Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Effects of Teenage Pregnancy essays

Effects of Teenage Pregnancy essays The high level of teenage births continues to create numerous problems for social services, parents and the public at large. At the beginning of a new century, reducing teenage childbearing remains a challenge to social scientists, service providers and public officials. An organization named, The National Campaign to Prevent Teenage Pregnancy, have provided statistics listed on the internet. The research is broken down by individual states as well. The overall findings inidicate that birth rates have dcreased in the United States as a whole , for six consecutive years, (1992-1997). In 1997, the teenage birth rate was 52.9% births per 1000 females ages 15-19. The year 1997, is the most recent year for which data is available. This rate represents a siginificant 15% decrease since 1991. Althugh, the 1997 teenage birth rate is still higher than the 1986 rate of 50.2%, the lowest in more than half a century. In an effort to aim for a lower percentage in teenage pregnancy, the research from the following psycholgists and authors providing valuable information; can give a clear understanding of what remains to be done in the cultural, political and programs arena. In a survey completed in the Illinois High Schools, Grades 9-12, 1995) students were asked the following questions regarding sexual activity and contaceptive use. 1st Question Have you ever had sexual intercourse? The survey showed 46% females and 51% males said yes. A liitle over 50% of those students did not use any form of contraceptive. (TNCTPTP) Every 31 seconds, an adolescent becomes pregnant and every 2 minutes one gives birth in the United States The United States adolsecent birth rates is the highest among western Countries and approximately one million teens under 18 years of age became pregnant. (Hardy and Zabin , 1991) Those statitics are frightening, but the more imporant statistic is just under 50% ...

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Spanish Road Signs †Spanish for Drivers

Spanish Road Signs - Spanish for Drivers Try driving in a Spanish-speaking country, and you probably wont have too much difficulty with the signs - many of the essential signs use pictures or symbols that are recognized internationally, speed limits are expressed in numbers that you already know, and destination signs probably dont need translation. Even so, and especially once youre off the major highways, you may come across signs where the following list can help. The following list indicates some of the words commonly used on signs. Keep in mind that in some regions you may see different words used than those listed here. bus stop - paradacrossing - crucecurve - curvadanger - peligrodead end - sin salidadetour - desvà ­o, desviacià ³ndowntown, city center - centroexit - salidalane - carrilno entry - entrada prohibidano passing - adelantamiento prohibidoone-way - de sentido à ºnico, sentido obligatorioparking - estacionamiento, aparcamiento (Verb forms are estacionar, aparcar and paquear, depending on the region. Parking is sometimes symbolized by a capital E or capital P, depending on the region.)pedestrians - peatonespolice - policà ­aprohibited - prohibido, prohibidaroad closed - camino cerradoslow - despaciospeed bump - topestop - alto, pare or stop, depending on the regionspeed limit - velocidad mxima (typically indicated in kilometers per hour, often abbreviated km/h)toll - peaje, cobroviewpoint - vista de interà ©syield - ceda, ceda el paso

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Employee relations are one of IHRM. Critically analyses how cultural Essay

Employee relations are one of IHRM. Critically analyses how cultural differences might affect it. Illustrate your answer with examples - Essay Example This is to ensure justice prevails, and suitable measures are taken. This calls for the supervisors to consider progressive discipline and regulatory measures in effecting disciplinary actions. These measures are also required to resolve grievances and appeals from the employees. There are employee relations policies that outline steps that supervisors are supposed to take to address work performance and behaviour. Steps in these policies are not rigid procedural requirements that should be used in every situation. The measures are helpful in establishing guidelines to help supervisors monitor and ensure workers meet the expectations. Communication is a crucial tool in employee relations (Stewart, 2010). Employees require proper communication so that they can feel as part of an organization. Thus, it is necessary for supervisors to provide information to employees to promote good understanding of the goals and policies of the organization. This information is also important to employees as it helps in correcting poor performance, personal issues and other duty misconducts. Suitable advice is given to employees on legislation, applicable regulations and other bargaining agreements. It is through these advices that all indifferences are taken into account ranging from economic, social and cultural factors. In this process, employees are advised on the way to present their grievances in an organization (Chew & Chan, 2008). In this process, there is a proper understanding of organizational measures in labour provision. Employer’s main objective is work quality. It is obvious that happy employees create customers who are happy thus suitable business results are achieved. It is the need of every employee to get a respectful, fair, and a healthy workplace. Work motivators determine the work quality and the ability for workers to deliver at their level best. They include job security, workplace

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Benchmarking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Benchmarking - Essay Example Performance benchmarking provides a way in which organizations compare its performances with set performance metrics. Performance benchmarking takes the form of reviewing the company’s income statements and balance sheet to ensure they are made in accordance with the required standards. The performance gaps identified can be prioritized, corrected and follow-up can be made to ensure improvement in performance. Strategic benchmarking ideally is the comparison of companies to the long-term goals and objectives. It additionally involves identifying the winning strategies employed by top organizations and adopting them to the organizational strategies. Strategic benchmarking is majorly utilized by the top level management. Importance of benchmarking There are several key advantages of benchmarking. One major advantage is that it leads to cost-cutting for the businesses. Benchmarking lower the labor costs as a company can identify that a top company is used technology instead of la bor. Based on this review the company can adopt the technology has aided in cost-cutting. Benchmarking boosts a company’s product quality. A company can decide to purchase a rival company’s products for review. The information that will be acquired may utilize in developing a product whose quality is similar or even better compared to that of the competitors. Benchmarking can aid in increasing a company’s sales and profits. A company that is involved in benchmarking tends to improve its products, services, and even processes.

Sunday, November 17, 2019

12 Angry Men sociological analysis Essay Example for Free

12 Angry Men sociological analysis Essay 12 Angry Men focuses on a Jurys deliberations in a capital murder case. A 12- man Jury is sent to begin deliberations in the first-degree murder trial of an 18-year- old Latino accused in the stabbing death of his father, where a guilty verdict means automatic death sentence. The case appears to be open-and-shut: The defendant has a weak alibi; a knife he claimed to have lost is found at the murder scene; and several witnesses either heard screaming, saw the killing or the boy fleeing the scene. Eleven of the Jurors immediately vote guilty; only Juror No. Mr. Davis) casts a not guilty vote. At first Mr. Davis bases his vote more so for the sake of discussion after all, the Jurors must believe beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant is guilty. As the deliberations unfold, the story quickly becomes a study of the Jurors complex personalities (ranging from wise, bright and empathetic to arrogant, prejudiced and merciless), preconceptions, backgrounds and interactions. That provides the backdrop to Mr. Davis attempts in convincing the other Jurors that a not guilty verdict might be appropriate. A huge feel of the film is gotten through the time period it took place in. Peoples views on race were made very publicly within the Jury. Many of them seemed to have personal vendettas against different races. They deemed the boys Hispanic race to be slum and nothing more than that. A universal problem that is shown in several ways throughout the film is personal prejudice getting in the way of Judgment. Juror number tens reason for saying the accused boy was guilty was because he felt people from slums should not be trusted and that they kill one and another for fun. His prejudice lead him to discriminate against the boy initially by voting guilty earlier in the film, before being convinced in voting not guilty. This was during the civil rights era and all of that. We all know blacks werent treated equally and this makes it apparent that it wasnt easy for any minority within the US. Theyd rather lock them up and throw away the key than give them a fair trial. Tensions run high the second the Jury went into the private room to deliberate. It was a very hot day outside and the fan wasnt working nor would the windows open. No man wanted to spend more time than what they thought would be efficient to determine the verdict. Some even spoke about their plans for right after, thinking it would be a sure bet theyd be out of there soon with the whole night ahead of them. They were wrong. From then on the film turned into an example straight out of a sociology textbook. Everyone didnt deviate from the norm of the group All except one, Juror #8. The rest of the Jury was outraged and deemed him a radical. They could not believe two things. One, that he voted not guilty, and second, hat he went against the group norm. He tried not one bit to conform. Rather, he stood up in grand fashion and presented his doubts to his fellow Jurors. Slowly but surely his grand scheme was working. He did not know for sure whether he was guilty or not guilty, but he had a reasonable doubt and thats all about what the justice system stands tor. Its so interesting when you bring a group o t 12 random people into a setting like a Jury and see what you come up with. All of these men, from different walks of life , they all brought something special to the table that was ital to their key decision. The sociological theory that tone of this film could easily fall under is the conflict perspective. At the very beginning, viewers can clearly see the tension is between the Jurors whom most have a personal prejudice against the boy for certain reason. Some Jurors simply expected that a boy from the slums would commit an act like that they were stereotyping that all people who come from slums are criminals. Even if a person is not personally prejudiced against and individual or group, stereotypes can have them make discriminatory actions such as vote guilty. The reason most of the Jurors stereotyped the actions of the accused boys is because of socialization. The way of transmission was most likely through media; crimes shown by television new or new papers are frequently from neighborhood of low economics standing. Deviance a topic I touched on earlier, is another sociological aspect that can be examined in this film. Deviance is a very relative term where depending on the group and situation, it varies. Juror 8 was the only that felt from the beginning the boy was not guilty. When the first vote most of the other Jurors by he fact he could think the boy was innocent and even were upset at him for thinking that. As the film progressed the Jurors began changing their votes, eventually the roles were reversed; Juror number 3 appear to be the one committing the deviant act since it is revealed his own reason for voting guilty is because of issues with his own son. One of the most important things I learned in observing the sociological aspects of this film is how easy norms can change. The norms of eleven out of the twelve men voted guilty, changed entirely to guilty as the film came to a chose.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

The Downside of Student Employment Essay -- Argumentative Persuasive E

The Downside of Student Employment      Ã‚  Ã‚   In the last thirty years there has been a significant change in the adolescent experience in the United States. The teenagers of today have jobs. While the teenagers of yesteryear had occasional jobs like baby-sitting and yard work or summer jobs at the pool or on the farm, today’s teenagers have employment during the school year that requires a substantial investment of time. In the past, teenagers were either workers or students; working students usually dropped out of school. Part-time work for students was scarce. Now part-time work is common, and certain segments of the economy rely on the ready availability of low-paid teen-age labor.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In many ways, the high school experience, with its social life, clubs,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   sports, and volunteer service opportunities, may appear much the same as   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   in the past. But the time and commitment required by employment have   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   brought about significant changes in student attitudes and experiences.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The effects of student employment are consequential and pervasive.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Two major studies examining high school students and their world of   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   school, work, family, and peers, have considered the issue of student   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   employment. In Beyond the Classroom, Laurence Steinberg and his associates   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   report on their comprehensive survey of 20,000 students over ten years,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   focusing on student "engagement" with school. (Referred to in notes as   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Steinberg.) Another 6-year study of 7000 students looked at student   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   ambitions and how well they align with reality. This study is reported in   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Ambitious Generation: America's Teenage... ...sted in as a career. The education of   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   American students should not be at the mercy of mall stores and   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   McDonald's.      Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Works Cited      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   "The Downside of Teen Employment," Secondary School Educators. July 15,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   1999. http://7-12educators.miningco.com/Library/Weekly/aa0092697.htm.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Schneider, Barbara and David Stevenson. The Ambitious Generation:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   America's Teenagers, Motivated but Directionless. New Haven: Yale   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   University Press, 1999.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Steinberg, Laurence. Beyond the Classroom. New York: Simon & Schuster,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   1996.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Steinberg, Laurence and Elizabeth Cauffman. "The Impact of Employment on   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Adolescent Development" in Annals of Child Development, v. 11. London:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 1995: 131-166.   

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

The United States: An Empire in Denial

With the arrival and eventual establishment of a permanent settlement on American soil in the early seventeenth century, the English settlers came upon an expansive territory of land teeming with resources and endless possibilities. Soon, these settlers longed for liberty and thus desired to break free from the imperial clutches of British rule. Standing resolutely against a great and powerful empire, liberty was won in America by the blood of its founding fathers, indelibly written in the Declaration of Independence.Perhaps in these humble beginnings are the reasons why America today could never officially admit on how she has evolved into the empire she had once detested and fought. The facts, however, speak for themselves. America today is a colossal empire and as such, she has in her power the capacity to shape the future by creating a world environment conducive to profitable economic relations (especially to third-world countries) and international peace, both of which are in s hort supply, these days.What the world needs, according to Niall Ferguson in page 301 of his book ‘Colossus’, is an effective liberal empire and the United States is the best candidate for the job. What restrains America from accepting and performing its role as an imperial power? This paper delves on this question and discusses the following relevant issues: (1) definition of an empire, (2) what America has become, (3) the American might: strongholds around the globe, (4) the American empire: adherence and denial, and (5) America as the engine of global growth.America is now the only superpower in the world and she is in a position to greatly influence the course of human history. Main Body Definition of an Empire Probing into the topic at hand, it is necessary to elucidate on the true meaning of ‘empire’ as rationalized by Mr. Ferguson: An empire is ‘first and foremost, a very great power that has left its mark on the international relations of an e ra . . . a polity that rules over wide territories and many peoples, since the management of space and multi-ethnicity is one of the great perennial dilemmas of an empire .. . An empire is by definition . . . not a polity ruled with the explicit consent of its peoples, [But] by a process of assimilation of peoples of democratization of institutions empires can transform themselves into multinational federations or even nation states. (10) Thus defined, an empire does not require the general consensus of the people involved. However, an empire can adapt to whatever is the prevalent social, economic or political environment at hand. What America Has BecomeIn the course of human history for the past four centuries since the arrival of the English settlers in America, has the United States revealed itself, in whatever degree, as a nation with imperial intents? As Ferguson states: This book argues not merely that the United States is an empire but that it has always been an empire. Unlik e most of the previous authors who have remarked on this, I have no objection in principle to an American empire. Indeed, a part of my argument is that many parts of the world would benefit from a period of American rule (Ferguson 2).The United States is perceived to be the greatest empire to have ever existed in the history the mankind, propelling itself to the top, not only with its involvement and successes at previous wars, but most especially, with its exploitation of constant advances in science and technology for its defensive posture. In this field, America has no equal. As we have seen, by most conventional measures of power–economic, military and cultural–there has never been an empire mightier than the United States today (Ferguson289). The American Might: Strongholds around the GlobeFrom a military standpoint, America has the greatest influence over many other nations today. Controlling offensive and defensive strategic sites around the globe, its military arm is well-emplaced and is in the best position to act or react should the need arise. . . . the U. S. military has around 752 military installations in more than 130 countries . . . In the first year of President Bush’s presidency, around 70,000 U. S. troops were stationed in Germany, and 40,000 in Japan . . . Almost as many (36,500) were in South Korea . . .Moreover, new wars have meant new bases, like Camp Bondsteel in Kosovo, acquired during the 1999 war against Yugoslavia, or the Bishkek air base in Kyrgyzstan . . . At the time of writing, about 10,000 American troops are still based in Afghanistan, and it seems certain that a substantial force of 100,000 will have to remain in Iraq for at least the next few years. (Ferguson 16) What other nation in the face of the earth – be it in the past or in the present – could ever boast of such a claim? What other nation is more prepared to control vast areas of land, air and water with its military dominance?On lan d the United States has 9,000 M1 Abrams tanks. The rest of the world has nothing that can compete. At sea the United States possesses nine ‘supercarrier’ battle groups. The rest of the world has none. And in the air the United States has three different kinds of undetectable stealth aircraft. The rest of the world has none. The United States is also far ahead in the production of ‘smart’ missiles and pilotless high-altitude ‘drones’ (Ferguson 16). The American Empire: Adherence and Denial The United States today is an empire – but a peculiar kind of empire.It is vastly wealthy. It is militarily peerless. It has astonishing cultural reach. Yet by comparison with other empires it often struggles to impose its will beyond its shores . . . Only when the United States could cast itself in an anti-imperialist role . . . were the Americans able to perform their own cryptoimperial role with self-confidence (Ferguson 287). This is where the Ameri can nation faces its greatest hurdle in reaching its full potential and becoming a great empire for the greater benefit of the world, for it could not bear the concept of an Imperial America.It took a succession of humanitarian disasters abroad in the 1990s and terrorist attacks at home in 2001 to rekindle public enthusiasm for a more assertive American foreign policy, though even this had to be cloaked in euphemism, its imperial character repeatedly denied (Ferguson 287). But this denial is not a sentiment shared by all Americans. As events unfold and the need for change arises, more and more adherents to an imperial America surface, publicly giving voice to an advocacy silently embraced by a few.Richard Haas, who went on to serve in the Bush administration as director of policy planning in the State Department, argued that Americans needed to ‘re-conceive their global role from one of traditional nation-state to an imperial power’, calling openly for an ‘informa l’ American empire . . . As Thomas Donnelly, deputy executive director of the Project for the New American Century, told the Washington Post in August 2001, â€Å"There’s not all that many people who will talk about it [empire] openly. It’s discomforting to a lot of Americans.So they use code phrases like ‘America is the sole superpower’ â€Å"(Ferguson 4). There is little doubt that the declaration of an imperial America would profoundly provoke global agitation. However, one must bear in mind that this is not a new concept and that for decades, this abstraction has always been in the backdrop, even more so in every anti-American cause one would care to listen to. Few people outside the United States today doubt the existence of an American empire; that America is imperialistic is a truism in the eyes of most educated Europeans.But the theologian Reinhold Niebuhr noted as long ago as 1960, Americans persist in ‘frantically avoiding recognit ion of the imperialism [they] in fact exercise (Ferguson 294). All evidence suggests that America is an empire. The denial of the American populace and most especially that of the United States government to this fact is not an altogether innocuous act or claim, as in the present case of Iraq and Afghanistan. Does imperial denial matter? The answer is that it does . . .The trouble with an empire in denial is that it tends to make two mistakes when it chooses to intervene in the affairs of lesser states. The first may be to allocate insufficient resources to the nonmilitary aspects of the project. The second, and the more serious, is to attempt economic and political transformation in an unrealistically short time frame. (Ferguson 294) America as the Engine of Global Growth To this day, America remains to be the behemoth that it is with the American dollar taking its rightful place as the international currency in the global market.Twentieth-century history handed the United States a privileged position in the world economy; its currency became and has remained the world’s favorite. Since 1945 it has been used more than any other for denominating international transactions, and that has made it the preferred currency for central bank reserves (Ferguson 283). America, it appears, has everything that is needed to perform its imperial role. It is even likely that, in these times of widespread poverty, many countries would rally behind this cause for simple economic motives.The reason that so much overseas capital flows into the United States, so it is said, is that the American economy is the engine of global growth and foreign investors simply want a ‘piece of the action’ (Ferguson 281). At the end of the day, the alleviation of poverty through the creation of a dynamic and vigorous economy is the backbone of a peaceful nation. Here is where one sees the role that America should play. The Role that America Should Play What the world needs toda y is not just any kind of empire.What is required is a liberal empire- that is to say, one that not only underwrites the free international exchange of commodities, labor and capital but also creates and upholds the conditions without which markets cannot function- peace and order, the rule of law, non-corrupt administration, stable fiscal and monetary policies- as well as provide public goods, such as transport infrastructure, hospitals and schools, which would not otherwise exist. (Ferguson 2) The question that must now be answered is: ‘Can the United States achieve the role of being an effective liberal empire?’ There is no doubt that the America of today has a foothold on almost all of the essential attributes required to perform this role. Although the United States seems in many ways ideally endowed –economically, militarily and politically – to run such an ‘empire of liberty’ (in Thomas Jefferson’s phrase), in practice it has bee n a surprisingly inept empire builder (Ferguson 2). Because of the democracy with which America was founded upon, we have seen time and again how the American populace, in general, refuses to accept the concept of an empire.As such, it could not move on to greater heights of historical attainment. Others would claim that many millions of people around the world have benefited in some way or another from the existence of America’s empire – not least the West Europeans, Japanese, and South Koreans who were able to prosper during the cold war under the protection of the American nuclear ‘umbrella’ – and that the economic losers of the post-cold war era, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, are victims not of American power but of its absence (Ferguson 13).In the words of retired General Anthony Zinni: ‘What is our obligation to the world? ’ We preach about values, democracy, human rights, but we haven’t convinced the American people to pony up . . . There’s no leadership that steps up and says, ‘This is the right thing to do’ . . . That’s the basic problem . . . There has to be the political will and support for these things. We should believe that a stable world is a better place for us . . . the U. S.would make a much greater difference to the world. (Ferguson 293) Conclusion Through the acceptance and support for an American empire by the American people themselves – which in itself is a huge undertaking – the United States could significantly alter the course of human history for the better. This conclusion could better be proven by questioning any of the multitudinous impoverished citizens from a third-world country if such a nation would be better off under the auspices of the American dollar.The United States has always been an empire in denial. A truly unfortunate fact for humankind would have a much better place to live in if only the world, most especially the American populace, would accept, recognize and support this undeniable reality of an imperial America. Works Cited Fletcher, Richard. Colossus. U. K. : Penguin, 2004.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Drug Addiction and Time Essay

I believe that I am an addict, I made a lot of bad decisions in my life. But the worst was my decision to start using drugs. From the day that I started using to now I have loved it. And at times I would do just about anything to get it, I have done just about everything except sell my body. I stole from the people I love to get what I needed. Using drugs went from only on the weekends, to a couple times a week, to everyday. The worst part is, is I didn’t see that it was consuming so much of my life. There came a point where just smoking weed wasn’t enough anymore, and that’s when i should have walked away. I was 16 when I did heroin the first time. But it wasn’t until a year later when I started shooting up. My best friend and I did everything together and this was no different. We were hooked, she more than I, our lives revolved around getting high. I remember the days we couldn’t get it, she would shake and cry because her body ached for it so bad. I hated seeing her sick, all I could do nothing to help her. It was the worst thing that I have ever seen. When I could I would get her what she needed. We spent our summer days inside. Most of the time we were so high that we couldn’t move, but to us that was the best part of the day. At that moment we could finally just close our eyes and breathe. Looking back now the worst part for me is that I helped my best friend kill herself. I provided her with the drug that was sucking her dry. At that point in time I thought I was helping her. We have always depended on each other but this time we depended on something else. We both are not using heroin anymore, and have come out on the other side of that addiction. We both know that if it were placed in front of us we could not say no. Addiction has taken a lot from me. I have lost the trust of my Parents and my freedom I ounce had. My best friend and I can not hangout outside of school, were just not good for each other to be around. But most of all I lost respect for myself.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Socialism and capitalism essays

Socialism and capitalism essays While capitalism and socialism have their own strengths and weaknesses in terms of providing various opportunities for the country, socialism provides more for its people. In a socialist government the people are what make the country go round. First off, the large companies are taken over by the government in order to provide general services for the population, housing is provided, along with all other basic needs to survive. Industry is the only area that government has any real control over, they set regulations concerning profit and competition and leave the rest to the people. Small businesses are allowed along with private property, and the opportunity to advance socially. While in the ideal socialist governmentequality would be developed between the social classes, however this is not enforced in most countries that claim to be socialist. There are the rich, middle and lower classes, yet unlike in capitalism there is no class that does not have its basic needs met. In this ty pe of government the rich, middle and lower classes are taxed depending on their salary, the more money made the more the tax. Taxes benefit the people and are used to support programs such as health care. Capitalism has similar traits yet is the opposite of socialism; the government stays out of industry almost completely, except to prevent monopolies from forming in order to ensure fair competition. It also does not provide basic needs and runs off a system in which it is everyone for him or herself. If an individual wants to get ahead and achieve a higher lifestyle or class it is up to them to do it. This is one of the definite weaknesses in this type of government; it provides almost no support for its poverty stricken. Taxes are used to implement economic policies designed by the federal government, and are also used to subsidize various groups of interest such as private banks. Along those lines some taxes are used to supp...

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

The Truth Behind Pirate Legends and Myths

The Truth Behind Pirate Legends and Myths With new books and movies coming out all the time, pirates have never been more popular than now. But is the iconic image of a peg-legged pirate with a treasure map and a parrot on his shoulder historically accurate? Lets sort the facts from the myths about pirates of the Golden Age of piracy, which lasted from 1700 to 1725. Pirates Buried Their Treasure Mostly myth. Some pirates did bury treasure - notably, Captain William Kidd - but it was not a common practice. Pirates wanted their share of the loot right away, and they tended to spend it quickly. Also, much of the loot collected by pirates was not in the form of silver or gold. Most of it was ordinary trade goods, such as food, lumber, cloth, animal hides, and so on. Burying these things would ruin them! They Made People Walk the Plank Myth. Why make them walk off a plank if its easier to throw them overboard? Pirates had many punishments at their disposal, including keel-hauling, marooning, dispensing lashes, and more. Some later pirates allegedly made their victims walk off a plank, but it was hardly common practice. Many Pirates Had Eye Patches and Peg Legs True. Life at sea was harsh, especially if you were in the navy or on board a pirate vessel. The battles and fighting caused many injuries, as men fought with swords, firearms, and cannons. Often, the gunners - those men in charge of the cannons - had the worst of it. An improperly-secured cannon could fly around the deck, maiming everyone near it. Other problems, such as deafness, were occupational hazards. They Lived by a Pirate â€Å"Code† True. Almost every pirate ship had a set of articles that all new pirates had to agree to. It clearly set out how the loot would be divided, who had to do what and what was expected of everyone. Pirates were often punished for fighting on board, which was strictly forbidden. Instead, pirates who had a grudge could fight all they wanted on land. Some pirate articles have survived to this day, including the pirate code of George Lowther and his crew. Crews Were All Males Myth. There were female pirates who were just as lethal and vicious as their male counterparts. Anne Bonny and Mary Read served with the colorful Calico Jack Rackham and were famous for berating him when he surrendered. Its true that female pirates were rare, but not unheard of. Pirates Often Used Colorful Phrases Mostly myth. Pirates would have spoken like any other lower-class sailors from England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, or the American colonies. While their language and accent must certainly have been colorful, it bore little resemblance to what we associate with pirate language today. For that, we have to thank British actor Robert Newton, who played Long John Silver in movies and on TV in the 1950s. It was he who defined the pirate accent and popularized many of the sayings we associate with pirates today. Sources: Cordingly, David. Under the Black Flag: The Romance and Reality of Life Among the Pirates. Random House Trade Paperbacks, 1996, NY. Defoe, Daniel (Captain Charles Johnson). A General History of the Pyrates. Edited by Manuel Schonhorn, Dover Publications, 1972/1999, USA. Konstam, Angus. World Atlas of Pirates. Lyons Press, 2009. Konstam, Angus. The Pirate Ship 1660-1730. Osprey, 2003, NY.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Business Operations and Systems Literature review

Business Operations and Systems - Literature review Example It was one of the first chief oil firms to openly declare the necessity to protect the environment through minimization of greenhouse gases emission. BP has main listing on the London Stock Exchange and is a component of FTE 100 index. As of December 2011, the market capitalization stood at ? 87.1 billion making it rank fourth largest of any firm quoted on the London Stock Exchange (BP, 2012; p. 2). New York Stock Exchange has the secondary listings of the firm. The success of the firm is instrumentally motivated by the kind of operational strategies used by the management of BP. Power and capabilities have been effective in the firm in the development of world market for its products among other oil firms. As mentioned earlier, the firm operates in all the six continents globally within 100 States. The primary objective of the firm has been to drill and locate oil in various parts of the world. Other main functions have been to explore and produce crude oil and natural gas, refining of crude oil, market distribution and hauling and manufacture of petrochemicals. The firm has also considered producing solar power. Therefore, the tactical management of operations can be seen as instrumental in the success of the firm. As one of the greatest petrochemical and oil production company the firm has considered to specialize in exploration and production of gas, supply of the petroleum products and production and distribution of various chemicals. Currently, the firm has rapid modification of its outside market as the firm has highly regarded itself as contemporal learning organization, which is obliged to be reactive and adaptive to the high technology in the... The business can make use of this in their interior operations that can be applied to consignees, distributors and stakeholders. The process of payment or status of the cargo or consignment can be easily received thus providing an efficient channel for replenishment of stock at the right time. This technology can be used to assist the firm in minimizing the risks associated with the inventory management and maximization of sales through reduction of life cycles of the products. Furthermore, competitive advantage can easily be achieved considering the fact that there is an easy order-entry procedure and reduced paper work. Even though there are apparent benefits for companies and development of these operational management systems, there are still some observable challenges. Therefore, the firm’s management must be in a position to guarantee the obstacles can be handled with care to avoid loopholes in the system. What’s more, it is observable that the status of economy c an trigger British Petroleum to consider using all their arsenals in delivering products and services to various segments of the global market. The application of operational business management approach can help make more efficient the business assortment of the firm.