Nokia in Singapore Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Nokia in Singapore - Essay Example Commitment towards environmental protection. Nokia got ISO 14001 certification for its Singapore office for its provision of sales, marketing and support services for mobile phones, network infrastructure, Internet security and home communications businesses in the Asia Pacific region. Operators - customised cell phones For the operators, Nokia will customize handsets, whether in terms of co-branding campaigns, in their looks or uploading an operator's software or user interface into the phones at the factory Extensive network with the dealers and operators which provides a very strong and effective supply chain. The alliances with the suppliers, relationship with customers through the online surveys, cooperation with service providers to manufacture custom made phones are all some of the key factors that make Nokia the market leader. Fourth quarter 2007 net sales increased 120% to EUR 670 million, compared with EUR 305 million in the fourth quarter 2006. Net sales were driven primarily by strong volume growth in Enterprise Solutions device business, especially from the Nokia E65, Nokia E90 and Nokia E51, compared to the fourth quarter 2006. Mobile Phones operating profit grew 48% to EUR 1.9 billion, compared with EUR 1.3 billion in the fourth quarter 2006, with an operating margin of 25.0% (17.8%)... Extensive network with the dealers and operators which provides a very strong and effective supply chain. The alliances with the suppliers, relationship with customers through the online surveys, cooperation with service providers to manufacture custom made phones are all some of the key factors that make Nokia the market leader. Global market positioning as a very technically strong product. Hence, Nokia has more sales in its entry level models. Extensive research and development of new models to focus on the expectations of the customer. For example, Nokia has introduced its clamshell models to satisfy the changing customer preferences Customer care and support centres across the world to provide customer solutions Continuous growth in market share and net sales. Though the net sales stagnated a bit in 2007, Nokia has managed to increase its net sales by introducing more sophisticated models. 5. Past performance* Increase in sales globally by 40% in the year 2007 which has helped to consolidate the position of Nokia as the undisputed market leader Debt-to-equity (gearing) ratio is -61% up to December 31st, 2007 compared to -68% as of December 31st, 2006 Market share for is 40% (fourth quarter 2007), 39% in the third quarter 2007 and 36% in the fourth quarter 2006 Growth in net sales from 7.1 billion to 7.4 billion in the fourth quarter 2006 and 2007 respectively Fourth quarter 2007 net sales increased 120% to EUR 670 million, compared with EUR 305 million in the fourth quarter 2006. Net sales were driven primarily by strong volume growth in Enterprise Solutions device business, especially from the Nokia E65, Nokia E90 and Nokia E51, compared to the fourth quarter 2006. Operating margin of 15.9%, up sequentially from

Deadly Compassion Essay Example for Free

Deadly Compassion Essay Euthanasia means good death. It must not be misunderstood to mean simply killing he elderly. The purpose of euthanasia is to relieve the terrible suffering and pain of a terminally ill person with an incurable disease. The cause of euthanasia is compassion. Deadly Compassion There are many ways to euthanize. Some of the more common ways in the recent past: * Suffocation with a plastic bag, most of the time (but not all of the time) drugging the patient first. * Gassing them to death with carbon monoxide: not even approved for putting down a dog or executing a convicted murderer * Lethal injection, but families are not usually allowed to watch because of what the cool poison does to a person as it slides down the bloodstream. True, many people experience pain, pain that I could not imagine. But at twelve years of age, I watched as cancer ravaged my fathers body. He died from advanced stage malignant melanoma, using the selfless care of hospice workers and the anesthetic effects of morphine to die with true dignity. Termanally ill patients DO NOT have to die a painful death. Modern technology has made the passing of millions much less painless than anytime in the past. Proponents of euthanasia exploit our natural fear of an excruciating death by ignoring this technology. This deadly compassion will end up giving the Grim Reaper one more tool, and in the hands of greedy relatives, uncaring doctors, and less-than-thorough legislatures, the choas demonstrated in the Netherlands will be mirrored in every country that gives doctors the power to end their patients lives. The causes of euthanasia are a desire to end suffering and the viewpoint of having mercy on the suffering person by ending his or her life. Euthanasia is when a person is assisted in suicide because he or she can no longer stand the suffering that he or she is incurring. Proponents for euthanasia believe that it is a merciful and humane way to end life, instead of watching someone suffer. Opponents to euthanasia believe that peoples lives should be respected to natural death and should not be taken prematurely. Euthanasia is assisted suicide. In animals, it is often referred to as putting to sleep. For people, it is a crime. Im not sure what causes of euthanasia would be, exactly, since it isnt a disease but rather an action. Someone would commit euthanasia, or help someone commit suicide, if that person were sick or dying. A famous example of this was Dr. Kevorkian. For animals, euthanasia happens when animals are sick or if an animal shelter has too many animals to care for. The ef fect of euthanasia is death. Euthanasia is a desperate act that comes in many forms according to the definitions below. Consider the motifs when considering causes. Each case has its own circumstances and many ethical, moral, and legal considerations are taken into account. The purpose is to relieve suffering of an individual or animal and a difficult judgement is at stake. There are many controversial issues in regard to religion also. Euthanasia: the intentional killing by act or omission of a dependent human being for his or her alleged benefit. (The key word here is intentional. If death is not intended, it is not an act of euthanasia) Voluntary euthanasia: When the person who is killed has requested to be killed. Non-voluntary: When the person who is killed made no request and gave no consent. Involuntary euthanasia: When the person who is killed made an expressed wish to the contrary. Assisted suicide: Someone provides an individual with the information, guidance, and means to take his or her own life with the intention that they will be used for this purpose. When it is a doctor who helps another person to kill themselves it is called physician assisted suicide. Euthanasia By Action: Intentionally causing a persons death by performing an action such as by giving a lethal injection. Euthanasia By Omission: Intentionally causing death by not providing necessary and ordinary (usual and customary) care or food and water.

The Communist Manifesto :: Literary Analysis, Marx

The Communist Manifesto written by Karl Marx in 1848 is noted as one of the most influential political documents in the world. The publication of the book earned Marx the reputation of a prominent sociologist and political theorist. Despite his renown, there are many controversies concerning the ideas and concepts of communism formulated in the papers that are still heatedly debated even today. Marx (1998) opened the book with, â€Å"The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles.† (p.4). He scrutinized the class differences and social inequality between the Proletariats and Bourgeoisies, two terms he coined to represent social classes that do not own the means of production and social classes that do own the means of production respectively. Since The Communist Manifesto was produced in an era of great social distress, it was the result of Marx’s desire to eliminate the gap between the two classes in order to ameliorate the social, polit ical, and economic conditions of the Proletarians. To achieve equality, Marx encouraged the Proletarians to conspire against the Bourgeoisies to end the exploitation of lower social classes and set up a communistic society where class distinction is a leap of imagination. However, his ideal required changes that a society cannot successfully adapt to and do not ultimately provide equality. Marx’s theories were established upon only class stratification and ignored the many other factors that contribute to the foundation of a society. The entire list of demands that outlines the rules and regulations of communism do not fundamentally offer fairness. Communism disrupts the whole social exchange system which will eventually corrupt the economy of a society. Thus, the theories introduced in The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx are not relevant in modern industrialized societies primarily because they focus only on the issue of class stratification and neglected the other complica tions involved in a society. Marx (1998) believed that â€Å"Society as a whole is more and more splitting up into two great hostile camps, into two great classes directly facing each other – bourgeoisie and proletariat.† (p.4). It was a vital mistake to polarize the people exclusively on classes instead of taking into account the other factors that contribute to the build-up of a society such as traditions, religious ideologies, trust, laws, cultures, and such. Attempting to create equilibrium between solely the classes will cause new and severe problems that cannot be fixed with Marx’s theories.

So far, so Good… So What! – Creative Writing

It was 5 hours before the concert, we knew this wogtuld be our last chance to practice our lineup. My stomach curled up into a ball and turned itself upside down. Suddenly a thought struck me straight in the eye. â€Å"I forgot my damn clothes!† I screamed. â€Å"Well get back to your house and bring them here, we only have 2 more hours to practice till this place opens.† Adel said to me. â€Å"What! I thought we had 5 hours left, what's happening?† A more tense me blurted out. â€Å"The arcade opens at 7 and we play at 9. They said they wanted us out by 6 so they could get the stage ready.† â€Å"Oh ok, listen up I'm goin' to have to run back to my house 'cause I don't have a ride now. I'll catch you guys later.† I picked up my new, supposedly, waterproof and shockproof Nokia, the 6250. It was my pride and joy, until it fell down the stairs and found the screen smashed. I chuckled to myself, knowing it wasn't the end of the world. I pulled my socks up, tied my boots as tight as possible and pulled my pants up to the proper height. Two minutes running put my spirit down, I slowed to a fast walk, panting like I'd just ran a marathon. Altogether it took ten minutes of fast walking to arrive on my doorstep. Upon ringing the bell, my maid came tumbling outside and opened the door for me. I ran considerably slowly into my house, up the stairs and into my bedroom. The door creaked behind me and the noise sliced through my brain like a hot knife through butter. After a quick squeal I picked up my phone and called another member of my band, Khalid. â€Å"Yo man,† I said â€Å"I'm back home now and I'm just changing here and I'll be back.† â€Å"Ok then, just don't be too long,† He said. With that note I hung up the phone and turned on my CD player. Ran into a quick shower, put some fresh black jeans on, threw a black shirt on and picked up my leather jacket. Flying down the stairs, turning a sharp corner and falling over I reached the bathroom where my gel is kept. 5 minutes later I left my house with 4-inch spikes of black hair on my head. My mum sat down in the car and I jumped into it. I suddenly realized how tense I was. All of the 5 minute ride I was quickly going over the words of the song Trust by Megadeth in my head. It was 4:45 when I got back to â€Å"photon planet†. I could hear my band playing a different song. Fear struck my heart, the lineup had changed while I was away. â€Å"What the hell are you guys doing?† I screamed at Adel. â€Å"We've changed around a bit. I'll teach you the songs now.† He replied calmly to me. â€Å"Ok, do it fast,† I said. I picked up my guitar and plugged in through my Zoom Multi FX pedal. I jammed a harsh power chord and my heart sunk further. Someone had been playing with the heavy metal effects that had taken 2 hours of my time to set. Adel came running over and Ahmed jumped to the floor with Khalid. I fell onto the ground with a feeling of dread building up inside me. Quickly running through the 50 different pedals all miniaturized and packed into one box with lots of buttons. I knew from that moment that my guitar would be useless without the pedal. I lay back on the ground and a cigarette was pushed into my mouth. The worst filth in the world was soaring out of my mouth like a million rockets firing one after another. â€Å"Calm down man,† said Ahmed â€Å"just forget about playing the guitar today ok. Don't worry about a thing you'll play next time.† â€Å"But man this is so screwed up my day sucks!† I said with an insane laugh. â€Å"Hey guys get out of here with the smokes the manager's coming!† We pushed and shoved each other screaming and laughing to the fire exit. Down seemed like the right way to go. We all collapsed into a heap at the bottom of the stairs laughing and screeching like a bunch of halfwits. I started singing at the top of my voice, the adrenalin rush made me feel great. Azam came running down the stairs holding a tray full of drinks in one hand a guitar in the other. â€Å"I got us all a hot chocolate before we get up there. I just finished setting us all up on the mixer, its going to be great!† said Azam. â€Å"Aiiite!† we all screamed in unison, remembering the Ali G show we watched the night before! A few minutes later all hell broke loose upstairs. The official opening had happened. People were stampeding around the new arcade, playing games, flying all over the roof on the roller coaster and others just looking and causing chaos. Lauren came running down the stairs followed closely by Alice and Alyaa. I started laughing and said â€Å"I thought I was well hidden down here, how did you find me?† â€Å"Haji told us,† replied Lauren. â€Å"Oh ok. It's all good!† I just managed to laugh out. â€Å"We have half an hour till the show, learn the rest of the words.† Said Khalid The half hour passed in ten minutes, or that is how it seemed to me. Still unclear of all the words I ran up to the stage still running over and over in my head. Horror was before my eyes, hundreds of people were there. I looked closely and the whole of my gang was there. Without warning the song started. With the microphone in my hand it felt great. I sang, the words were on the floor in front of me. A gust of nowhere wind picked up the sheets and took them to the edge of the stage. At this point, I panicked, I started to sing the first words that came into my head. I could feel eyes burning into my flesh, I was shaking like a massage machine. I could hear the last verse coming to an end. I stood up straight and screamed, â€Å"TRUST†. I left the stage quietly and handed the microphone to the second singer. â€Å"Go up there and do the Spanish singing you do it better than anyone.† I quickly blurted out in Arabic. â€Å"Ok Jim!† he said. After that quick talk I ran over to Alice and nearly fainted from shock! I said a quick goodbye and left, never to be seen again.

Order in the World vs. Savagery Essay

Choose a theme and explain how that theme influences the system of rules and order the boys establish when they arrive on the island, and what happens when the rules disintegrate. Order in the World vs. Savagery Among Men In William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, the characters demonstrate what can happen when the fear of the unknown sets in. Giving up the familiarity of authoritative figures and domesticated surroundings can put some people, especially adolescents and children, into a state of shock. If this state of shock does not set in immediately, it is inevitable to set in with time. This novel, filled with allegorical references, is a prime example of how the cultures and values set up by people and evolving over time can be ruined by crisis, creating our main theme of Order in the World VS. Savagery Among Men. The novel starts out with our main characters, the school boys, who have been marooned on a completely deserted island. Being that these are mere children, it doesn’t take too long before everyone starts to realize that not only do they no longer have the structure of adult supervision, but they must also learn to fend for themselves. Conflicting human instincts begin to arise, and we all know that without structure in our world, instincts can be a terribly scary addition to this chaotic mix. It is quite interesting to see that even given their crisis of a situation, one of the boys still clings to his former civilized lifestyle. He still has the urge inside of him to work toward order and their pre-existing domesticated, cushy lives. Living in our sheltered world for such a very long period of time, in this case his whole life has created a barrier between him and reality. Given that he is just a boy, this is not unusual but rather expected of him. On the other hand, we have the majority of the boys, who have resorted to their primordial instincts. They start off with a sort of structure: the conch shell. This is their only form of order in their new life, a symbolic sign of civility which they have brought with them from their old lives. This was, at first, a sense of security. The conch was once used to summon everyone together as a group after their plane crash. However after Jack the leader was chosen to run the group, he became relentless, spouting demands left and right, expecting his group to agree at every whim or else. Ralph, one of the other main characters, opposed the barbaric ideas proposed by Jack, and created his own group. When Jack hears of this disruption to his overruling, he makes sure to convince everyone that they need to be on his team and that he can help them more than wimpy Ralph will be able to. When his teachings are unleashed, Roger rolls a giant boulder onto Piggy, which also crushes their conch shell. I believe that this is a symbol of the disintegration of all civility among the boys. As these rules continue to diminish, the representation of our theme becomes more and more clear. For example, Simon encounters the beast that frightens all of the boys to no end, only to find that the beast does not exist; it is imaginary. The beast, we find, is simply a symbol which lies inside of each and every person because it represents human primitive instincts. When Simon went to alert the rest of the group about the beast, the boys with their newfound savage ways of living attacked Simon immediately without any hesitation whatsoever. The boys tore his body limb from limb until there was no life left. This part of the novel is an extremely important part of the theme because the behavior of the boys is what brought this â€Å"beast† to life! In conclusion, as you are able to see, our theme of order and reason in the world versus savagery and impulse influences the system of rules (or lack thereof) throughout the entire novel. In the beginning, many clung tight to their lives of order, while the remainder of others decided right away that because there was no supervision, they needed to have a leader as soon as possible. Toward the end of our novel, as their rules began to dismantle and leadership turned to a god complex dictatorship, we are still able to see the influential theme in the story line as savagery among men takes over all order when the killing begins.

History of the Thermometer and Lord Kelvin

History of the Thermometer and Lord Kelvin Lord Kelvin invented the Kelvin Scale in 1848 used on thermometers. The Kelvin Scale measures the ultimate extremes of hot and cold. Kelvin developed the idea of absolute temperature, what is called the Second Law of Thermodynamics, and developed the dynamical theory of heat. In the 19th century, scientists were researching what was the lowest temperature possible. The Kelvin scale uses the same units as the Celcius scale, but it starts at ABSOLUTE ZERO, the temperature at which everything including air freezes solid. Absolute zero is O K, which is - 273 °C degrees Celsius. Lord Kelvin - Biography Sir William Thomson, Baron Kelvin of Largs, Lord Kelvin of Scotland (1824 - 1907) studied at Cambridge University, was a champion rower, and later became a Professor of Natural Philosophy at the University of Glasgow. Among his other achievements was the 1852 discovery of the Joule-Thomson Effect of gasses and his work on the first transatlantic telegraph cable (for which he was knighted), and his inventing of the mirror galvanometer used in cable signaling, the siphon recorder, the mechanical tide predictor, an improved ships compass. Extracts from: Philosophical Magazine October 1848 Cambridge University Press, 1882 ...The characteristic property of the scale which I now propose is, that all degrees have the same value; that is, that a unit of heat descending from a body A at the temperature T ° of this scale, to a body B at the temperature (T-1) °, would give out the same mechanical effect, whatever be the number T. This may justly be termed an absolute scale since its characteristic is quite independent of the physical properties of any specific substance. To compare this scale with that of the air-thermometer, the values (according to the principle of estimation stated above) of degrees of the air-thermometer must be known. Now an expression, obtained by Carnot from the consideration of his ideal steam-engine, enables us to calculate these values when the latent heat of a given volume and the pressure of saturated vapor at any temperature are experimentally determined. The determination of these elements is the principal object of Regnaults great work, already referred to, but, at present, his researches are not complete. In the first part, which alone has been as yet published, the latent heats of a given weight, and the pressures of saturated vapour at all temperatures between 0 ° and 230 ° (Cent. of the air-thermometer), have been ascertained; but it would be necessary in addition to know the densities of saturated vapour at different temperatures, to enable us to determine the latent heat of a given volume at any temperature. M. Regnault announces his intention of instituting researches for this object; but till the results are made known, we have no way of completing the data necessary for the present problem, except by estimating the density of saturated vapour at any temperature (the corresponding pressure being known by Regnaults researches already published) according to the approximate laws of compressibility and expansion (the laws of Mariotte and Gay-Lussac, or Boyle and Dalton). Within the limits of natural temperature in ordinary climates, the density of saturated vapour is actually found by Regnault (Études Hydromà ©triques in the Annales de Chimie) to verify very closely these laws; and we have reasons to believe from experiments which have been made by Gay-Lussac and others, that as high as the temperature 100 ° there can be no considerable deviation; but our estimate of the density of saturated vapour, founded on these laws, may be very erroneous at such high temperatures at 230 °. Hence a completely satisfactory calculation of the proposed scale cannot be made till after the additional experimental data shall have been obtained; but with the data which we actually possess, we may make an approximate comparison of the new scale with that of the air-thermometer, which at least between 0 ° and 100 ° will be tolerably satisfactory. The labour of performing the necessary calculations for effecting a comparison of the proposed scale with that of the air-thermometer, between the limits of 0 ° and 230 ° of the latter, has been kindly undertaken by Mr. William Steele, lately of Glasgow College, now of St. Peters College, Cambridge. His results in tabulated forms were laid before the Society, with a diagram, in which the comparison between the two scales is represented graphically. In the first table, the amounts of mechanical effect due to the descent of a unit of heat through the successive degrees of the air-thermometer are exhibited. The unit of heat adopted is the quantity necessary to elevate the temperature of a kilogramme of water from 0 ° to 1 ° of the air-thermometer; and the unit of mechanical effect is a metre-kilogramme; that is, a kilogramme raised a metre high. In the second table, the temperatures according to the proposed scale, which correspond to the different degrees of the air-thermometer from 0 ° to 230 °, are exhibited. The arbitrary points which coincide on the two scales are 0 ° and 100 °. If we add together the first hundred numbers given in the first table, we find 135.7 for the amount of work due to a unit of heat descending from a body A at 100 ° to B at 0 °. Now 79 such units of heat would, according to Dr. Black (his result being very slightly corrected by Regnault), melt a kilogramme of ice. Hence if the heat necessary to melt a pound of ice be now taken as unity, and if a metre-pound be taken as the unit of mechanical effect, the amount of work to be obtained by the descent of a unit of heat from 100 ° to 0 ° is 79x135.7, or 10,700 nearly. This is the same as 35,100 foot-pounds, which is a little more than the work of a one-horse-power engine (33,000 foot pounds) in a minute; and consequently, if we had a steam-engine working with perfect economy at one-horse-power, the boiler being at the temperature 100 °, and the condenser kept at 0 ° by a constant supply of ice, rather less than a pound of ice would be melted in a minute.

Should Marijuana Be Legalized essays

Should Marijuana Be Legalized essays Should marijuana be legalized for medical use? Legalizing the use of marijuana would be a very difficult but understanding situation. If marijuana was legalize it should be describe for people who has a lot of stress or maybe just the enjoyment of being high and having a good time with friends. There have been a number of movements to legalize the use of marijuana; it has been gaining steam recently. Most citizens of American public now believe that marijuana should be legalized; others are concerned about health damage and other adverse affects. The word marijuana is a word with vague origins. Many believe that the word marijuana came from the Mexican word Mary Jane. Some believe that it comes from the Portuguese "marigu-ano which mean intoxicant. Marijuana has been grown for fiber and for medicine for several thousand of years, but until 500a.d, its use as a mind altering drug was almost solely confined in India, from there it started to spread throughout the world. The history of marijuana (cannabis products) is known to agriculturist as a fiber crop; to the physician, its an enigma. Someone or something that is hard to understand or explain. To the trafficker its a source of profitable danger and to police its a menace. Marijuana has been held happening together or at the same time in high and low esteem at various times throughout recorded history, especially in todays times. There are several reasons why marijuana should be legalized. One reason is that it could be a source of additional tax revenue. The government should not have any problems spending any extra money since it will be taxed when purchased. Next, the streets will be a much safer place to hang without any cops questioning you. The legalization of marijuana would settle all disputes that streets may have. Another reason is that it would put a limit on the use of the ...

The Inventing Life of Thomas Jefferson

The Inventing Life of Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson was born on April 13, 1743, at Shadwell in Albemarle County, Virginia. A member of the Continental Congress, he was the author of the Declaration of Independence at the age of 33. After American independence was won, Jefferson worked for the revision of the laws of his home state of Virginia, to bring them into conformity with the freedoms embraced by the new Constitution of the United States. Although he had drafted the states Bill for Establishing Religious Freedom in 1777, Virginias General Assembly postponed its passage. In January 1786, the bill was reintroduced and, with the support of James Madison, passed as An Act for Establishing Religious Freedom. In the election of 1800, Jefferson defeated his old friend John Adams to become the third president of the new United States. An inveterate collector of books, Jefferson sold his personal library to Congress in 1815 in order to rebuild the collection of the Congressional Library, destroyed by fire in 1814. The last years of his life were spent in retirement at Monticello, during which period he founded, designed, and directed the building of the University of Virginia. Jurist, diplomat, writer, inventor, philosopher, architect, gardener, negotiator of the Louisiana Purchase, Thomas Jefferson requested that only three of his many accomplishments be noted on his tomb at Monticello: Author of the Declaration of American IndependenceAuthor of the Virginia Statute for Religious FreedomFather of the University of Virginia Thomas Jeffersons Design for a Plow President Thomas Jefferson, one of Virginias largest planters, considered agriculture to be a science of the very first order, and he studied it with great zeal and commitment. Jefferson introduced numerous plants to the United States, and he frequently exchanged farming advice and seeds with like-minded correspondents. Of particular interest to the innovative Jefferson was farm machinery, especially the development of a plow which would delve deeper than the two to three inches achieved by a standard wooden plow. Jefferson needed a plow and method of cultivation that would help prevent the soil erosion that plagued Virginias Piedmont farms. To this end, he and his son-in-law, Thomas Mann Randolph (1768-1828), who managed much of Jeffersons land, worked together to develop iron and mould  board plows that were specifically designed for hillside plowing, in that they turned the furrow to the downhill side. As the calculations on the sketch show, Jeffersons plows were often based on mathematical formulas, which helped facilitate their duplication and improvement.​​​ Macaroni Machine Jefferson acquired a taste for continental cooking while serving as American minister to France in the 1780s. When he returned to the United States in 1790 he brought with him a French cook and many recipes for French, Italian, and other au courant cookery. Jefferson not only served his guests the best European wines, but he liked to dazzle them with delights such as ice cream, peach flambe, macaroni, and macaroons. This drawing of a macaroni machine, with the sectional view showing holes from which dough could be extruded, reflects Jeffersons curious mind and his interest and aptitude in mechanical matters. Other Inventions of Thomas Jefferson Jefferson designed an improved version of the dumbwaiter. While serving as George Washingtons secretary of state (1790-1793), Thomas Jefferson devised an ingenious, easy, and secure method to encode and decode messages: the Wheel Cipher. In 1804, Jefferson abandoned his copying press and for the rest of his life used exclusively the polygraph for duplicating his correspondence.

Post-War European Films and the Concept of Auteur Essay

Post-War European Films and the Concept of Auteur - Essay Example The essay "Post-War European Films and the Concept of Auteur" describes the concept of the 'auteur', especially in the context of post-war European cinema, from the films of the Spanish director Almodovar. The paper also focuses on the different themes that can be found in the works of Almodovar, in order to explain why the 'auteur' is now an important part of contemporary European cinema. There have been a lot of developments in European cinema since the Second World War ended. Some of the filmmakers in Europe actually experimented with new ideas and concepts on how to make films, as well as on the very technique and purpose of filmmaking in itself. Some filmmakers experimented on social realism, while some also experimented in making magical realist, existentialist, psychological, and symbolic films. However, there is one particular development on post-war filmmaking in Europe that has caught the attention of the researcher, and this is the concept of 'auteur'. In fact, many popular European filmmakers are actually categorized by scholars of film studies as an example of an auteur, and one of the most famous is the Spanish director and filmmaker Pedro Almodovar, the director of the films â€Å"Matador,† â€Å"Hable con Ella,† and â€Å"Volver†. In order to explain the importance of the concept of the â€Å"auteur† in European cinema, it is important first to define this concept, especially in the context of post-war filmmaking in Europe. The word auteur is actually a French word, this word actually means the 'author'.... According to film scholars, the concept of the auteur actually refers to the original idea of the French filmmaker Francois Truffaut (1932-1984), who in his manifesto â€Å"The Policy of Auteurs,† declared that â€Å"Cinema as an art made by a filmic artist and not by a writer,† wherein the filmic artist, or the filmmaker, is actually the auteur (â€Å"Truffaut’s manifesto: La Politique des Auteurs† n. p.). In this case, then, the concept of the auteur actually emphasizes the role of the filmmaker (or the director in that case), in the creation of the film itself, wherein the film is actually a creative product of the auteur (the filmmaker); also, it then follows that films actually represent the filmmakers actual creative vision (â€Å"Truffaut’s manifesto: La Politique des Auteurs† n. p.). In this case, in the treatise of Truffaut, he actually argues that despite the involvement of film in an industrial or commercial process, wherein elemen ts of the studio may heavily determine the outcome of the film; but the theory of auteur still actually holds that the creative voice (or the creative elements) of the film still actually shines out, and this come from the artistic and creative viewpoint of the auteur (â€Å"Truffaut’s manifesto: La Politique des Auteurs† n. p.). In this case, the theory of â€Å"auteurism† actually came out from this concept, wherein films can actually be analyzed or understood according to the different characteristics and themes of the auteur, and wherein common themes of the auteur can actually be identified with his works (â€Å"Truffaut’s manifesto: La Politique des Auteurs† n. p.). In fact, the concept of the auteur actually contributed much to the development of post

GDP and the circular flow of income and expenditures Research Paper

GDP and the circular flow of income and expenditures - Research Paper Example roductivity, expenditure, or income (gross domestic product of a nation) (Ouanes, Abdessatar, Subhash, Thakur, Lienert, Marciniak and Swiderski, 1997, p.87). Consumption is a primary concept in economics, and many other social sciences also study it. Economists are very much interested in the relationship that exists between income and consumption. According to some economists, consumption entails the final purchase of goods and services by individuals. Other economists define consumption in a much broader manner. They define it as the aggregate of all economic activities that does not include the design, marketing of goods and services and production. An example is the adoption, selection, use, disposal and the recycling of the services and products (Ouanes, Abdessatar, Subhash,Thakur, Lienert, Marciniak and Swiderski, 1997, p.87) According to economists, Investment is the accumulation of physical entities that are newly produced, such as goods inventories, houses, machinery, and factories. Also in macroeconomics, it is the amount purchased per unit time of goods that are not utilized but are employed in at a future date production. It is as a function of interest rates and income. An increase in the amount of revenue will contribute to higher investment and, on the other hand, higher rates of interest may lead to the discouragement of investment since it will be more costly to borrow money. More so if a company decides to use its funds in an investment. The interest rate will represent an opportunity cost of investing the funds rather lending out the money for interest (Ouanes, Abdessatar, Subhash ,Thakur, Lienert, Marciniak and Swiderski, 1997, p.87) According to economists, government spending entails all consumptions of the government, investments, and transfer payments. Government spending can be by taxes, seigniorage, and government borrowing. Changes in the government expenditure are a primary component of fiscal policy which is used to stabilize the

Merger and Acquisition of Ford Motor Company Essay

Merger and Acquisition of Ford Motor Company - Essay Example Mergers can take place only when there are healthy relations between both companies. Mergers also depend on the percentage of shares acquired from the firm. If the company to be acquired has good standing in the market, high share value and high points in the share market then we can say that a company is worth to be acquired or suitable for acquisition. Merger or acquisition sure has its impact on the employees and shareholders who are the unforeseen assets of the company. It is well known that any merger will have its pro's and cons. Some mergers happen for profit and some not to incur losses. Employees may or may not be benefited by the merger. The new mangemen6t may not provide all the facilities, unlike the earlier owner. The new company will definitely try to curb miscellaneous expenses and cut management costs. In order to cut costs, they may reduce the number of employees working per department. After merger employees may be asked to change their shift timings, move from one department to another etc. employees need to co-operate with the new management. Ford Motor company one of the oldest car manufacturing companies, if intending to acquire an ancillary unit or a vendor's factory, any company will be more than glad because of the whopping amounts on the deal. Ford has the best facilities to offer to its employees.  Ã‚  

Teaching Assistant's Handbook Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Teaching Assistant's Handbook - Assignment Example 1. Learning activities, materials and/or equipment, the organization of pupils, staff, and parent helpers are differentiated by the teacher to ensure that the â€Å"programme of work enables pupils to develop in the manner, and the rate, most appropriate to them† (p.145). This provides pupils with learning activities that offer a â€Å"variety of learning modes and experiences, and a fair balance of both mental and physical activity† (p.145).2. Pupils are arranged by ability groups for enhanced social and communication learning that is appropriate to their developmental level. 3. In order to encourage continuity and progression, established routines and systems are within the classroom that is similar to the whole school's routines and systems. 4. Praise and encouragement are used by staff towards pupils in the form of â€Å"positive feedback, continuous assessment, and clear explanations† in order to continue and promote steady progress made by the pupils.5. Chi ldren are monitored within the classroom by the teacher and the teaching assistant in order to match learning activities and resources to individual learning needs. As a teaching assistant, their role in planning and preparing learning activities involves meeting with the teacher regularly to discuss the â€Å"teacher's lesson plans, the objectives of the learning activities†, what the teacher's expectations are of the teaching assistant's contributions to learning activities and the type and level of support for pupils that is expected (p.130).... Her profile indicates that she has difficulty concentrating and is easily distracted. This would indicate that she has a short attention span and would require shorter, more interactive lesson activities in order to improve her learning. Activity 2. Task A. 1. Learning activities, materials and/or equipment, the organisation of pupils, staff and parent helpers are differentiated by the teacher to ensure that the â€Å"programme of work enables pupils to develop in the manner, and the rate, most appropriate to them† (p.145). This provides pupils with learning activities that offer a â€Å"variety of learning modes and experiences, and a fair balance of both mental and physical activity† (p.145). 2. Pupils are arranged by ability groups for enhanced social and communication learning that it appropriate to their developmental level. The groups are adjusted as the pupils learning needs change. 3. In order to encourage continuity and progression, established routines and sys tems are within the classroom that are similar to the whole schools routines and systems. 4. Praise and encouragement are used by staff towards pupils in the form of â€Å"positive feedback, continuous assessment and clear explanations† in order to continue and promote steady progress made by the pupils. 5. Children are monitored within the classroom by the teacher and the teaching assistant in order to match learning activities and resources to individual learning needs. Task B. As a teaching assistant, their role in planning and preparing learning activities involves meeting with the teacher regularly to discuss the â€Å"teacher's lesson plans, the objectives of the learning activities†, what the

Is Learning a Skill so Necessary in Life Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Is Learning a Skill so Necessary in Life - Essay Example I will argue this statement, learning a skill does not necessarily mean understanding it. My essays have a consistency of the message that claims the clarity and logic of my reasoning (the logos rule) which enables me to impact my audience through a logical appeal. With these skills, it is comfortable to say that I am an excellent persuasive essay writer as going to be discussed. Usually, the statements that writers would tend to make to express themselves, there is always someone who had already made them better. I make sure that the quote is connected to the topic in some easily identifiable way. While writing I usually like to ask a question this is my favorite technique since it could be applicable to any topic at any time. Additionally, it has a strong rhetorical effect on readers: people are conditioned to think about questions because answers are often expected of them. When I ask a question in my essay, readers are more likely to consider my ideas. As of writing, I use attention catcher that makes my readers want to take their time making a good decision that supports my proposal and by doing this can persuade my audience immediately. The analogy that could be used to explain this is that of a criminal prosecutor in a criminal case. The attorney cannot just state that â€Å"There were some blood drops in the defendant’s car,† and finalize the argument. He has to provide more evidence as that is not sufficient to base an argument. Likewise, writers need to explain what their evidence shows to make the connection. I do not make the readers draw their conclusions; that is my job for example; â€Å"The West has always been perceived as the land for better opportunities by the rest of the world. The overwhelming population in most Asian countries especially in China force people to migrate to western countries especially the US.

Atypical Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Atypical Development - Essay Example Grandin claims that her science teacher in the special education centre motivated her a lot thus helping her develop her area of strength. One of the many important things mentioned by Grandin is that there are myriad misconceptions related to autism. People think that a child suffering from autism is unable of doing any good to his/her life, which is a pure misapprehension. Grandin proved this belief to be groundless by achieving big feats in her life by writing valuable books related to autism. Any developmental psychologist or parent can benefit a lot from Grandin’s interview for building up the abilities of a child with autism. Grandin claims that autism does not mar the capabilities of an individual rather the visual thinking skills of a child with autism can be used for designing. Artistic minds tend to be less social and there should be a teacher working with the children with autism to teach them social interaction in an order to keep their minds connected to the outer world. The parents can build on their child’s thinking and social abilities by restraining from letting him/her watch television all day long. Rather, they should try teaching him/her basic concepts of language and ways to interact with people. Reference: www.npr.org. (2006). A Conversation with Temple Grandin.

Is Learning a Skill so Necessary in Life Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Is Learning a Skill so Necessary in Life - Essay Example I will argue this statement, learning a skill does not necessarily mean understanding it. My essays have a consistency of the message that claims the clarity and logic of my reasoning (the logos rule) which enables me to impact my audience through a logical appeal. With these skills, it is comfortable to say that I am an excellent persuasive essay writer as going to be discussed. Usually, the statements that writers would tend to make to express themselves, there is always someone who had already made them better. I make sure that the quote is connected to the topic in some easily identifiable way. While writing I usually like to ask a question this is my favorite technique since it could be applicable to any topic at any time. Additionally, it has a strong rhetorical effect on readers: people are conditioned to think about questions because answers are often expected of them. When I ask a question in my essay, readers are more likely to consider my ideas. As of writing, I use attention catcher that makes my readers want to take their time making a good decision that supports my proposal and by doing this can persuade my audience immediately. The analogy that could be used to explain this is that of a criminal prosecutor in a criminal case. The attorney cannot just state that â€Å"There were some blood drops in the defendant’s car,† and finalize the argument. He has to provide more evidence as that is not sufficient to base an argument. Likewise, writers need to explain what their evidence shows to make the connection. I do not make the readers draw their conclusions; that is my job for example; â€Å"The West has always been perceived as the land for better opportunities by the rest of the world. The overwhelming population in most Asian countries especially in China force people to migrate to western countries especially the US.

Contract Administration and Management -Contracting Officers Essay

Contract Administration and Management -Contracting Officers - Essay Example A PCOs value comes from identifying the best contractor for the job in consideration and ensuring that their compensation matches the work that they will provide. The second is the Administrative Contracting Officer (ACO), whose responsibilities include the administrative aspects of the contract, such as, monitoring the performance of contractors, inspecting and, subsequently, accepting supplies and services from contractors, and ensuring the payment of contractors occurs accordingly. The value of the ACO comes from the contract implementation in that s/he has to ensure that it occurs according to the predetermined terms and conditions (Stanberry, 2012). The third is the Contracting Officer’s Representatives (COR), also known as Contracting Officer’s Technical Representatives, whose responsibilities include assisting the contracting officer in ensuring that the performance of contractors reflects the terms and conditions of the contract. The value of the COR (or COTR) comes from providing guidance, as well as, technical advice with regard to the contract specifications, especially when dealing with service contractors. The fourth is the Termination Contracting Officer (TCO) whose responsibilities include ensuring that the termination of a government contract benefits the government or minimizes losses regardless of whether it is because of the contractor’s default or for government convenience. The value of a TCO comes from ensuring that the losses to the government from the termination are minimal (Stanberry,

The Effect of a Global Oil Shortage on the US Economy Essay Example for Free

The Effect of a Global Oil Shortage on the US Economy Essay Oil is a very important 21st century product. It is a vital source of energy, an irreplaceable transport fuel, and an essential raw material in many manufacturing processes. Crude oil is a source of great economic power. Since its production cost in many places is far below its selling price in world markets, the ownership and control of oil reserves have been a means by which great wealth has been earned and lost (Deffeyes, 2001). Oil has become the world’s most important internationally traded item in both volume and value terms and changes in this trade have had enormous financial, political and socio-cultural repercussions on the parties involved. Wars, revolutions and mass migrations are perhaps only the most visible manifestation of oil shortages. The purpose of this study is to explore what implications a global oil shortage would have for the US economy. Toward this end we will scrutinize the economic valuables being influenced by oil supply, analyze the ability of the US to meet domestic demand as well as extent of oil–dependence of the country, and make the conclusion. There are three major players in the global oil marketplace – the consuming countries, the producer countries and the international oil industry which mediates between them (Cleaver, 2002). The three biggest consumers in 2000 were: the United States (18. 7 million barrels per day), the European Union (13. 3 million barrels per day) and Japan (5. 5 million barrels per day). As a group the OECD countries exert most pressure on world markets, since they have the highest incomes yet produce insufficient oil to satisfy their own needs. OECD countries consume 62. 4 per cent of the world’s oil, yet produce only 28. 1 per cent (Cleaver, 2002, p. 169). Could the US Produce Oil Supply Sufficient to Satisfy Own Needs? The US has always been a significant producer but its mature oilfields have been in slow, steady decline since the mid-1980s. But perhaps of greater importance is that the country holds some 2. 8 per cent of the world’s reserves volume and, in addition, its oil is not cheap to produce. For instance, in 1985 Saudi oil was estimated to cost less than US$1 a barrel to extract, compared with $7-$8 for Alaska and the North Sea (Cleaver, 2002, p. 181). Thus, the US cannot drill its way to petroleum self-sufficiency in the long run, or to lower gas prices in the short run. Even if Congress opened the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling tomorrow, the oil would not begin to flow very soon. The US Geological Service estimates 3. 2 billion barrels of economically recoverable oil lie beneath the refuge – enough to meet the nations current demand just for six months. At peak production, the refuge would meet about 2 percent of the nations projected petroleum demand (Stanke, 2002, p. 912). Tapping the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, or bringing a new arctic field on line, would not change the US fundamental energy outlook: continuing growth in demand, declining domestic production and increasing dependence on imported oil (Chapman Khanna, 2000). What Implications the Global Oil Shortage Would Have on the US Economy The implications of oil shortages spread throughout the industrialized world, causing classic microeconomic reallocation of resources. Oil supply and prices affect decisions to invest billions of dollars in different industrial projects: whether to build major highways or rail networks trains or electric cars; offshore drilling platforms or nuclear power stations. Oil shortages also affect macroeconomic variables such as the levels of national incomes, aggregate spending and the balance of payments. The enormous sums involved affect countries’ rates of economic growth, levels of international debt and the overall functioning of the world’s financial system (Hunt, Isard Laxton, 2002). As Deffeyes (2001) ascertains, the coming oil shortage cannot be avoided. He suggests that U. S. political leaders, the news media, and the public are either unaware of or uninterested in the problem, although detailed reports forecasting the peak in world oil production have appeared in many scientific journals. The US oil industry itself maintains its focus on such issues as improving technology, drilling deeper for oil, finding new reserves, and accelerating production. None of these measures can have a significant impact on the coming oil shortage, argues Deffeyes (2001). He forecasts that a permanent drop in oil production will begin within current decade. Deffeyes (2001) argues that the list of fundamental activities is short: agriculture, ranching, forestry, fisheries, mining, and petroleum (p. 159), thus, a permanent drop in oil production will pull one of the blocks out from underneath the pyramid. If Deffeyes is right, the implications are enormous. He anticipates that sharply higher oil prices will bring difficult economic, social, and political passages for those societies most dependent on oil, especially on imported oil (Deffeyes, 2001), as the US is. Exporters will charge top dollar: a gigantic windfall for the Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and other big oil producers. He implies that the tumult will be greater than that occasioned by the oil price hikes of 1973 and 1979 (Kohl, 2005). Three things could upset Deffeyes prediction: the discovery of huge new oil deposits, development of drilling technology that could squeeze more oil from known reserves, and a steep rise in oil prices, which would make it profitable to recover even the most stubbornly buried oil (Cleaver, 2002). Previous oil shocks have all followed periods of strong economic demand, accelerating inflation from higher levels than prevail currently, a weak dollar at least in terms of the major foreign currencies, actual or threatened cuts or disruptions in oil production, and hostilities in the Middle East. Yet each episode also exhibited some unique features that aggravated the oil price increases (Little, 2001). For instance, an examination of the US postwar quarterly GNP data shows a slowdown in GNP growth after the oil crisis in 1973. Scholars consider the slowdown in growth after the 1973 oil crisis as an event external to the domestic economy (Zivot Andrews, 2002, p. 25). But, it seems reasonable to regard the formation of the OPEC as an exogenous event, there were other big events such as the 1964 tax cut, the Vietnam War, and the financial deregulation in the 1980s that could also be viewed as possible exogenous structural breakpoints (Zivot Andrews, 2002). Nevertheless, the financial world has reorganized since 1980. Effects of oil shortages and subsequent price rises, during the late 1970s, took months to years to spread from industry to industry; from price increases to wage demands. In the new economy, the shock of an oil price rise will spread in milliseconds (Deffeyes, 2001). Moreover, recent rising gas prices are a signal that the consequences of relying on imported oil will become harder to bear (Tonn, 2004). Petroleum is priced in dollars, and the value of the dollar has declined steeply against major currencies If oil were priced in euros or yen, the price per barrel would appear more stable. The American appetite for imported oil may end the dollars privileged status as the leading currency of trade (Kohl, 2005). The great oil dependence of the US economy could be shortened by means of more extensive use of nuclear energy, but unfortunately the US failed to take full advantage of this kind energy for political reasons. While nuclear-power plants are large capital investments, once those costs are sunk the marginal cost of nuclear fuel is very low-currently corresponding to about $4 per barrel of oil (Miniter, 1991, p. 37). Volatility of oil prices during the oil shortage will be aggravated by the unusually large imbalances between the US supply and demand associated partly with the recent unexpectedly rapid global growth. Over the medium term, moreover, the long lag times between decisions to drill new wells or build new refineries and increased supplies of petroleum products can amplify these instabilities (Cleaver, 2002). For instance, recent estimates by the OECD suggest that even a $10 increase in the price of oil maintained for a year is likely to add 0. to 1 percentage point to overall consumer price inflation and to cut 0. 2 to 0. 5 percentage point from output growth in the major industrial countries within two years after the oil shock (Little, 2001, p. 6). Economists have proposed a variety of mechanisms linking oil price increases with economic downturns. These include terms-of-trade shocks, negative productivity shocks, shifts in relative prices that may induce a costly reallocation of resources across sectors, and the monetary policy response to the increased price pressures. In the case of a terms-of-trade shock, an oil price increase acts like an excise tax – with a major part of the income gains going to foreign oil producers (Cleaver, 2002). The global oil shortage also would have an impact on the wages in all the US industries. Economists propose an efficiency-wage model in which an increase in the real price of oil resulting from oil shortage, as an important input price, leads to a decline in real wages as firms seek to avoid losses. They find that real oil prices and real interest rates explain the overall path of U. S. nemployment from 1979 to 1995 reasonably well (Hunt, Isard Laxton, 2002). Rotemberg and Woodford in 1996 presented related evidence that introducing a modest degree of imperfect competition in product markets considerably magnifies the impact of oil price changes on real wages and output beyond what might have been expected given oils relatively small role in the US economy (as cited in Little, 2001, p. 9). This would have an enormous negative impact especially on the small and medium–sized enterprises which contribute largely to the US GNP and are major contributors of new jobs using more labour-intensive production. They will have to shut manufacturing units and discharge workers because of the surging costs of electricity. But some factors testify that the picture is not despairing. Thus, increased energy efficiency, robust economic conditions, enhanced central bank credibility, and stable inflation expectations in the US suggest that the impact of possible global oil shortage in the nearest future will be more muted and manageable than in previous oil shocks (Tonn, 2004). Conclusion The discussed above demonstrates that the implications of the global oil shortage for the US would be very negative in many sectors of its economy due to substantial dependence of the country on the oil import, impossibility to satisfy domestic demand by own oil resources, recent weakening of the US dollar and poor progress in developing alternative sources of energy. The United States can restrain oil demand as a matter of public policy, or wait for rising prices to force consumers to cut back. Now the country has chosen the latter course by default. The efforts of the US public to swing energy policy in the direction of renewable kinds of energy are blocked by the Bush Administration and its fossils fuel industry supporters. Thus, the USA remains vulnerable to oil supply and price shocks. One implication is that current US policy, in promoting still heavier investment in fossil fuels, is misguided. If we dont shift away from oil, we may as well gift-wrap the entire budget surplus and send it to the oil producing countries – Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and other. As Deffeyes (2001) reasonably ascertains, rather than have the crisis sneak up on us, we can see it coming and initiate some of the long lead-time projects in advance. Forewarned is forearmed (p. 187).

Leadership Development And Norma Rae

Leadership Development And Norma Rae An Interactive Successful leader, the Norma Rae (Portrayed by Sally Field) and this classic movie is actually based on the true life of Crystal lee Sutton formerly known as Crystal Lee Jordan who was an employee at J.P Stevens Plant in Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina before being fired in an attempt unionize the employees of the factory. Crystal lee Sutton, who was an American advocate and union organizer, made $2.65 an hour and like Norma Rae had struggled for a safe, fair, working environment for all. (Source-Wikipidea.com) Norma Rae, is a classic example of courage and determination of a strong and motivated women who beyond being small, Un-certain and Un-sophisticated has demonstrated an exceptional leadership quality which facilitated as an instrument to eradicate the common suffering prevalent in her community. Its a brave act of a strong woman against discrimination, sexism and racism. Its a fight for the human rights to live in a fair working environment. Movie has confirmed the truth again that one doesnt needs to be better than the people whom they lead as Norma Rae(Sally Field) exhibits the most robust act of wordless suasion further acknowledging that in leadership, Oratory isnt the whole thing. A radical transformation of a destined follower benefitting more than just a few is the storyline behind Norma Rae. As the study done by Calliper also states that: Women leaders are more assertive and persuasive, have a stronger need to get things done and are more willing to take risks than male leaders.Women leaders were also found to be more empathetic and flexible, as well as stronger in interpersonal skills than their male counterparts.enabl[ing] them to read situations accurately and take information in from all sides.These women leaders are able to bring others around to their point of view.because they genuinely understand and care about where others are coming from.so that the people they are leading feel more understood, supported and valued Norma Rae as a protà ©gà ©e and Rueben being her mentor have exhibited an effective leadership with slightly different leadership styles which further benefitted them to sell their vision to others and guides others for a better tomorrow. In the Movie, Norma Rae, shares the same social identity (Hogg et al, 2001) as she is one of them who have worked within the same mill with her whole family throughout their lives. Anxious still firm, she never denies her past and engages in battle passionately for what she believed was indispensable for the community. Its the Rueben efforts that catalyses Norma from a being a follower to a rebel for a common cause and suffering. Norma Rae demonstrates a more intuitive, task oriented, shared power approach towards leadership and an eagerness to encompass and seek conciliation as suggested by studies about women managers (Fox Shuhmann, 1999; Rosener, 1995; Lunneborg, 1990; Billing and Alvesson, 1994; Gilligan, 1982: Guy, 1992). The Film In the Movie, Norma Rae the protagonist, leads her people towards a better livelihood from a despondent drudgery (Clemens et al, 2000) struggling with all who with money and rights tried to trample the basic human rights. O.P Henley Mill, where she worked as a worker provided her the real platform to explore her true potential. Norma Rae an un-educated, poor worker who finally articulates the pain, and sufferings of all the co workers without any domination but with the power of a unionised effort. As said by Dr. Musimbi kanyaro also that in todays world: Domination as a leadership style is becoming less and less popular. There is a new growing appreciation ofthose traits that women use to keep families together and to organize volunteers to unite and make change in the shared life of communities. These newly admired leadership qualities of shared leadership; nurturance and doing good for others are today not only sought after but also indeed needed to make a difference in the world.A feminine way of leading includes helping the world to understand and be principled about values that really matter. Similarly Norma Rae utilizes the power of shared leadership, nurturance and participative leadership to sell the vision and value behind working in a safe, fair environment being equal for everyone everywhere. It was the exuberant effort of her mentor Reuben Warshawsky , an American labor Union Organiser (Played by Ron Liebman) who sparked the flame inside the passive follower Norma Raes heart, radically transforming her from a follower to rebel with a cause. According to a study of Calliper also it states, that women leaders like Norma Rae learns from adversity and carry on with an Ill show you attitude. Norma Rae has demonstrated the fact that even being denigrated due to the dicey sexual past and bad temper she would never deny who she is and even wont let it matter also. She continued the struggle passionately and won the allegiance of the downtrodden workers while remaining as one of them. As power is not based on title or status; it comes from connecting with people and standing up for what you believe in (Goleman et al, 2002), Norma Raes has also demonstrated the same when she stood up after scrawling the word union on a board, holding her declaration for almost three minutes and as a result, the workers switched off their machines. She stood scared but firm to elucidate the apathy of her and her co-workers. As been described by John Mac Gregory Burns observation: The key distinctive role of the leadership at the outset is that leaders take the initiative. They address their creative insights to potential followers, seize their attention, and spark further interaction. The first act is decisive because it breaks up a static situation and establishes a relationship. It is in every sense, a creative act. (2003:172) Norma Rae who took the initiative of unionisation, and were able to establish the connection became a vital part in the formation of the victorious union. According to (Paglis and Green, 2002) also leaders with high Self Efficacy takes more initiatives to solve the problems and introduce the desirable changes, So Norma Rae shares an high self efficacy to bring substantial changes in system. In the movie Reuben, who knew the legal system and laws, guides Norma as a mentor to take matured and rightful strong decisions. As Gini, A. (1998) explains about the use of power, Norma Rae has pushed the common goal of Unionisation even without any official authority such that through her actions and diligence she persuaded, orchestrated, guided, directed and mobilised her co-workers. Leaders like Norma Rae are confident in the ability to influence people and are more likely to use persuasion rather than coercive or manipulative influence tactics (Goodstadt Hjelle, 1973). As a leader, Norma Rae has interacted in non-coercive ways to decide what changes they wanted to make. It was a multi-directional influence relationship (Rost-1991) between the Norma and its co followers with a mutual objective to accomplish a real change. After being polished and waging a war with full throttle energy Norma shared a teacher-student relationship with Reuben where reverse mentoring (Bass et al, 1994) also cultivated. It was cultivated further into peer relationship, where mentor also being guided by protà ©gà ©e -In the movie also it was depicted when Norma advises Rueben, that the flyer was too complicated and needed more simplification. In the whole movie Rueben, an expertise and an experienced leader was able to organize the zeal inside the Norma Rae to overcome the obstacles together. Rueben has also used the authority and knowledge to individually deal with some difficult situations in the movie for example, when he gets the notice rightly positioned on the notice board during the official visit within the factory. In the end Norma Rae, finally confronts the management more strongly to amputate the whimsical management system as she herself being victimized when her father dies due to pathetic working conditions. One amongst the 800 mill workers she dares and raises her voice to fight for a common cause. The Director perspective The director has demonstrated three distinct leadership styles within the movie where Norma Rae portrays as a Transformational leader with social identity theory and participative leadership style. She demonstrates Situational leadership corroborating the fact that leaders are made not born and leadership is not gender specific. The second style being portrayed by Rueben is of Authentic-Ethical, and of a charismatic Transformational leader, having mentor-protà ©gà ©e relationship with Norma Rae mentoring her, the democratic style of leadership. The third style is of the management of O.P.Henley Textile Mill, being totally autocratic, authoritarian style of leadership. Analysing leadership The main leadership paradigms illustrated in the film are- Leaders can be created or Leadership as a Process Contingency Theory of Leadership and Situational Leadership Transformational Leadership Mentor-Protà ©gà ©e Relationship Authentic Ethical Leadership The Gender Perspective of leadership Social identity theory of leadership Leadership can be created or leadership as a process: A strong theme across disciplines is to gain better understanding of what constitutes effective leadership and which factors have an influence on leadership performance(Singh 2008) It was the confidence, Integrity, Connection, Resilience and the aspiration which made Norma Rae an overall effective leader. She was a made leader who gathered the courage and made the most effective use by synergising the team work for a purposeful action. Gather the courage and understanding to confront the competitive -independent milieus of most organisations; work with employees so that they are convinced that teamwork is to their advantage; and put teamwork to work to achieve synergy up and down and across the organisation.(Tjosvold and Tjosovold 1991) Norma Rae as a movie opposes the applicability of trait leadership also. As under the tutelage of Ruebens, Norma even without the charismatic power which is perceived to be an important aspect of leadership achieves the impossible even for her also. It is one of the contradictions under which she lived till the time Ruebens became his mentor and the relationship converted into mentor-protà ©gà ©e relationship. Norma marshalled (Bennis and Nanus, 1997) the skills under the tutelage of Rueben. Norma Rae with the cognitive ability (Bruce Avolio, 2005:25) even, after being rejected from the pastor, conducted meeting at her home, facing the conflict with Sonny also. Even after facing the conflicts both from the work and even from the family she was able to trudge through the path successfully and won her followers what they deserved. Even after being confronted hard by the company (work-conflict) she was able to stand as strong, as a powerful woman who conveyed the vision to everyone. She was able to win the hearts of the followers as she had the same pain. Contingency Theory of leadership and Situational Leadership As Bennis suggested that: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦more leaders have been made by accident, circumstances, and sheer will then have been made by all the leadership courses. Leadership and the leadership style is subjected to situations and circumstances (Howell et al, 2006) as shown in the movie also where Norma is completely being transformed and she fights for workers altogether. Its the way she exhibited situational leadership to motivate other workers when she holds the piece of cardboard with the word union written on it. This further formulated the worker to understand the real depth behind that word and they joined together by switching off their machines. Norma took the responsibility to integrate them through a single powerful word with deep silence and innocent eyes thriving to get them what they actually deserved. All the workers got turned into the followers as being aroused by eager and wants, by portraying the single idea from their perspective (Halpern et al, 2003) Transformational leadership Enthusiasm, Energy, Engagement, Sharing Power and information and encouraging participation are key skills or traits being present in a transformational leader. As said by Roserner (1990), a transformational leader is one who can transform and is able to motivate subordinates to transform their own self interest into the interest of the group through concern for a broader goal. Norma as a transformational leader had a very good understanding of the psychology of his followers to inspirationally motivate them and intellectually stimulate them. (Pierce et al, 2008). Norma Rae being personally identified as one of them was able to encourage the followers and motivated them to lend themselves for a common cause. Vinnicombe and Singh (2002) also described a women management and communication style as being based on personal respect, mutual trust, and regard for the contribution that each team member can bring, and the development of the individual and diverse talent. Rueben, being a charismatic transformational leader, told the story about his grandfather and unions to create a vision and demonstrate the values of working as a team and how a unified team is like a family. He knew that transformational leadership is a multi-level construct and type of individualised relationship that a leader establishes with followers which emerges within team members also. Even as described in transformational theories that emotional processes being as important as rational processes it signifies symbolic action and Instrumental behaviour. Rueben also told Norma Rae to leave when she behaves rudely and counsels her to be diplomatic. Rueben displays a very high emotional intelligence in situations. Even ( Avolio and Bass-1995) argued that transformational leadership is a multi-level construct and its the type of individualised relationship that a leader establishes with followers which emerges within team members also. High levels of Emotional Intelligence as said by (Goleman-1998) being the most important for effective leaders as it provides them the ability to adapt themselves to the different situations especially crisis. Authentic-Ethical leadership Gardener also has stated about authentic leadership and authentic leaders such as Genuine leaders are the ones who lead by example in fostering healthy ethical climates characterised by transparency, trust, integrity, and high moral standards. Such leaders can be called as authentic leaders who are not only true to themselves, but they lead also lead others by helping them to achieve authenticity also (Gardener et al. 2005:344) Rueben also exhibits authentic ethical leadership which is related to values and commitment for self development of the team members. As said: Ethical Leadership is also related to leader personality traits and needs (Brown Trevino, 2006b; OConnor Mumford, Clifton, Gessner , Connelly , 1995). Rueben has demonstrated all aspects of an effective leader with high level of conscientiousness, High Emotional maturity, Low nuerotocism, Low narcissism and high internal locus of control. Even Norma also shares strong internal locus of control as she also believes that lives are determined more by our own actions than by chance or Uncontrollable forces ,which is further groomed with Rueben motivation. According to Bass and Steidlmeier (1999), there is disparity between authentic transformational leader and the Pseudo Transformational leadership. Authentic leadership is a lot more than performing in a transformational way. The authentic transformational leaders are more based on their moral and virtuous foundations. The Gender Perspective of leadership As the meta analysis done by Eagly,Johannesen-Schmidt Van Engen ,(2003) it explains that women uses slightly more transformational leadership behaviour than men which makes them more renowned among the followers. Norma demonstrated courage as well as individualised consideration for everyone as shes used to remember the names of people in the movie which included supportive behaviour as well as the efforts to develop subordinates skill and confidence. Acc to Heller (1982) also there is a common myth that leadership is gender specific and only men make good leaders. Even in the movie Sonny complains to Norma about her casual behaviour towards family and paying more attention towards her union work. This incident also reflects that women are supposed to be taking care of household work only. This mindset is completely condemned by Norma and she proves that leadership is beyond gender and in fact women have certain characteristic that awards them the edge over men in being the leaders, like -empathy, and a caring attitude (Heller, 1982). Norma exhibits a classic example of an made leader and marks that womens posses the potential to become an outstanding leaders than men. Social Identity theory of leadership Norma Rae closely represents the group characteristics as well as aspiration, Norms and values of the group as shes one of them. She creates a social identity (Hogg ,2001) within the group. Norma Rae works closely with the followers and transforms them. Norma as depicted in the movie also very creative in expressing her beliefs for social development particularly when she holds that play card of Union in her hands. As supposed by (Reicher and Haslam, in press-b) that both leader and followers are active interpreter of social world. In Norma Rae also both Norma and the followers struggles for creating an equal world for all. It allows them to create their own world and rather than the one made by others. Such strategies are most common when there is Undemocratic and dictatorial regimes( Reicher Hopkins ,2003; Koonz, 2003: Overy ,2004) which is being followed by O.P Henley management. Conclusion Norma Rae has demonstrated the real potential of the womens and portrayed the real life of Crystal Lee Sutton. Like Norma Rae all the women do posses the ability to become effective leaders. Norma had portrayed a very distinct and extra-ordinary style of leadership with the help of his mentor Rueben. She achieved the goal of Unionisation and got her people what they actually deserved. Stodgill (1948, p. 64) also said that: A person does not become a leader by virtue of the possession of some combination of traits.the pattern of personal characteristics of the leader must bear some relevant relationship to the characteristics ,activities, and goals of the followers.

Abortion :: essays research papers

Abortion is one of the most controversial issues around, and is an issue that will never be agreed upon. By bringing morals into the question of whether it should be legal to have abortions, this issue has been elevated to a higher level. By some people, it is no longer looked at as a question of choice but as a question of morality, and these concepts have led to a full-blown debate over something that really should not be questioned. Every woman in America has the right to decide what to do with their bodies. No government or group of people should feel that they have the right to dictate to a person what path their lives should take. People who say that they are "pro-life" are in effect no more than "anti-choice". These pro-lifers want to put the life and future of a woman into the hands of the government. At the time, which the fetus is aborted, it is not a being with personality. Anyone would agree to the fact that it is alive and human, however, it is also true that it is no more a person than a tree would be. Though the fetus may be a large grouping of human cells, with the potential to become more than that, at the state of development which the fetus has reached at the time of abortion, it is not a person and therefore should not be looked at as such. W hen does the fetus become a person? Though the legal moment at which the fetus is looked at for the first time as a human being is deemed to be at the instant that it is born, the difference between an eight- week premature infant and a 24-week-old fetus is virtually nonexistent. So should the fetus be regarded as a person, or should the premature baby still be regarded as a fetus? Thus arises the statement by the pro-life side of the argument that should not the fact that we are unable to pinpoint with absolute certainty the precise moment when a fetus suddenly develops a personality means that we ought to do away with the process until such a time that we are able to ascertain that persons are not being murdered. This argument will go on for quite some time, and is but one in a list of reasons why the pro-life supporters take the standpoint that they do.

Analyse Diffrent Types of Business Information and Their Sources Their Essay

In Project LYD they use different forms of business information to communicate as a business, in this section of my work I am going to investigate the different types of business information that exists in the organisation that I am looking at. They are many different forms of business that will be used for project LYD for communication such as verbal communication, like meetings and conferences, written like emails, onscreen like presentations, multimedia like TV ads and films. And finally web based like facebook, MSN, and Twitter. All of these types of information are important to a project LYD as each one is used when different types of information. Verbal Verbal Verbal communication is further divided into written and oral communication. The oral communication refers to the spoken words in the communication process. Oral communication can either be face-to-face communication or a conversation over the phone or on the voice chat over the Internet. Spoken conversations or dialogs are influenced by voice modulation, pitch, volume and even the speed and clarity of speaking. Verbal communication would be a form of external information; this is because you’re gathering the customer’s feedback and what they think about your product. The purpose of verbal communication could have many advantages, for example in a meeting you could talk about the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. By doing this you are able to cover any concerns that you have with your product, and improve it. Oral communication describes any interaction that makes use of spoken words, and is very important in the business world. It is very important that this skill is done efficiently in a small business like Project LYD and the managers whom work form the business, who are the most likely ones to participate in this kind of communication as part of their job is to do the following: client/customer presentations, employee interviews, and conducting meetings. Another form of verbal communication that is becoming popular is the use of role play; this is when a group of people act out roles for a particular scenario. This is a good way to train your apprentices because you can get them to act out a certain scenario, this trains them by letting them so you as an employee what they have learned and what they have to offer. Role plays can be very time consuming however putting that aside its a very effective way of getting your message across to your audience, role plays are used extensively in organisations to train staff to deal with customers. Its a effective as it also gives the audience to try out new ideas and skills that have been discussed. The sources for verbal communication could be the interaction in customer services; this is because the staff member could communicate to the customers verbally by phone call. The staff member is able to advise to the customers who may be experiencing problems or have problems with the product, there are able to deal and resolve the problems that are faced. As well as this another source could be in sales, by phone call the sales team could attract customers into buying products that project LYD has to offer, even more so the door to door sales team could also use verbal communication to try and sell the products. It is very important for the sales team to have good verbal ability, this is because they are trying to to get the consumers to buy products of them, to do this successfully they have to attract them and get them interested in the product this all depends on how good their sales pitch is. Another department that might use this is the human resource department; they use verbal communication in training and development. They have to train the staff, verbal communication is very important in this circumstance as they have to teach the new staff members their job functions and role in the business. For example if the staff member was going to be trained for the call centre, the aspect of verbal communication will be crucial in this department. Written Written communication. Written communication consists of memos, reports, bulletins, job descriptions, employee manuals, electronic mail, Internet Web sites, letters, proposals, telegrams, faxes, postcards, contracts, advertisements, brochures, and news releases. The effectiveness of written communication depends on the style of writing, vocabulary used, grammar, clarity and precision of language. This can kind of communication is very effective for project LYD; this is because you can communicate with various people involved in the business for example this could be the employees, suppliers, or any body else involved in the company. Also you can send of emails to anybody who has joined your web site, informing them on recent offers of the company. Because project LYD is a relatively small business it’s important for them to develop effective written communication methods. This kind of communication is very wide spread and can consist of clients, vendors, and other members of the business community. They are many advantages of written communication, One advantage is that written messages do not have to be delivered on the spur of the moment; instead, they can be edited and revised several times before they are sent so that the content can be adjusted to the best it can be. Another advantage is that written communication provides a permanent record of the messages that have been sent and can be saved for later study. Since they are permanent, written forms of communication also enable recipients to take more time in reviewing the message and providing appropriate feedback. For these reasons, written forms of communication are often considered more appropriate for complex business messages that include important facts and figures. Written communication involves any type of interaction that makes use of the written word; written communication is common in everyday business situations, so it is important for small business owners and managers to develop effective written communication skills, to benefit their company. Even though we have seen a boom in technology over the recent years and the fact it’s likely to expand even more, written communication is still seen as being very important in a business. Writing ability is especially important in customer communication. Business proposals, status reports, customer documentation, technical support, or even e-mail replies all depend on clear written communication. A source of written communication could be in the human resources department, this is because they need to communicate to project LYD’s stakeholders this could include feedback to customers or to the companies suppliers this could involve orders to and from Project LYD. This could be done in various ways for example letters, emails and faxes, all of which have to have a good understanding and ability of written communication. Written communication is most influential to the finance department; this is because their role includes keeping records of the purchases and sales made by a business as well as capital spending. All of this acquires written communication the finance team also has to keep balance sheets for the company , Financial statements need to be produced at given time intervals, for example at the end of each financial year. Trial balances are extracted from the ledger entries to create a Balance Sheet showing the assets and liabilities for project LYD at the year end. Onscreen On screen communication. This type of communication includes power point presentations they are technically and visually designed, the advantages of this communication is that it is visually attractive to the eye. This type of communication is effective because its not all words, there’s different elements in the presentation which benefits different types of learners, this is because it has pictures, words and verbal parts to the presentation. As well as this its not all spoken words, you can physically see it which some people prefer. Even more so because it’s not all spoken you are able to pay more attention for longer. This sort of communication can be used in project LYD to communicate with staff instead of going on for hours with words, this is more efficient way of communication as its keeping them involved and by doing this it grabs their attention. Multimedia presentations can be viewed in person on stage, projected, transmitted or played locally with a media player. The broadcasts that are seen can be either live or done with a media player. Broadcasts and recordings can be done by using both digital and analogue; digital online multimedia may be downloaded or streamed. A business presentation is normally done on a laptop and is then projected using a projector, this involves a variety of media including text, slides, photos, images, video, sounds, music and links to internet sites. Images can enhance on screen communication to an audience, this is because we are more likely to remember what we see than what we hear, so this means showing images can be the best way to help an audience remember the message that you are trying to put cross. On screen communication could be sourced to the Sales team, this is because when the Sales team goes to do presentations to schools for example they are able to interoperate their verbal communication into their on screen communication. Instead of just talking to the pupils they are able to excite them about the product by enhancing not just the verbal learners but the visual as well. Web based Web based communications is communication done over the internet, an example of this is on social networking sites. Because project LYD is aimed for people leaving school and college, because social networking sites are becoming more and more popular every year and significantly growing in numbers. The mean number of people who are using social network sites are in there late teens and early twenties, because project LYD is concentrating on people leaving education the social networking sites are a perfect place to communicate with the society. With a social networking site you can create a fan page and update it very easily offering information daily. Another way is to advertise on social networking sites is on the homepage, and offering a hyperlink directly to the web page. Onscreen communication could be handy for project LYD because it currently only staffs 10 employees, they could use this to their advantage. Another advantage of this is if you’re not a good speaker, this sort of communication comes in handy; all you have to do is click a button. Even more so onscreen communication allows the presenter to maintain eye contact with his audience and use his hands for emphasis. If you’re in a large hall with a large audience it’s hard to communicate with the audience singularly, an advantage of onscreen communication means the presentation can be projected onto a large screen for use in a large auditorium or lecture hall. Because of the internet companies are now able to have meeting even if the manager isn’t in the same building. Web conferencing is used to conduct live meetings, training, or presentations via the Internet. In a web conference, each participant sits at his or her own computer and is connected to other participants via the internet. This can be either a downloaded application on each of the attendees’ computers or a web-based application where the attendees access the meeting by clicking on a link distributed by e-mail (meeting invitation) to enter the conference. The tools on web based presentations means you are able to deliver an effective PowerPoint presentation to an internet connected audience, no matter were in the world they are at the time. An advantage of web based presentations is that you don’t have to worry if you have PowerPoint installed on your computer; this means you are able to deliver and produce these presentations. Because of the fast streaming broadband connections we have today, it means that it is possible to stream the content any were in the world. Because the internet has become very popular all the sources would find a way to interoperate it into their job roles, for example if you look at the customer service department the internet is very important in their job role. This is because they need to communicate over the internet for example by email, this way of communication is very quick and efficient thanks to the speed of the modern day broadband.

Preparation for Chinese New Year Essay

Preparations for the New Year begin a couple of weeks before the big day. This is a fun time full of anticipation and joy as we get ready for the thrill and excitement of the celebrations. According to the traditions, this is the time to clean the house, prepare food for the feast and make banners and decorations special for the New Year. A clean house to welcome the New Year Before the New Year comes, it is one of the Chinese New Year customs to clean the house from top to bottom to get rid off all the bad luck gathered in the previous year. And after the New Year comes, you cannot sweep during the first days otherwise all the new luck will sweep away! So one of your Chinese New Year activities will be to†¦ clean your room! Wouldn’t want all that accumulated bad luck for another year would you!! Cleaning house also means settling all your unfinished business to start fresh for the new year: Pay off all your debts, resolve all quarrels with friends, catch up with homework!!! Make some Banners and Decorations Red banners with New Year messages of good luck decorate the main entrance of your house/room. Red is a very lucky color and symbolizes vitality of life and happiness. You can make your own Chinese New Year decorations with bright red paper and markers or a brush if you prefer. Here are some instructions to make your own New Year Banners including the â€Å"Lucky Characters† stroke by stroke. Preparing the Chinese New Year Banquet On New Year’s Day, the families come together to celebrate and everything must be ready for this important fest. Food must be prepared ahead of time, as one of the popular Chinese New Year superstitions dictates that all knives must be put away. Using a knife during the first days of the New Year â€Å"cuts off† all the good luck for the coming year. The New Year’s feast takes many days to prepare. These are some of the traditional chinese new year foods served on New Year’s day and throughout the festivities: * meat dumplings for good luck * tangerines for good fortune * apples for peace * sweet rice cakes for more wealth every year * fish for plenty * veggies with long noodles for long life * chicken for wealth * mustard greens for a green year for farmers * soup means everything better than last year * oranges for money and wealth * shrimp for abundance Paying respects to the Ancestors The New Year Celebrations can only begin after paying respect to the ancestors. On New Year’s Eve, people will go to the temples and pray for good fortune for the new year. They bring offerings of food and incense to please the spirits of the deceased so that they might bring good luck. So now that all the preparations are done with, the long-awaited day arrives and the New Year’s festivities can begin! Chinese New Year Preparation Preparing for the Chinese New Year begins on personal and social front and can start months before the New Year. These preparations are made in the hope to usher the New Year in the best context possible. Most people try to settle their debts with friends before the New Year so that they can start the New Year debt free. However, this settling of debt often refers to debt between friends and do not include home or car loans with financial institutions. These are considered as investments. Many people will also check predictions of their luck in the New Year. The Chinese calendar has a 60 year cycle and each year is presided by a star. Everyone has a star that corresponds with the year of birth. This birth star may conflict with next year’s presiding star, çŠ ¯Ã¥ ¤ ªÃ¥ ²  creating difficulties in work, business or personal life. To avoid or minimize the impact, rituals can be conducted at temples before the New Year. During the dates for these rituals, temples are often crow ded with devotees. Nearer to the New Year families start their spring cleaning to welcome the New Year. This is the period when new furniture or minor renovations will be undertaken. Chinese New Year decorations such as couplets, banners are used to create a festive atmosphere. A major activity before the New Year is the exchange of gifts. Most of the gift items have symbolic meanings or status symbols to demonstrate good will or to express good wishes. New Year gifts can be presented to family, friends and between companies. Popular items include New Year cakes, Niangao, Ã¥ ¹ ´Ã§ ³â€¢ in auspicious shapes, Mandarin oranges, Bakkwa (BBQ meat), sweets, candies, chocolates and hampers. New Year cards è ´ ºÃ¥ ¹ ´Ã¥  ¡ are also sent to family members, friends and business contacts. A few weeks before the Chinese New Year, markets and fairs specializing in New Year goods can be found in most cities. These markets offer foodstuff, candies, New Year decorations, flowers, clothes, New Year CDs and almost everything required for the New Year. These items are bought as gifts, for home consumption or used to entertain visiting family members or guests. These New Year markets often end in the early hours of New Year’s day. Many people visit these markets after their reunion dinner and stay till after midnight to buy the items at huge discounts.