Monday, December 30, 2019

The Real Sinbad the Sailor

Sinbad the Sailor is one of the most famous heroes of Middle Eastern literature. In the tales of his seven voyages, Sinbad battled incredible monsters, visited amazing lands and met with supernatural forces as he sailed the Indian Oceans fabled trade routes.   In western translations, Sinbads stories are included among those that Scheherazade told during the One Thousand and One Nights, which is set in Baghdad during the reign of the Abbasid Caliph Harun al-Rashid from CE 786 to 809. In Arabic translations of the Arabian nights, however, Sinbad is absent. The interesting question for historians, then, is this: Was Sinbad the Sailor based upon a single historical figure, or is he a composite character derived from various bold seafarers who plied the monsoon winds?  If he once existed, who was he? Whats in a Name? The name Sinbad seems to come from the Persian Sindbad, meaning Lord of the Sindh River.  Sindhu is the Persian variant of the Indus River, indicating that he was a sailor from the coast of what is now Pakistan. This linguistic analysis also points to the stories being Persian in origin, even though existing versions are all in Arabic.   On the other hand, there are many striking parallels between many of Sinbads adventures and those of Odysseus in Homers great classic, The Odyssey,  and other stories from classical Greek literature. For example, the cannibalistic monster in the Third Voyage of Sinbad is very similar to Polyphemus from The Odyssey, and he meets the same fate — being blinded with the hot iron spits he was using to eat the ships crew. Also, during his Fourth Voyage, Sinbad was buried alive but follows an animal to escape the underground cavern, much like the story of Aristomenes the Messenian. These and other similarities point to Sinbad being a figure of folklore, rather than an actual person. It is possible, however, that Sinbad was a real historical figure with an insatiable urge to travel and a gift for telling tall tales, though it may be that after his death other traditional travel tales were grafted on to his adventures to produce the Seven Voyages we now know him by. More Than One Sinbad the Sailor Sinbad may be based in part on a Persian adventurer and trader named Soleiman al-Tajir — Arabic for Soloman the Merchant — who traveled from Persia all the way to southern China around the year 775 BCE. Generally, throughout the centuries that the Indian Ocean trade network existed, merchants and sailors traveled just one of the three great monsoonal circuits, meeting up and trading with one another at the nodes where those circuits met.   Siraf is credited with being the first person from western Asia to complete the entire voyage himself. Siraf likely gained great renown in his own time, particularly if he made it home with a hold full of silk, spices, jewels, and porcelain. Perhaps he was the factual foundation upon which the Sinbad stories were built. Likewise in Oman, many people believe that Sinbad is based on a sailor from the city of Sohar, who sailed out of the port of Basra in what is now Iraq. How he came to have a Persianized Indian name is not clear.   Recent Developments In 1980, a joint Irish-Omani team sailed a replica of a ninth-century dhow from Oman to southern China, using period navigational instruments only, in order to prove that such a voyage was possible. They successfully reached southern China, proving that sailors even many centuries ago could have done so, but that brings us no closer to proving who Sinbad was or which western port he sailed from. In all likelihood, bold and footloose adventurers much like Sinbad set out from any number of port cities around the rim of the Indian Ocean in search of novelty and treasure. We will probably never know if any particular one of them inspired the Tales of Sinbad the Sailor. It is fun, however, to imagine Sinbad himself leaning back in his chair in Basra or Sohar or Karachi, spinning another fabulous story to his spellbound audience of land-lubbers.

Sunday, December 22, 2019

Oman And The Middle East Stratum - 1183 Words

Over the past thousand years, Oman has occupied a key strategic space in the Middle East stratum. With its vast mountain ranges, desert terrain, and steep cliffs along the coast, Oman over the years has proven to be very difficult to invade. This has allowed Oman to repel the majority of attacks from foreign militaries and maintain their sovereignty. The Southern and Eastern coastline of the country represents the key that makes Oman so important to the strength of the Middle East. Oman is a major piece to the peace in the Middle East. Oman lies in the southeast corner of the Arabian Peninsula right on the Tropic of Cancer latitude line (International, 2011). Yemen, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates border Oman from the southeast, west, and the north. Oman also claims many islands in the Arabian Sea and in the Strait of Hormuz off Oman’s northern tip. Similar to its surrounding nations, Oman has a mountain range that spans the country. The Hajar mountain range begins at the north-west tip and extends down its western border to the southwest, near Yemen (International, 2011). The Omanis compare The Hajar to a human backbone, for it forms a great arc much like the human skeleton. The Interior of Oman is mostly sand dunes, rocks, and gravel, which is very similar to the entire Middle East region (International, 2011). Oman’s coastline stretches 1,700 km from North to South. Low hills and wastelands with little vegetation is what fill these coastlinesShow MoreRelatedStrategic Piece Of Middle East Peace1189 Words   |  5 PagesStrategic Piece to Middle East Peace Over the past thousand years, Oman has occupied a key strategic space in the Middle East stratum. With its vast mountain ranges, desert terrain, and steep cliffs along the coast, Oman over the years has proven to be very difficult to invade. This has allowed Oman to repel the majority of attacks from foreign militaries and maintain their sovereignty. The Southern and Eastern coastline of the country represents the key that makes Oman so important to the strengthRead MoreMarket Analysis of Jeans Industry in Surat17928 Words   |  72 Pagesthe organized Retail sector in India. The growth pattern in organized retailing and in the consumption made by the Indian population will follow a rising graph helping the newer businessmen to enter the India Retail Industry. In India the vast middle class and its almost untapped retail industry are the key attractive forces for global retail giants wanting to enter into newer markets, which in turn will help the India Retail Industry to grow faster. Indian retail is expected to grow 25 per cent

Saturday, December 14, 2019

Computing Goes Green Free Essays

Gregorio, Marie Grace M. INFOMAN Midterm Exam KTD, Prof. Raymond L. We will write a custom essay sample on Computing Goes Green or any similar topic only for you Order Now Ganotice PART 1: CHAPTER 5- Computing Goes Green 1. What business and social problems does data center power consumption cause? Problems caused by Data Center Power Consumption: BUSINESS PROBLEMSSOCIAL PROBLEMS 1. Electricity consumption doubled1. More servers, more emission of carbon footprints 2. Very high cost for cooling data centers 2. Some materials used are environmentally 3. Heat generated from the servers causes hazardous when not properly disposed equipment failure . What solutions are available for these problems? Which are the most environment-friendly? Solutions that are available for data center problem are: a. Use of Hydroelectric power as a source of electricity b. Replacement of copper wiring to light pulses on microprocessors c. Use of thin computers which are very basic terminal machine that consumes significantly less power than normal computers d. Server Virtualization e. Muticore Processor The most environmental-friendly solutions stated above are virtualizati on and the use of thin computers because both reduce power consumption. Virtualization which creates higher utilization of computer results to fewer data centers therefore electricity consumption is reduced. It is the most efficient means for a cost effective greener computing. On the other hand, the use of thin computers which are directly connected to servers consume significantly less power than normal computers. 3. What are the business benefits and cost of these solutions? Majority of these solutions reduces the consumption of electricity because data servers are utilized to its full capacity therefore operating cost on ata servers are reduced also. As stated in the book, cost reduction ranges from 10% to 25% with the use of new solutions. 4. Should all firms move toward green computing? Why or why not? Yes, all firms should embrace computing green because our mother earth is now very much destroyed with so many pollutants produced daily. Awareness on how we can lessen this is very important and one of this is computing green which in a way can min imize environmental impact and improve power efficiency. How to cite Computing Goes Green, Essay examples

Friday, December 6, 2019

Role of Technology in Service Delivery Australian Firms

Question: Discuss about the Role of Technology in Service Delivery for Australian Firms. Answer: Introduction Supply chain management is the coordination supply of activities and operations of a company with the aim of maximizing customer value for the purpose of maintaining a competitive edge (Handfield Nichols 2002). The concept has evolved with time. It has benefited from a number of innovations aimed at maximizing the customer value across the supply chain. It is no doubt that technology has increased profitability and efficiency in the entire supply chain. Even with the advancement in technology, there are still companies that lag behind; they have not adopted these technologies due to reasons that are hard to understand. Is it lack of awareness? Is it ignorance? If its none of these, then why have some of the companies not adopted the most efficient technologies available? When we talk of advanced technologies, which are they specifically? This article will explore some of the advanced technologies that can be used in supply chain management and their impact. Before dwelling on the to pic, it is imperative to explore the areas where Australian firms are facing challenges within their organizations to manage supply chains. Areas where Australian Businesses face Challenges in Supply Chain Management Businesses are currently facing several challenges due to the ever-changing technologies which make it vital for them to ensure they have the most recent and correct technology to cope with the ever-changing business world. Australian retail firms, for instance, have been facing a number of problems which can easily be solved with the adoption of the appropriate technologies. Maintaining consumer confidence, loyalty and coping with new technologies are some of the issues that Australian retailers face. After recovering from the global economic crisis, Australia's businesses are still confronted with a number of challenges to their operations. One of the key challenges facing retailers in Australia is the rising trend in online shopping, and especially gaining a competitive edge against foreign firms that are offering the same products at a lower price (Oakton 2017). According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (2017), international retailers have 20% more advantage than domestic stores and enjoy an exemption of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) for items that are less than $1,000. Some domestic retailers have been in talks with the government to amend the legislation in order to reduce the disparity, but the outcome is uncertain. The solution is that businesses should adopt the new technologies and streamline their supply chain management operations. Another challenge is the adoption of a lean supply chain. Australia still lags behind in the implementation of just-in-time practices (World Economic Forum 2011). The just-in-time concept is a growing trend in the supply chain management operations. Firms have sought to enhance efficiency in their operations by implementing just-in-time techniques. The approach has not been fully implemented in Australia. Among other challenges that are related to technology, Australia's firms need to overcome them if they want to remain competitive in the global arena. So what are some of the technologies that apply to supply chain management? The next topic will explore some of the trending technologies in a bid to make business managers aware and how they can implement them. Examples of Advanced Technologies Blockchain Technology Blockchain technology is considered as a game changer in supply chain management. According to Popper and Lohr of the New York Times (2017, March 4), they described block chain as a key enabler of the efficient integration between parties in the global arena. IBM and WalMart have partnered to implement this technology which has been applied to track pork chops, shipping containers and footwear at an incredibly high speed and security that the current technologies do not offer (Handfield 2017). So what exactly is Blockchain technology? Blockchain technology simply means a method of bookkeeping that connects entries in such a way that one cannot easily modify them later (Blockchain Technologies 2016). It helps large groups of companies that are not related whatsoever, to keep their records of transactions in a more secure and reliable manner (Iansiti Lakhani 2017). So what are the implications of blockchain technology in the supply chain? According to Mitchell (2016), the implementation of blockchain technology will add value to the supply chain and eliminate redundant data maintenance activities in the supply chain. The technology enables users to access a wider and more universal sale or network that is accessible to any participant free of charge without membership fees (Mitchell 2016). In the shipping industry, for instance, it can reduce shipping delays due to the absence of paperwork which consumes a lot of time during container approvals. Blockchain technology helps in tracking all transactions in a secure and transparent manner. Imagine the opportunities it presents in the supply chain? The technology has the capability to document every single transaction and create a permanent history from the supplier to the manufacturer and all the way to the consumer. Loop (2017) notes that the technology enables easy recovery of stolen merchandise. Blockchain allows automatic verification of products authenticity after w hich it is activated in the system. Any stolen product along the supply chain can easily be traced through any particular transaction. The adoption of this technology will indeed revolutionize the supply chain operations. Internet of Things (IoT) Have you ever imagined all objects on earth communicating with each other? This may sound weird to you; if that is so then, you have never heard about Internet of Things (IoT). The IoT concept has different purposes in various industries. Sensing Enterprise (SE) is a concept that allows IoT to react to business stimuli that originate from the Internet. The fields have recently been subjects focus in businesses and evidence that such technologies can be used in the supply chain management exists. By definition, Internet of Things refers to a network of objects which is well equipped with RFID chips and such like technologies to allow objects to communicate and interact with one another (Corts, Boza, Prez, Cuenca 2015). It is a technology that is aimed at enhancing the forms of communication that currently exist. Currently, when we talk of Internet, we refer to a network tool that human beings access through devices. Communication is currently from human to human. Here comes IoT which would allow not only human to communicate through the Internet but also objects. The objects will be able to exchange information by themselves without human aid through the Internet. New forms of communications will, therefore, be created to include human-things and things-things (Tan, Koo 2014). Internet of Things is an evolution of the current Internet with the capability of collecting, analyzing, and distributing data that can be transformed into information and knowledge. One area in the supply chain management that will benefit from IoT is in-transit visibility (Shankar 2017). Since the logistics ecosystem comprises of many products and parts that are always in motion, an informed supply network is essential to track the whereabouts and specifications of a product. With the aid of GPS and RFID, IoT allows businesses to track the location and information about the product and sends the information all the way from the manufacturer to the consumer (Pettey 2015). The data obtai ned from the GPS and RFID technologies enables supply chain personnel to automate shipping and delivery by being able to determine the exact time a particular product may arrive. In addition to this, supply chain professionals can easily monitor vital parameters such as temperature control, which has a significant impact on the product quality in-transit. Additive manufacturing (3D Printing Technology) Additive manufacturing technologies, popularly known as 3D printing is whereby, materials are joined to make devices from 3D model data, by adding a layer on top of another layer (OPTOMEC 2017). Additive manufacturing is a technology that will revolutionize the 21st century and the centuries to come. It has applications in various industries. Imagine you are in a remote place, then a particular component of your vehicle breaks down; you probably end up wondering where you can get a replacement. With Additive Manufacturing, this can be possible by just printing the component using the 3D technology. The technology is already being used around the world and has changed the way companies design and manufacture their products. When correctly used, additive manufacturing can significantly save money and time. The question is how this technology applies to supply chain. Additive manufacturing will revolutionize the traditional way of manufacturing various products which involved cutting of objects and modelling the raw materials and forming the final product through a mold or die. 3D printing technology eliminates the necessity of having to manually assemble the expensive components to form a product. It provides freedom to change a product anytime anywhere and fast. It does not need highly skilled personnel to operate the machine since what you need to do is just pressing a machine and, voila, you get your product. As a result, supply chain operations will see a significant impact. Consider, for instance, where one would stock materials if production is to happen anywhere in the world, or how processes will be simplified if a component assembly is no longer necessary for manufacturing a product but the available raw materials can be changed into desired finished products. Birtchnell et al. (2013) note that additive manufacturing enables product customization which has a direct impact on downstream supply chains management sections like production and distribution. The customization offers unique specifications to customers, and their high involvement in the manufacturing of the product from the design and production operations will further provide flexibility to react to changes in the end user market. Janssen et al. (2014) state that the implementation of 3D printing by setting up local 3D printing hubs will significantly reduce the need for global transportation which will be made possible by replacing the physical flow of objects with a simple transfer of digital files. Additive manufacturing or 3D printing will have a significant impact on inventory by changing inventory mix which would, in turn, have long-term effects on supply chains. A closer look at additive manufacturing will show that the technology will significantly reduce manufacturing wa ste and improve environment advantage. The traditional manufacturing practices involve replacement of parts physically which involves scrapping away of some excess products components. This is not the case with 3D printing. The technology provides an environmental advantage in that; it reduces material usage across the supply chains. 3D printing allows the consolidation of parts into single components which enable the manufacturers to produce complex tooling sets, and thus; enabling firms to reduce supply chain complexity. This would transform the supply chain by making it more resilient against disruptions along the chains. AM or 3D printing will indeed change the global logistics since it replaces physical goods with digital files sharing. To make this more interesting, consider a customer who needs a particular low-demand service part who is in a hurry and cannot wait that long for all the processes of designing and fabrication to take place. If the dealer could just print what the customer needs in just a matter of seconds on the spot, how much do you think the customer would have saved? Cloud Computing IBM (n.d.) defines cloud computing as the process of delivering on-demand computing resources through the Internet on the basis of pay-for-use. This concept is rather old, and just in case you did not know, you are probably using cloud computing if you use the internet to send or receive emails, to stream videos online, or watch TV as well as storing and sharing files such as pictures and documents. Cloud computing is what makes all this possible. It is imperative to have a look at the activities in supply chain management that cloud computing can transform. Forecasting and Planning: Cloud computing helps organizations to improve their service delivery by effectively coordinating the supply chains across their networks or partners who play a crucial role in demand-forecasting. The cloud-based platforms can collect relevant information through the internet, and analyze the data that would enable accurate statistical demand forecasts for all the affected parties (Toka et al. 2013). This will eliminate the distortion of information across the supply chain. It will allow stakeholders to have accurate information about the actual demand volatility that they are supposed to meet. In a cloud computing platform, a customer can generate demand and send it to the distributor who would then send the same to the public cloud, enabling all the relevant parties in the supply chain to see it. Sourcing and Procurement: Sourcing involves acquiring, receiving and inspecting of materials and products coming from suppliers with the procurement processes in a bid to select the right vendor (Holger Klaus 2011). Cloud-based platforms provide a database that contains a variety of data about various suppliers, thus helping companies that deal with several suppliers. As a result, cloud computing enables organizations to select vendors based on how they beat deadlines and satisfaction of all the specifications provided. The tools of cloud computing technology help organizations and suppliers to easily manage their contracts. Other areas that cloud computing can be applied are logistics and service and spare parts management. It can be used in tracking operations and the management of parts in stores. The benefits of this technology are flexibility, visibility, cost-efficiency, scalability, and sustainability. Looking at all the technologies discussed, it is apparent that their applications economic, social and environmental impact. Impact of Adopting Advanced Technologies on Current Supply Chains On the economic aspect, the application of these advanced technologies will lead to more profits and fast growth. It can be seen that all the technologies help in minimizing time and material wastes. This would, in turn, translate to more profits and growth of GDP across the globe. Information sharing in companies is likely to become easy and more efficient. This will lead to more productivity by employees. A happy employee means more productivity. Partners and all stakeholders in a business need connectivity in order to realize better performance. Computers will soon take most of the jobs that are done by humans. For instance, an attendant at the shipment areas will be irrelevant to count the number of containers or vehicles approaching; this would be replaced by the Internet of Things.' Everything that touches our daily lives, including clothes, vehicles, foods, among others, will be connected to the IoT web and thus, physical contact will not be necessary. Everything will be fast and efficient. Imagine the world where you do not even have to go to appear to a doctor for diagnosis, all you need to do is just switch your computer on and, voila, your virtual doctor tells you everything you need to know; that is the world we are heading to. Environmental wastes and pollution will significantly be minimized because most of the operations will be virtual, no need for papers. How about our social life? Yes, people will be more connected; it will be like, you have the entire population of the world just next to you. Is that a good thing? The answer can be either yes or no depending on individuals perspective. I can say that people will be less social, physical meetings will be very minimal; people will spend more time with their electronic gadgets than with their peers, right from the workplace up to their homes. With that said, do you think its a good thing? Conclusion Advanced technology will help organizations improve supply chain management processes. Efficiency, reliability, flexibility, visibility, cost-efficiency, scalability and sustainability are what the advanced technology can offer in all the operations in supply chain management. Application of advanced technology in supply chain helps companies outperform their competitors by enabling an effective and efficient flow of products and services to customers. Blockchain and IoT technologies enable businesses to access more precise and accurate information about transactions and products which help in preventing the supply of unwanted materials, helps in tracking of goods to prevent fraud, and timely delivery of goods and services. To successfully apply a new advanced technology, supply chain professionals should understand what kind of technology system best fits their needs. List of References Australian Bureau of Statistics. 2017. 8501.0 - Retail Trade, Australia, Feb 2017 [Online]. Available at: https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/8501.0 Birtchnell, T., Urry, J., Cook, C., and Curry, A., 2013. Freight miles: the impact of 3D printing on transport and society Blockchain Technologies. 2016. Blockchain Technology Explained [Online]. Available at: https://www.blockchaintechnologies.com/blockchain-definition Corts, B., Boza, A., Prez, D. and Cuenca, L., 2015. Internet of Things Applications on Supply Chain Management. World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology, International Journal of Computer, Electrical, Automation, Control and Information Engineering, 9(12), pp.2449-2454. Handfield, R.B., Nichols, E.L. Jr. 2002. Supply chain redesign -transforming supply chains into integrated value systems. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall Handfield. 2017. Can Blockchain become the solution for anti-counterfeiting and chain of custody? [Online]. Available at: https://scm.ncsu.edu/blog/2017/03/10/can-blockchain-become-the-solution-for-anti-counterfeiting-and-chain-of-custody/ Holger, S. and Klaus, T., 2011. SCOR in the cloudpotential of cloud computing for the optimization of supply chain management systems. Iansiti, M., and Lakhani, K., 2017. The Truth about Blockchain [Online]. Available at: https://hbr.org/2017/01/the-truth-about-blockchain IBM. N.d. What is Cloud Computing? [Online]. Available at: https://www.ibm.com/cloud-computing/learn-more/what-is-cloud-computing/ Janssen, G.R., Blankers, I.J., Moolenburgh, E.A. and Posthumus, A.L., 2014. TNO: The impact of 3-D printing on supply chain management [Online]. Available at: https://3din.nl/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/TNO-Whitepaper-3-D-Printing-and-Supply-Chain-Management-April-2014-web.pdf Loop, P., 2017. Blockchain: The Next Evolution of Supply Chains [Online]. Available at: https://www.industryweek.com/supply-chain/blockchain-next-evolution-supply-chains Mitchell, P., 2016. A TRULY Open Supplier Discovery Network: Spend Matters Crowdsource #1[Online]. Available at: https://spendmatters.com/2016/10/19/truly-open-supplier-discovery-network-crowdsource/ Oakton. 2017. An insight into the challenges and rising complexity facing the retail and wholesale sector [Online]. Available at: https://www.oakton.com.au/.../insight-into-challenges/oakton_retailindustryinsightinte... OPTOMEC. 2017. What is additive manufacturing? [Online]. Available at: https://www.optomec.com/additive-manufacturing/ Pettey, C., 2015. Five Ways the Internet of Things Will Benefit the Supply Chain[Online]. Available at: https://www.gartner.com/smarterwithgartner/five-ways-the-internet-of-things-will-benefit-the-supply-chain-2/ POPPER, N., and LOHR, S., 2017, March 4. Blockchain: A Better Way to Track Pork Chops, Bonds, Bad Peanut Butter? NewYork Times. [Online]. Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/04/business/dealbook/blockchain-ibm-bitcoin.html?_r=0register=google Shankar, U., 2017. How the Internet of Things Impacts Supply Chains. Available at: https://www.inboundlogistics.com/cms/article/how-the-internet-of-things-impacts-supply-chains/ Tan, J. and Koo, S.G., 2014, May. A survey of technologies in internet of things. In Distributed Computing in Sensor Systems (DCOSS), 2014 IEEE International Conference on (pp. 269-274). IEEE. Toka, A., Aivazidou, E., Arvanitopoulos-Darginis, K., and Anoniou, A., 2013. Cloud Computing in Supply Chain Management: An Overview [Online]. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/260510400_Cloud_Computing_in_Supply_Chain_Management_An_Overview World Economic Forum. 2011. LOGISTICS SUPPLY CHAIN INDUSTRY AGENDA COUNCIL FINAL REPORT 2010-2011 [Online]. Available at: https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_GAC_LogisticsSupplyChain_Report_2010-11.pdf

Thursday, November 28, 2019

The Cost of Living Essay Example For Students

The Cost of Living Essay With the 3600(A. Roy 16) hydroelectric dams either going up or already built in India, there will undoubtedly be over 33,000,000 people displaced by the big dams reservoirs (16), most of which are Adivasi or Dalits (18), natives of India. Without a proper resettlement program in place, many are left with no place to go. Much of the land thats needed for the reservoirs was confiscated, scammed away, or bullied into being sold by the government. And what land the government did buy, not everyone received the money they were supposed to. The resettlement programs that are in place, are best described by Roy I can warrant that the quality of their accommodation is worse than in any concentration of the Third Reich(20). From what I gather from Roy, these resettlement sites sound pretty inhumane and Im really surprised actions like that of the Indian government arent under fire of the U.N. Granted this doesnt seem to be the most publicized nor well documented ongoing incident. We will write a custom essay on The Cost of Living specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now As for the Nuclear weapon problem that faces India, Roy didnt seem to address it in great detail. And if she did, I read right through it. With lack of proper storage facilities and the threat of contaminating Indias extraordinarily expensive drinking water. It might be wise decision for the Indian government to either discontinue their nuclear weapons program or properly address these issues. I guess I really have no other choice but to agree with Roys opinions. Maybe if we were given some type of written response from the Indian government or anything from a different viewpoint. Anyone that has read this book, without any outside information, would have to have something against the Adivasi or seen something in the book that probably 99% percent of the people that have read it missed to disagree with Roy on the problems in India. The only people profiting from the dams are in the government, part of World Bank, Jai Prakash Associates, and anyone with enough money that needs the water. Moreover, it doesnt appear that any of the rural citizens of India will be sharing in any of the profits or even get water for quite some time. The cautious equation Roy calculates on pg. 17 that estimates 33,000,000 people have been displaced by big dams is a huge strong point in Roys argument. To add insult to injury, the people that are even lucky enough to get resettled, are put in tin shacks on inhospitable land, a far cry from what there used to. Before the dams, the displaced were self-sufficient and doing all right for the lifestyle they led. All of the evidence Roy offers about the Indian government points to a total disregard for human life or a great degree of incompetence. Either way, something drastic must happen before anything is really going to change. To be honest, I failed to recognize any weaknesses in Roys arguments. Im not trying to say there arent any, but I didnt find any. I chose to label as coming Roy from a social conflict perspective. I basically did this through the process of elimination. She is definitely not a structural-functionalist. She was certainly not trying to be objective, in the loosest sense of the word, while writing this book. This is another of the states tested strategies. It kills you with committees., she sounds pretty involved in that sentence while describing one of the committees suppose to conduct an independent review. Her equations, monetary reports, and percentages give her a little symbolic interaction flavor, but she definitely is more into the way her people are being treatedBibliography:The cost of living by andretti roy

Monday, November 25, 2019

Use these 10 tools to figure out your ideal career

Use these 10 tools to figure out your ideal career If you’re one of those people who always knew what you were destined to do for your career, from fresh-faced recent grad to wise retiree, that’s amazing! You are already killing it, plan-wise. But chances are you’re more like the rest of us, and are less than 100% sure of what you want to do with your career. At that point, it takes a little more thinking, prodding, and questioning before you can move on to the career plan. Or maybe you’ve already gone down one path, and either don’t like it or need a change. Whatever the case may be, there are lots of great tools out there you can use to figure out what you should be doing with your career. You’ve probably seen those Buzzfeed-style quizzes all over the place, promising to tell you your age, weight, and best life choices based on the pizza toppings you choose. I’m not here to say those aren’t accurate, but if you truly want to figure out what you want to do with your life, it pa ys to dig a little deeper. Luckily, there are some easy, accessible (and dare I say â€Å"fun†?) online tests and surveys that help you channel your personality and your strengths into a job that matches your greatness.Why do personality and aptitude tests work?Personality tests aren’t always career-related, but they can help you get a baseline handle on who you are, what you like, and what circumstances can help you thrive (or, alternatively, what your biggest challenges might be). All of these things are crucial for helping you figure out a long-term path. They also support a fundamental truth about professional life: you can have all the education and skills necessary to do a job, but whether you do it well- and whether it is fulfilling for you- is largely due to your personality. Your personality is often the forgotten part of the job hunt, lost in the shuffle with resume, cover letter, and interview prep. Yet it’s a major component of who you are, and who y ou’d be on the job.Similarly, aptitude tests may help you define skill sets you didn’t realize you had, or didn’t know that you should emphasize. A little self-knowledge can go a long way, especially when it comes to finding a career path that works for you in the long run.Let’s look at a few of the assessments out there.The Color QuizBelieve it or not, your favorite colors can show what careers might be right for you. In this simple, five-minute quiz, your answers are analyzed and returned as potential career matches.Cost: Free to use and get your results.The Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) AssessmentThis is the classic personality test, used in many different professional and personal contexts to help people become more self-aware and make decisions based on their personal strength areas. It’s a questionnaire (which you can fill out either online or on paper) designed to assess how you see the world in four different areas: directing and recei ving energy (extroverted vs. introverted); taking in information (sensing vs. intuitive); making decisions (thinking vs. feeling); and approaching the outside world (judging vs. perceiving). It reveals insights about how you form and approach relationships, as well as how you communicate- both factors that can help determine whether you become, say, a lab technician versus a stand-up comedian.Cost: Insights don’t always come for free. The official test is $49.95, but there are also free versions available online as well. As part of the cost, you receive a detailed report analyzing your personality type and communication styles.Truity TypeFinder TestsTruity bases their personality assessments on the 16 different types originally outlined by Isabel Briggs Myers (whose name should sound familiar if you just read about the MBTI). They offer a general personality test (the TypeFinder Personality Test), but also a professionally-focused one (the TypeFinder for the Workplace). There are also smaller, targeted personality quizzes available on the site.Cost: The general TypeFinder assessments (both personality and professional) are $29 apiece, but you can take the shorter personality quizzes on the site for free.PymetricsIf games are more your speed than filling out straight-up questionnaires, then Pymetrics might be a more fun way for you to learn more about your personal and professional styles. The Pymetrics method uses game design to help limit anxiety and biases that might be present in more traditional quizzes and surveys, allowing people to relax and make honest choices instead of overthinking or trying to figure out how to â€Å"score high† on a standardized test. At the end of the process, the Pymetrics reports match job seekers with a subset of potential careers based on neuroscience and their algorithms. This new wave of personality assessment is used by schools and many different kinds of companies to assess potential applicants and recruits.C ost: It’s free to sign up and start playing the games, but there may be costs for detailed reporting and career matchmaking.The MAPP Career AssessmentThis assessment is a 22-minute â€Å"test† (flashback to those No. 2 pencils and scantron sheets!) that asks you 71 questions about your likes and dislikes to gauge your potential career interests. The focus is less on the â€Å"right† answer than on the instinctive one. This test bills itself as the â€Å"mapp† to your â€Å"true calling.† And unlike those old-school pencil-and-paper affairs, this can be done entirely online.Cost: It’s free to get started and take the test, but it costs $89.95-$149.95 to get detailed reports and potential job analysesSokanuSokanu takes your answers from a 20-minute quiz, and compares your interests, personality, and preferences to 100 different traits. At the end of the test, you’re matched to a subset of 800 different jobs. Rather than make general rec ommendations like â€Å"astronaut† or â€Å"ballet dancer,† this test prides itself on using deeper data metrics to make specific career recommendations.Cost: Totally free!My Next MoveThis is a very career-focused assessment put out by the U.S. Department of Labor. Also called the â€Å"O*Net Interest Profiler,† this test allows you to take your results and use them to search the U.S. government’s vast database of career information.Cost: This tool is free to use (well, probably funded by your tax dollars- but no additional cost in the meantime).Skills ProfilerIf you’re looking for something more solidly skills-based than personality-based, the U.S. Department of Labor’s other career assessment, the Skills Profiler tool, might be a better fit for you. Instead of taking a personality type and matching it with a job, it lets you input either your current skills to find a matching career, or a job type to see what kind of skills you’ll n eed for it. This can be a good way to see if that job you want to apply for is a good fit for the skills you already have, or if you’ll need to do some building in the meantime.Cost: This assessment is free to use.PathSourcePathSource is a little different- instead of telling you which jobs you should pursue based on your personality or interests, it helps you figure out what kind of job you’ll need to support your lifestyle. It’s an app that assesses your personality and career interests, and also lets you know whether that job in library science is likely to support your caviar dreams. Or, more importantly, whether you’ll be able to pay back the student loans you accumulated in pursuit of your goals.Cost: The app is free to download from the Apple or Google app stores.So how do I use these results in my job hunt?Think of this test-taking as pre-work. You won’t be rattling off your MBTI results on your resume or dropping hints in the interview tha t your love of the color forest green makes you perfect for this job as a firefighter. These are merely in the interest of understanding yourself better, and giving you potential starting points (or eventual goals) that you can use to target your job search or align your goals.If you end up in a job or career that just doesn’t fit who you are, it’s likely that you’ll end up right back at this same place- trying to figure out what does make you tick, and how you can turn that into a more fulfilling job and career. Knowing what types of environments you thrive in, how you work with others, and how you approach the world in general can be invaluable information as you figure out which opportunities to pursue, and it’s an area that you can only access if you make the commitment to understand yourself better.Don’t forget, your resume is the next important step! You can also download free templates from our Resume Library to get started on your resume cr eation.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Animal Farm 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Animal Farm 2 - Essay Example Animalism is used to represent other characters such as Old Major to represent Vladimir Lenin, while Napoleon represents Stalin and dogs act as his police force. The horse named Boxer represents the working class of the Russian society. The plot represents the tragedy of the revolution that ended up in failure. The animalistic utopia revolves around this violent revolution that the animals carry out. What sets this novel apart is intelligence in telling the story of revolution from inception to conclusion through respecting the limitations that humans and animals face. The term animalism is reminiscent of communism. The formation of a complete system/pattern and the following revolution closely represents the real pattern. Squealer, Napoleon and Snowball transform old Major’s ideas into reality. Later squealer and Napoleon start acting like humans as they drink alcohol, sleep in beds and start trading. All of these activities were originally prohibited in the seven Commandments. Squealer modifies the seven Commandments so that such activities can find their ‘legitimate’ place, similar to what happened during the Russian Revolution. A direct reference exists to the Soviet government’s plan of revising history so they can plant those seeds of thoughts that they deem fit. The formation and reference of seven Commandments directly enacts the communist approach. For instance the seven commandments hold that anything that walks on two legs is a foe. On the contrary a creature that walks on four legs or flaps its wings is part of the community. The seven Commandments also prohibit certain traits that separate them from humans. No animal is allowed to wear clothes, sleep in a bed or consume alcohol. Any indulgence in such activities would compromise the distinctive boundaries. The sixth and seventh commandments are there to support the social structure

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

The Case Against Affirmative Action 2 Research Paper

The Case Against Affirmative Action 2 - Research Paper Example Also, the idea behind the same is derived from setting something right by committing a wrong action again. Discrimination of any form is wrong and in this case discrimination takes place against the majority group in order to settle the injustice undergone by the minorities at one point of time. For instance, since the blacks were treated as slaves once, it is justified that they should be getting some privileges over and above the whites who perhaps had no connection with slavery of the past. The idea is based upon â€Å"Two Wrongs Make a Right Thesis† (Pojman) Despite all, one might argue essentially on the basis of discrimination alone that Affirmative Action cannot do justice to the society at large and is ethically wrong. There are essentially two main arguments, which might be given in favor of Affirmative Action. The first source of argument is derived from the perception that this has helped in making United States a very fair and united society. In the year 1950, an estimation of NAACP showed that merely 15 percent of the Afro Americans managed to gain employment in white-collar jobs like clerical or sales posts against 44 percent of the whites designated in similar positions. In fact racially inferior people were excluded from the fields concerning apprenticeships oriented towards skilled profession like that of plumbers and electricians. As a result the income level of the black families amounted to around 55 percent of the earnings of the whites. The level of unemployment among the blacks was double that of the whites. Owing to certain programs such as Philadelphia Plan in 2002 the percentage of blacks in white collar and service oriented jobs amounts to three fourths while 25 percent of them have jobs in management and professional designations. While there were merely 10 Afro Americans to represent the Congress in 1970, this number increased to 40 after the elections of 2006. In the education scenario, around 39 percent of Afro Americans

Monday, November 18, 2019

Business Ethics Case Study Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Business Ethics Case Study - Research Paper Example He had aided the false representation of Enron inflated profits and pressed for dubious accounting practices plus fraud, with the intention of enriching himself and other executives. However, in spite of foreseeing the coming demise of Enron, Kenneth Lay lied to the public, the corporation investors and Enron workers to buy the company stocks, even as he and other senior executives were cashing in on the shares and bailing out. Some of the stakeholders affected by Lay actions include the company shareholders most of whom were pensioners who had invested their life savings in stocks that eventually amounted to almost nothing as they lost their personal investments plus pensions. Secondly, his actions had a lasting impact on most of Enron former employees, who not only lost their source of income and livelihood, but also lost their savings in terms of personal pension fund and stocks Discussion Shareholders Through a consequentialism approach Lay should have mentally examined the conse quences of his decision to allow false representation of the company financial position and other actions, since he owed the shareholders the duty to provide them with better and accurate information. He owed them the trust to make sure that the company is operated with their benefits in mind, and that it seeks to bring value to their investment. The shareholders needed intelligible disclosures which could be understood by even a lay person without the use of any specialized expert, or possession of an advanced degree as it is the duty of the chairman to make sure that they get such kind of information (Brenkert & Beauchamp, 2010). A consequentialist approach would have enable Lay to make significant ethical decision that would not have seen the shareholders value crumple. Notably, he owed them the duty to come up with adequately-designed controls measures, and provision of attentive oversight that would have stopped some of his employees from pushing the limits of their investments . Lay should instead have provided the shareholders with information that could help them to maximize their payback and at the same time minimize harms. He had the duty to net balance good outcomes over the bad consequences for the shareholders. If he had shared earlier what he knew, then the shareholders could have come up with decisions which possibly could have saved Enron, even if those decisions could have tuned out to be detrimental to his position in the company. Perhaps he may have lost his job and trust of the shareholders, but telling the shareholders the truth about the status of Enron could have helped them to seek solutions that would have at least save part of their investments (Brooks & Dunn, 2009). Based on non-consequentialism theory, Ken Lay had a fiduciary obligation to progress Enron shareholders interests exclusively. Lay obligation to shareholders was to avoid and avert harming their investment in the company by observing pertinent laws of the company and regul atory standards. As a leader entrusted by the shareholders to oversee the operations of Enron, he had the obligation of adding value to the corporation and contributing to the ethical success of Enron. Instead, Lay negated on his priority of re-establishing investor confidence (Mulgan,

Friday, November 15, 2019

Symbolism of Education in Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi

Symbolism of Education in Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi Pinocchio is a childrens story, and the primary purpose of most childrens stories are to be taking some kind of educational responsibility. For many of us the story will exist only in our mind and imagination, nevertheless it is helpful, when reading a childrens story, to have in mind the practical problems faced by the producers or the characters trying to interpret the story. Certainly the plot of Pinocchio is exciting and full of education. We would not, of course, expect education to be the dominating theme of a childrens story which seeks to explore how a child like Pinnochio grows up rather than merely to excite the spectator. Yet some educational scenarios are important dramatically in Pinocchio and it is not artificially contrived. Thus it seems that Carlo Collodi, the author of Pinocchio tend to offer clues towards his ideas of the puzzling aspect of childrens educational processes. It is brought about by the natural behaviour of characters, and often by the unpredictability of Pinocchio. This essay is going to explore whether Carlo Collodi wants to promote or critique educational processes through Pinocchio. The story begins with master Anthony finds a piece of wood which is able to speak, laugh and cry, then he gives this piece of magic wood to his friend Old Joe, who always longs for a piece of wood that can be turned to a fabulous puppet. It is noticeable here, that why Collodi has to introduce two men relate to Pinocchio as he could have had only Old Joe himself alone finds the wood and uses the piece of wood to create Pinocchio? And if we look back to the moment when Master Anthony encounters Old Joe, these two old fellows even fights twice for some funny reasons! Perhaps Collodi would like to remind us of the impact of family background can have on a child: Pinocchio is born in a single parent family. Being parents is a job hard enough, but I reckon doing it alone just doubles the difficulty. The phenomenon of single parent family is not as common in Collodis time as it is in our time now, but possibly Collodi might have already noticed the effect a single parent family may bring o n a child. Then the story continues with sort of chaos, when the puppet Pinocchio runs away from home after he is just completed and given a name. This naughty (or even worse rebellious) personality of Pinocchio marks his fortune and the relative education he is going to accept as the story unfolds. Unlike any infant or new born kids that symbolize pureness and naivety, Pinocchio seems to be very distinctive because of his wildness and naughtiness. The scenario of Pinocchio runs away also leads to poor Old Joes life in jail for a few days, yet it is worth noticing that Old Joe does not condemn Pinocchio for his wildness. Perhaps it is because the miserable experience Pinocchio has while Old Joe is in jail distracts his attention. It is what normally happens when parents see their children get hurt even it is their own accounts. Possibly Collodi is not criticizing if it is right or wrong, yet according to Old Joes attitude towards Pinocchio more or less indicate Collodis acquiesce i n parent spoiling their children. Pinocchios naughtiness and wildness leads his father Old Joe to think about letting Pinocchio go to school. But Old Joe makes up his mind too soon, in despite of considering the possibility and availability. At this point Collodi shows his mastery of creating touching and emotional scenario: Poor Old Joe sells his cape to buy Pinocchio an alphabet book. As a father, no doubt that he wishes his child could learn to be a sensible and amenable child. Nevertheless it appears this kind of orthodox education process does not work on Pinocchio. Thus one may argue, is going to school the only way to teach children to behave properly and be sensible? It is reasonable to speculate that Collodis answer is likely to be: No! Because in fact even until the end of the story when Pinocchio eventually becomes a real boy and behaves appropriately, school is something never has any obvious positive effect on him.   Though going to school is a daily requirement in his life, however he is in constant m ental battle whether to go or not. There is just too much temptation ahead of him, such as puppet play, the land of toy, etc. In order to watch the puppet play he sells his book which costs his father the only cape and he takes the risk of not becoming a real boy to go to the land of toy, where he and his ‘friend Candle-Wick turned donkeys. His desire of becoming a real boy is so strong, yet his remarks are always inconsistent with what he promises. In a way Pinocchio stands for ordinary immature children, who need proper guide and appropriate help from the adults. However the images of ‘adults are pretty grim throughout the whole story, apart from his father Old Joe, the talking cricket and the Fairy. Considering those adults from the beginning: the careless police who puts Old Joe into jail; the puppeteer Swallowfire almost makes Pinocchio a great contribution to his dinner (but he could be positive as he shows his mercy by giving Pinocchio 5 gold coins); the fox and cat swindles Pinocchios money, etc. I do not think Collodi is being cynical but surely he shows his concerns of the social environment, in which children grow up. What shall we expect from children when they are growing up in a society which is full of dishonesty, lies and incredibility? Furthermore, it is funny that we hardly see any glimpse of Old Joe as the action progresses. As Pinocchios only family, Old Joe is bound to teach Pinocchio things like how t o tell right from wrong or how to avoid mixing with wrong people. Whereas until Old Joe joins the reunions with Pinocchio inside fish, he scarcely appears and his role is ironically fulfilled by the talking cricket and the Fairy. In this crucial stage of growing up, it is quite a pity there is hardly any trace of Old Joe. Despite his wildness and rebelliousness, Pinocchio does not seem to be a precocious child and he gives an impression of genuine simplicity and naivety, particularly when it looks as if everything is so convincible to him. Nevertheless there is one thing is highly noticeable, that is he is unable to tell any lie. Of course it is the way the Fairy helps him to always tell the truth and learn to be honest, but is it not too cruel for a child, when he must be totally honest otherwise his nose gets longer as punishment? It seems the world have no mercy on him, because his destiny is to be an honest man. When the story comes to the end, Pinocchio finally becomes a real virtuous boy, but the price for it, I am afraid, is a bit too high, as he makes his dream come true by overcoming too many troubles like a yoke which is too heavy for a child to bear. Moreover, even though he is merely a puppet, he has the human traits. He shows true warmth and love towards his father Old Joe and the Fairy. In conclusion, of course the whole story of Pinocchio is rather an example of the kind of presence of mind with which educational stories are wont to amaze the children and thus successfully becoming a real boy is a tribute to Pinocchios tireless effort to behave properly and learn to be a virtuous boy, however the progress of his grow-up is riveting. Yet with the examples of traditional education processes presented by the author in the story, and his occasional critiques on the society in which children are brought up, the confrontation remains as we dare not assert if Carlo Collodi himself is promoting or criticizing educational processes. Thus it is reasonable to argue, that the balance between promoting and criticizing educational processes is well maintained by Collodi. Bibliography Collodi, C., (1996). The Adventure of Pinocchio. trans. A.L.Lucas. Oxford: Oxford University Press Stewart Steinberg, S., (2007). The Pinocchio Effect: on making Italians 1860 1920. Chicago: University of Chicago Press Zipes, J.D., (2007). When dreams came true: classical fairy tales and their tradition. New York: Routledge

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Haydn Middletons The Lie of the Land :: Literature Christianity Religion Essays

Making a Movie on Haydn Middleton's The Lie of the Land To make a movie from any source takes a lot of people in the process. It's not just one or two people sitting down saying "let's make a movie." There are things to be considered, things to be done and people to contact. In this essay, I plan to make a movie of Haydn Middleton's novel The Lie of the Land, just to give a glimpse of the complications involved with making a movie. The first step in any movie would have to be a script. No script, no movie. It's just that simple. A small group (or one individual) would have to sit down and write a script from this novel. Of course he (they) would have to decide what to focus on from the book, or what they (he) wants to dramatize, and if there is something that they (he) can put in the script himself that wasn't really there to begin with. For example, if the screenwriter(s) wanted to make this a romance story between the characters David and Quinn, then they would emphasize that dramatically. They might add some sexuality into said relationship, and even go so far as to have Quinn come back to David at the end of the movie. The key words that you would see on the screen would be "adapted from," meaning that the movie was based on this novel, but the screenwriter(s) wrote the movie from their interpretation. Of course, some things have to be in the script, such as David's story, but how focused it is depends, lik e I stated, on the screenwriter(s). Now that we have a script, and we'll cut out the process of submitting it to movie studios, the next step would be pre-production. For this purpose, we'll use a fictional studio and call it L 0 L studios. This studio, after accepting the script, would hire a producer. Let's use a name here, like Richard Donner. His job is to hire a director, audition a cast, find a location to film, or decide if it can be done on a sound stage (possibly both), and try to keep it all under budget. Our director would be James Cameron, because with his success recently, his name alone would bring people to see this movie, which is the whole goal of the project. Casting is difficult, because certain factors have to be looked at, such as looks, (do they look the part?