers as aspiring politicians have lost their claim to fame due to the unpredictable ways of elections. Elections have always been a ground of unpredictability and surprises, who would have thought that Winston Churchill after his brilliant win in the year 1940 would be miserably defeated in 1945. The conservatives suffered badly in the year 2001 when Tony Blair defeated them with a massive victory. One does not need massive knowledge about political theory and how it works to know that elections are random and unpredictable. The reason being, that ele ctions are all about people, people who decide who they want to vote for or who they want to disregard based on their perceptions. People are beyond scientific interpretation or calculations, how they react and what the do is beyond anyone’s understanding of the human psyche. Interestingly so the way people choose a brand of washing liquid is probably the way they choose their next political leader. Elections need a lot of research and manpower; there are strategists, campaigners, sociologists, pollsters who work on the way the votes would swing in a direction. There is intense study involved about the last elections and the way they panned, the way people reacted to the campaign and the activities undertaken by the previous government. Modern politics has become an art, the most unlikely candidate can sweep house, and how does one explain the theory behind the victory of George W. Bush? Although politicians will try to sway the way voters work but in a democratic society it is always difficult to understand what really make the people tick. A lot of incidents in political history show how elections can actually sway either way for any candidate and no amount of confidence can confirm the victory or loss in a campaign. In the April 1970, Prime Minister Harold Wilson was extremely fond of using a football metaphor, â€Å"If I were a football manager, on present form I would be more worried about job security than I am a prime minister†. Harold Wilson lost the elections in June, 1970, his confidence in his victory was based on real time facts like good poll ratings, sound majority in the House of Commons, media and peer opinion led him to think so. [Richards Paul (2001), p. 45-55] Yet the voters had other ideas in mind, despite all the facts pointing in the direction of a straight win, Wilson lost badly. So no matter how one campaigns, votes cannot be taken for granted as situations can change really fast. Election campaigns are a very expensive task, consuming hundreds of millions for resources like advertising, media, posters, television broadcasts, direct mail and canvassing. In short winning an election is a tough job and a risky business. Politics is similar to fashion, it runs of trends and fads which are hard to predict and adopt. Election campaigns are also dependent on unforeseen circumstances which can prop up anytime, scandals, loose press criticism, reports and issues which can blow the campaign in minutes. Campaigns are dictated by what Harold Macmillan calls â€Å"events dear boy, events†, they cannot be run with static rules, one need to get innovative and adapt to the current environment and what it seeks. A set of tactics is not what drives one to political victory; it’s the form of changing and learning from others mistakes and best known practices. As the soviet foreign minister said to Ernest Bevin, â€Å"the disadvantage of free elections is that you can never be sure who is going to win them†. [Richards Paul (2001), p 30-40] Richard Paul (2001, p. 65 75) says â€Å"Other than the artistry of the campaign, there is science too. There are components and buildings blocks of a campaign which are crucial to standing a chance. There are the techniques tested against real experience and real elections, and the accumulated knowledge of a thousand campaigns and campaigners. There are a plenty of representative politicians in office today all over the world who owe their positions of power not to have a better ideas or even a majority of support, but thanks to better organization. The result of the 2000 US presidential election was decided on the tiniest margins, was won by an organization – the ability to get out the vote†. This takes us to how much a campaign contributes in the election results and which way they go. Political choices are made by voters not just by weeks and months of campaigning. Neil Connock famously said that â€Å"elections are won in years, not weeks†, the voters get to decide whom they vote for based on a combination on reasons, one of them being a campaign which serves a reminder of what has been done in the past. Analyst David Butler echoes the idea of a campaign as a ritual. He says, â€Å"The campaign may to some extent be a ritual dance, a three-week repetition of well-aired themes, making no substantial net difference to the outcome. British elections are usually won over the long haul. A very large proportion of people vote out of loyalty, supporting the party that they and their parents too have always supported; those that change their minds are usually converted, not because of the final three weeks, but over the months and years because of an accumulated impres sion, positive or negative, and of the values and the performance of rival parties†. [Richards Paul (2001), p. 50 65] Politics in America has been an integral part of International Politics and it affects all nations. If we look at the American political and electoral process and their insightful history, it would help understand how democratic they are in their ways. Richard Maidment and Anthony Mcbrew (1993) in their book, â€Å"the American political process†, talk about liberal democracy in the American political system. The language of the current American politics can leave little doubt in our minds that it’s all about democrats and upholding the values and power of democracy where the public and voters stand the strongest. A very important factor which distinguishes the American society and the people also its political stance is the society. The lack of class consciousness in the American society, the heterogeneous religious and social environment also the lack of feudal system has made it into such a democratic society. The American attitude towards government politics has bee n very individualistic. The stress has always been on the American offices being run by a place of legality and enshrined in the view that this is what makes this society and political distinctive. The nation is so heterogeneous in its approach and outlook that it’s difficult to pinpoint the political culture. The American politicians have had a large share of history and legacy to deal with, the American history which needs the same culture to carry on. The politicians need to make their own choices of public policy options all of which need acceptance on a wider level within the system. It just means that the boundaries are being stretched and the politicians and political systems so that there is a room for more man oeuvre. George Bush had a lot to inherit and manage considering that they were taking over from the Reagan administration right at the beginning of his political career. In 1989, the relationship between the Soviet Union and the USA were brimming the brightest and that the time due to a lot of positive activity in Easter Europe the USA’s position was fairly strong. In this light of the American political system one does need to consider the importance of congress in the political arena of America. The congress has always been an important aspect of the American election and political arena. In 1985, Woodrow Wilson wrote of the congress: â€Å"It is unquestionably the predominant and controlling force, the center and source of all motive and of all regulative power †¦the legislature is the aggressive spirit†¦it has entered more and more into the details of administration, until it has virtually taken into its own hands all the substantial powers of government†¦I know no t how better to describe our form of government in a single phrase than by calling it a government by the chairman of the standing committees of congress (Wilson, 1956, pp.31, 44, 49, 52)† [Richard Maidment and Anthony Mcbrew (1993), p 110-140] Some years later another very distinguished gentleman who took great care in understanding the American society said, â€Å"Congress has been the branch government with the largest facilities for usurping the powers of the other branches, and probably with the most dispositions to do so. It has succeeded in occupying nearly all of the area which the constitution left vacant and unallocated between the second authorities it established. (Bryce, 1889, Vol.2, pp. 711-12)†. [Richard Maidment and Anthony Mcbrew (1993), p 140-180] Brian White, Richard Little and Michael smith (1997) in their book, Issues in World Politics, talks about the political environment across the world, states and statehood, trade money and markets, regions, development and inequality, arms and arms control, nationalism and ethnic conflict, environment and natural resources. An important aspect of today’s political systems and elections is the role media plays in keeping everyone informed. All the information that we now receive locally, nationally or internationally is thanks to media which may come in various forms like television, radio, newspaper and the modern internet communications. Information is now available free and easy unlike the olden days when a lot of places were thought to be remote and so information traveled slower than usual. All that has changed now, all the political issues and what affects the leaders from coming to power is all available on media. The media is playing an important role now where globaliza tion is making the world a smaller place. Someone like George Bush had to see CNN to understand the Iraq situation since it brought the latest news to the public. The elections use the television as a medium to get their message across to the public and let them know of the work being undertaken by them. All of the canvassing and public debates between political opponents are covered by television on a global scale so that countries across continents have complete up to date knowledge about the happenings. Elections in USA and UK the world super powers are an important place for international policies or national policies which will affect other countries that are in business/trade with them. The selection of the political leader is also an important cause since it determines the amiability or hostility of maintaining relationships with leaders of some countries. The two last most controversial elections have been that of George Bush in USA and Tony Blair in UK especially in the wak e of the much controversial Iraq war. A lot of movies, documentaries and new articles have since then been published trying to give the general public across continents a more varied and comprehensive insight into the election process and what tipped the scales in favour of the two most contentious leaders. The American president has been surrounded with controversy since the twin tour attacks and his rebuttal to that, the capture of Saddam Hussein and finally the Iraq war which is a dark reality which has still not ended. The civil disputes are ongoing between the army and anti social elements in that society trying to keep the dispute ongoing. USA has been at the helm of lot of international criticism; all this has been made possible due to the regular broadcasts and news items being provided by television and other media mediums. An interesting name in media who has brought a lot to the fore front and what George Bush has really set out to do is Michael Moore. His book, â€Å"Dude, where’s my country?† is an attempt to uncover some truth and factual information about George Bush, his strategies in the past, terrorism, the use of tax issues to buy the public vote and America the liberal paradise which is no more. The book is a poignant account of how much has changed in America the land of the free under the regime of George Bush who has worked on his terms and conditions against popular demands and International interventions. The history for this big calamity is set in the time when Bill Clinton was the USA president. He being a liberal did not use radical moves to counter attack everyone considered America’s enemy. Clinton was a popular leader by choice who really put USA up there as the world super power and not so by doing direct attacks on countries like Iraq and other nations who pr esented a threat to America’s prosperity. It was during the regime of Bill Clinton that one learnt in the 1990s how to fight all the wars yet keep the losses of the Americans to a bare minimum. Clinton closed down bases, reduced the number of troops, and funneled money into other projects which were indirect attacks on other nations but without jeopardizing the lives of many Americans. The Clinton era built America to become a high tech lean machine which is was really helped pentagon and the Bush government in fighting back the terrorist attacks. The book further goes on to pin the blames of the terrorist attacks in USA on George Bush and his former collaboration with the Bin Laden family. The book is highly controversial in nature as it makes factual claims about Bin Laden’s close association with America and with the Bush family. Despite all this being published openly in the wake of the attacks and the negative profiling George Bush underwent, he still came back successful in the next elections which followed. Is this a surprise or does it contain more fact about the truth in brainwashing the public voters into believing what one wants them to. George Bush in a very strategic move has used the war to win the elections; he has put the fear of public safety and the war against terrorism to pass more and more acts which give them control over public records, their activities and lives. The patriotic act is one such act which takes a bite out of American democracy and freedom of speech and action. George Bush has effect ively used the wars to tell the public that he won these for them and that all his actions are only to serve and protect the American public. Although there is democracy it’s more under pressure that people practice the same for the fear of prosecution under these new acts which give the government and officials more control over a citizens life. Some of the information in this book is insightful and frightening as it explores all the dirty facts which have been so far hidden from the public eye but the most inspiring fact is that the man embroiled in such controversy is once again been reelected as president of Unites states of America. The defense budget was increased drastically in the wake of these attacks and the office was in sync with these efforts given the attacks and the inkling of more such attacks in the future. Also George Bush has had a powerful ally in UK, Tony Blair who has

Festival and Event in sustainability of Tourism

Festival and Event in sustainability of Tourism Title: Festival and Event in sustainability of Tourism: Penang Hot Air Balloon Festival Tourism is an activity that can have a really huge effect on sustainable development. Sustainability of tourism includes for reaching cooperation between visitor organizations, traveler destinations and national, provincial and local authorities so as to cover a wide group of difficulties and in the meantime to stay focused. Opportunities for sustainable tourism development and protection of its competitiveness, is generally affected by the nature of the earth, to protect and alluring common and cultural heritage and different qualities, merchandise and assets. For sustainable it is viewed as any sort of tourism that contributes forever for the assurance and advancement of the nature, common and different assets, social qualities and respectability of the nearby group. The study of festivals and events is presently a critical and productive territory of tourism exploration enquiry. Festivals and events have thrived in recent decades and enthusiasm for comprehension their essentialness in the tourism foundation has risen as needs be. A festival is a celebration of life. Festivals convey peace and bliss to the masses. They break the repetitiveness of life. Festivals and events give credibility and uniqueness, particularly with events in view of investment indigenous qualities, helpful neighborliness and moderateness, theming and images for members and observers. As per Brundtland Commission in our basic Future, 1987, sustainable means addressing the needs of the present without bargaining the capacity of future eras to address their own particular issues. Some individuals characterized â€Å"event and festival tourism† as activities, planning, and management practices associated with public, themed events. UNWTO characterizes sustainable tourism as â€Å"tourism that makes full note of its present and future financial, social and ecological effects, tending to the needs of guests, the industry, and nature and host groups. Subsequently, sustainable tourism ought to make ideal utilization of natural assets, regard the socio-cultural validness of host groups and give reasonable, long-term financial profits to all. Sustainable tourism development addresses the issues of present tourists and host regions while ensuring and improving opportunities for the future. It is imagined as prompting to administration of all resources in such a rout e to the point of economic, social and aesthetic needs can be satisfied while keeping up cultural integrity, essential ecological processes, biological diversity and life support networks, (WTO, 2002e). Festivals are seen as apparatuses set up advertising and destination image making, and are esteemed for their capacity to animate urban areas, resorts and attractions (Andersson and Getz, 2008:200). The overall public of urban centers facilitating festivals from time to time to determines any vocation opportunities from festival tourism (Janiskee and Drews, 1998). Festivals are being more generous for regional tourism planning activities. It plays various part of significant roles in a town or area. Getz (1997) distinguishes these as â€Å"attractions, picture producers, artists of static attractions and impetuses for further advancement. Penang Hot Air Balloon Fiesta will give guests a chance to have a great experience. There will be 15 hot air balloons over a 2-day festival and this event is open to all ages from 6am to 9pm at Padang Polo (Polo Ground) with balloon set-up at 7am and free-flying balloon shows that will amazement you at 7:30am. The event is upheld by the Penang state government in collaboration with the Penang Island Municipal Council and the Penang Global Tourism in a joint effort with Tourism Malaysia. This is also the first time that the island is having the Penang Hot Air Balloon Fiesta 2015. Marketing and motivation In the recent decades, festival and event tourism has been one of the quickest developing segments of the world recreation industry (Getz, 1991; Nicholson Pearce, 2001), and has gotten expanding consideration by scholarly researches. In addition to commonly targeted topics, for example economic impact, promoting marketing strategies of mega-events, and festival management (Ralston Hamilton, 1992). There is a developing stream of research concentrating on the inspirations of attendees. It has been concurred that understanding motivations, or the â€Å"internal element that arouses, coordinates, and incorporate a person’s behavior† (Iso-Ahola 1980, cited in Crompton McKay, 1997, p.425), prompts better planning and advertising of festivals and events, and better division of members. From a tourism point of view, events clearly require audiences. As Faulkner, Chalip, Brown, Jago, March and Woodside (2000) argue, the destination improvement caused by an event is to a great extent driven by the participation it is required to create. Then, as Whitelegg (2000) notes, the effect of mega events on global tourism is identified with their ability to attract worldwide groups. Consequently, the advancement and advertising of events is a key territory of investment, and the inquiry in the matter of what motivates people to go to the events has been an imperative social mental inquiry going back to the early 1990s. Tourism motivation is conceptualized as an element methodoloy of internal psychological factors (needs and wants) that produce a condition of tension or disequilibrium inside people. The festival’s purposes are two-fold. To begin with, it is to show and honor social custom. The second purpose for the festival is economic. Approximately 1.62 million visits are recorded at festival events. Is sustainable tourism achievable? Tourism will never be completely sustainable as every industry has impacts, however it can work towards getting to be more sustainable. Sustainable tourism is about re-focusing and adjusting. A balance must be found in the middle of points, so that continuous changing, checking and planning guarantee that tourism can be overseen. This requires thinking long-term 10 or 20+ years and understanding that change is frequently cumulative, steady and irreversible. Economic, social and ecological aspects of sustainable development must incorporate the interests of all stakeholders including indigenous individuals, local communities, visitors, industry and government. Events and give various profits to a group and tourism area including expanded appearance and consumption, diminished seasonality, repeat visitation, elevated regional awareness and word of mouth recommendation. They can also give the jolt to extra infrastructure development in the local area and building community pride. Understanding the inspirations of event attendees and event exhibitors is vital in developing an appropriate event or festival that aligns with community values. Potential event attendees and exhibitors may be affected by an extensive variety of elements including substance and topic, area and access, event reputation, perceived quality and value for money, safety and security and support facilities. It is also essential to understand and deal with the effects of events for nearby groups. Events require physical settings in urban or provincial ranges, in forest, by streams, in open fields and purpose-built amenities. Media scope produced by events helps destinations fabricate certainty and a positive image in the tourism marketplace. Festivals are appealing to groups looking to address issues of urban configuration, local pride and character, heritage, conservation, urban reestablishment, employment generation, investment and financial improvement. There is a developing enthusiasm for the idea that festivals and events represent the host community’s sense of itself and sense of place. The arts and cultural industries, particularly through festivals and special events, can offer something for the tourism sector to endavor experience (Reiss, 1993). Early Discoveries In the first issue of â€Å"Festival Management Event Tourism†, two papers (Uysal, Gahan Martin, 1993; Mohr, Backman, Gahan Backman, 1993) on South Carolina events were considered as â€Å" a beginning stage for understanding the inspirations individuals have for attending festivals† Scott, 1996, p.122). Utilizing the 1991 Corn Festival as a study case, Utysal et al. decreased arrangement of 24 motivations to five elements. In the same vein, Mohr et al. (1993) studied a hot air balloon festival and identified a comparable bunch of inspiration subscales, however in an alternative request. Motivations were found to be a capacity of guest sorts. Huge contrasts existed between first time and repeat visitors as for the inspiration measurement of â€Å"excitement† and â€Å"event curiosity†, and their relating fulfillment levels. In particular, the attendees who never went to other festivals yet were repeat visitors to the hot air balloon festival showed an extraordinary inspiration structure. Penang Hot Air Balloon Fiesta 2015 Without precedent for Penang, a unique experience can be found at the Penang Hot Air Balloon Fiesta. There will be 15 hot air balloons over the two-day festival and they will float against the pleasant background of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of George Town. Other than the impressive hot air balloons, there will likewise be family-friendly activities such as fun inflatable playgrounds, imaginative workshops, photography rivalry and more! Penang is the place that festivities never end and in this year of festivals, the Fabulous February Fiesta sees Thaipusam, the Hot Air Balloon festival where visitors have the capacity to experience floating above strong ground alongside the effectively vigorous Chinese New Year celebrations and Tropfest SEA festival that showcases original short films. In conjunction with Penang Hot Air Balloon Fiesta, the Penang Hot Air Balloon Fun Run held without precedent for Penang Padang Polo. The run will give members a chance to have a unique experience on running with balloon together witness the hot air balloons take off in Youth Park and Padang Polo. There will be eight local and three international flying balloons and additionally four tethered balloons. This event is open to all ages and will incorporate other side exercises such as fun inflatable playgrounds, imaginative workshops, photography rivalry, kite flying and more. Problem statement Nowadays, to be a host for any worldwide tourism event is no more a benefit for certain developing countries. The position is coveted by numerous developing countries in view of the upcoming advantages the country will get toward the end of the day. The accomplishment from facilitating any prominent tourism event will not only make the country proud yet it additionally expands the financial result and exceeds the political effects. Economic factor is one of the critical components in advancing prominent international events as the monetary measurement of event has dependably been connected to economic growth and making new outskirts for the economy. As what we can see over the previous decade, Malaysia had been developing interest and intensive government investment in tourism industry (Ishak, 2005). However, other than all the positive impacts of facilitating event and festival, there are some negative impacts on the economy that need to be considered. Why organise a sustainable event? Organizing sustainable events diminishes their environmental impact, as well as advantage the main factors involved. Such profits include: Financial advantages Conserving energy, diminishing waste, purchasing local products and basically expanding less all can bring out in money saved. In spite of an occasionally higher investment of assets to research new frameworks or put resources into new apparatuses, applying sustainability standards can bring immediate savings (e.g. by printing less material and having less waste to collect). They can likewise have long-term financial benefits, because of the more proficient utilization of assets and simply access to credit lines and sponsors. Positive reputation and enhanced image – Promoting the way that you are arranging or facilitating a sustainable event will raise the profile of the event, draw in members that are getting to be progressively aware of sustainability issues and potentially connect the media’s consideration. It might likewise be increased in value by the general public as in addition partners and potential contributors. Social advantages – If arranged and executed precisely, the event can give advantages to the region by creating jobs, empowering neighborhood, including local Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) and can advance better meeting expectations conditions and social incorporation. It can also act as a catalyst for empowering ecological and practical best practices over the locale, and also enhancing the relationship between the coordinator and the local community. Opportunities for International Hot Air Balloon Festival The possibility to connect with more than 250,000 visitors going to the event more than a four day period. The huge number of side-events at the festival and throngs of guests to the festival which originate from all walks of makes it conceivable to streamline your organization to its intended interest. Cost compelling method of connecting with your target market with a substantial return-on-investment (ROI). The chance to coordinate your organizations message with visitors experience. The festival gives a gigantic chance to systems administration with different corporations, individuals to take your association on to more prominent statures. The four-day period of the festival, including two weekend days (Saturday and Sunday) gives the possibility to connect with repeat visitors. Sponsorship has been ended up being one of the strongest manifestations of publicizing and advertising to customers. The chance to connect with potential clients directly with the collaboration between your organization and guests at the festival. The chance to enliven your customers and corporate visitors with frienliness sponsorship bundles. The chance to showcase and show your product or service to guests. Sustainability in an event Sustainability can be characterized numerous ways yet the fundamental thoughts and ideas continue as before: adjusting a developing economy, protection for the nature, and social responsibility, so they together prompt an enhanced personal satisfaction for us and future eras. Event Location Selection: At the point when choosing a venue, search for one that has embraced sustainability policies and practices. An area that already is endeavoring efforts that harmonize with your event objectives can just serve to benefit you in attaining to what you need. Identify areas that are easily accessible from public transportation. Event locations that can be accessed by walking; by transport, or train will ease not just the strain on nature caused by car pollution, additionally can be cost beneficial if your venue charges for parking. Event Materials: Utilize new media and electronic innovation at whatever point conceivable to eliminate paper utilization. Ideas include making a conference web site; offer electronic registration and confirmations; and promote utilizing the web or email. Be sure to survey which materials will be need for the participant packets. If information must be offered in print format use environmentally sound paper and make sure to print double-sided. Plus, incorporate data about sustainability objectives in the materials. Name identification holders can be reused from event to event. Ask your visitors to give back their name badge holders toward the end of your event and give a container to them. Waste Reduce, reuse and recycle as much as you can; your local authority or local community group might have the capacity to help; attempt to enlist a group of green volunteers who will help deal with the recycling during and after the event; verify you have enough bins and do not give them to get too full, otherwise people will just throw their waste into the nearest available container. At the Venue: Ask the office to give visible and available diminishment, reuse and recycling services for paper, metal, plastic and glass. Put recycling bins in prominent areas and make declarations during the event reminding your visitors to recycle and direct them to bins. Avoid utilizing dates on signage so that they can be utilized again for different events. Transport Encourage people to go to your event by public transport, to walk or cycle. Give a lot of secure bicycle parking and minimal parking for; if outside, you could utilize bike rickshaws for transporting merchandise around the site and consider utilizing local contractors so you are not driving marquees all the way across the country just because it might save you a few quid! Getting ready for sustainable tourism development really alludes to environment protection planning and in that capacity incorporate a mixture of research activities and analysis before the choice for deciding the direction of the advancement. All these exercises are attempted so as to keep from the intensive utilization of assets in some particular territory, without previous care for the protection of the assets. An indicated by Hall, sustainable development and the utilized term â€Å"conservation† clearly endeavours to review the conflicting quality positions regarding of the environment. The author depicts sustainable development as a â€Å"essentially disputed idea†. Sustainable development could be seen uniquely in contrast to everyone, and is effortlessly acknowledged by any group. An indicated by few authors, this idea is seen as the development and intensification of tourism, while others understand this idea as an alternative tourism to the advancement of mass tourism. Planning and sustainable development can be investigated from two viewpoints, specifically: In terms of the local community In terms of the idea of the nature of tourism The local community must be included in the planning procedure and the development of tourism, particularly when it comes to the advancement of those segments of the tourist community which will bring advantages for the community. Such planning methodology ought to be applied mainly. We can enhance the sustainability of the event in order to make sure that next time while the event held at Penang, we will get more response from the local people as well as the tourists. Conclusion For a traveler destination to be sustainable, among other, it ought to make a solitary personality. You need to have a decent condition for residence which are not in â€Å"conflict† with other natural values, to emphasize the uniqueness of their way of life and heritage and depicts its population as very kindly. The extension and significance of tourism unmistakably demonstrates that it is insufficient just to develop new types of alternative tourism, regarding minimizing unfavorable impacts and build positive effects of tourism development. The whole tourism sector must be developed and must be managed with it thus does not destroy the natural and socio-cultural environment, it is a commitment and responsibility of the tourism economy of anywhere in the world. Sustainable development can only work effectively when four of its constituent components, economic, social, cultural and environmental parts have roughly equivalent significance and strength and conditioning and interconnection without the domination of any part of these components. Sustainable tourism development basically relies on upon the capacity of the environment to guarantee a stable and lasting basis for development.

Writing Response To A Short Guide to Writing About Film :: essays papers

Writing Response To A Short Guide to Writing About Film The words â€Å"writing about film†, to my mind, conjure up the Siskel & Ebert-like desiccation of film that one usually finds in a review column. Needless to say, such â€Å"writing† can hardly be found appealing to one who looks for more than the appreciation or dislike of a performance or the absurdity of story. In â€Å"A Short Guide to Writing About Film,† I discovered that writing on film should and can be a far cry from such drivel. It is a staunch review of technique in relation to writing specifically on film. Obvious technique, to be sure, but if approached the proper manner, these reminders can be quite useful in articulating the often hard-to-capture meaning or imagery in film. The author states that the goal of his book is three-fold. The primary two are; that it would be a time-saver for instructors who have difficulty dealing with the common writing problems of their students, and that it would help to alleviate students anxiety about writing by clarifying points that many instructors presume their pupils all know. He does this by setting down guidelines for approaching writing, doing pertinent research, and conveying it, along with analysis, in the medium of stylistic film essays. He provides an abundance of examples of structures, styles, and terms used in this area of writ. The guidelines I found to be extremely useful, for they pertain not just to writing about film, but to any sort of analytical writing. They helped me realize the qualities that my own writing lacks, and I must come to master if I am to articulately present my own subjective experience on paper. The third part of the book’s purpose is that by attaining the first two, â€Å"it would encourage more enjoyable and articulate communication between the two [Professor and pupil]† (pg. X). To do so, Corrigan endeavors to excite readers with the possibilities that lay in writing: sharing experiences, analyzing themes and imagery, and simply writing about the most popular and entertaining medium around.

The Web Unwoven :: Expository History Interenet Essays

Introduction The WWW and the Internet are joined at the hip. The two are not separate—at least today. (Galbreath, 1977).(1) Most graduate students today, especially those of us majoring in Instructional Technology (IT), use the World Wide Web (WWW or Web) and the Internet (Net) for research. However many students do not know exactly how the Web came about nor do they understand its relationship to the Internet. Students, along with the general public, often consider the words Web and Internet interchangeable, meaning one and the same thing, primarily for the reason that Galbreath mentions above—the two seem joined at the hip today. The purpose of this paper is to provide a synopsis of the historical evolution of the Internet, to distinguish between it and the Web, and to present a glimpse of the Internet's future. History J.C.R. Licklider of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) recorded the first conceptual description of computer networked social interactions in August 1962. His Galactic Network concept essentially described, in spirit, the Internet of today. It involved computers interconnected around the globe through which we could quickly access data and programs from any site. He convinced several of his colleagues of the importance of this networking concept. (2) Evidently, computer networking research work at MIT (1961-1967), the RAND Corporation (1962-1965), and at NPL in the UK (1964-1967) all proceeded in parallel without any of the researchers knowing of the other's work. (For a complete timeline of Internet developments visit Hobbes Timeline.) (3) For instance, in July 1961, Leonard Kleinrock at MIT published the first paper on packet switching theory and later in 1964 he published the first book on the subject. Meanwhile, in 1962, The RAND Corporation published Paul Baran's report On Distributed Communications Networks. The report was funded by a US Air Force contract to explore how the US military could protect its communications systems from hostile attack. In this and his subsequent reports, Baran recommended a national public utility to transmit digital data among a large set of subscribers. With his proposed packet switching system, messages are divided into packets, which are separately addressed and separately transmitted. Each packet is passed from node to node on the network. Although each packet may follow different paths, when it ends up in it's proper destination, all the packets are then reassembled into a complete message.