Thursday, October 31, 2019

Investment analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Investment analysis - Essay Example Ltd (GNC), MACQ GROUP FPO (MQG), Perpetual Limited (PPT), Cochlear Limited (COH), Woodside Petroleum Limited (WPL) and Rio Tinto Ltd. (RIO). These stocks are picked from the index on random basis in order to avoid any biasness. The following part analyzes the excess stock returns of every company on individual basis. Risk & Return Analysis As far as the risk and returns for 6 stocks as well as the market is concerned, it can be affirmed that the market return remained negative in the past two 26 months. The market provided -0.6137 return with the risk of 3.79 which is relatively low. The best return is provided by GNC which is 0.9069 with the risk measure of 7.0546. The lowest performing stock was MQG such that it provided a massive negative return of -2.7928 given the risk level of 7.3839. WPL was found to be the least risky stock with the figure of 6.7976 with the return of -0.7820. COH turned out to be the riskiest stock with the figure of 12.3989 with the negative return of -0.33 44. ... Gain Corp Ltd Regression Statistics Multiple R 0.4970 R Square 0.2470 Adjusted R Square 0.1394 Standard Error 6.5444 Observations 25 Â   Coefficients Standard Error t Stat P-value Intercept 1.2427 1.3432 0.9251 0.3654 EMR 0.7704 0.3732 2.0640 0.0516 SMB -0.8326 0.7121 -1.1693 0.2554 HML 0.9103 0.9036 1.0074 0.3252 If the overall model fit of GNC is taken into consideration, it can be noticed that R-square is quite low i.e. 24.7% which explains that all three factors only explain 24.7% behavior of GNC. The intercept is not significant due to higher p-value which is greater than the 0.05 level of significance. However, if 3FMs are closely looked at only EMR has contributed in predicting the excess return behavior of GNC as its p-value is quite closer to 0.05. The other two factors including SMB and HML are also insignificant due to higher p-values. In other words, the excess stock return behavior of GNC is independent of the SMB and HML but there is slight dependency can be found with respect to EMR. 2. MACQ GROUP FPO Regression Statistics Multiple R 0.7809 R Square 0.6099 Adjusted R Square 0.5542 Standard Error 4.9304 Observations 25 Â   Coefficients Standard Error t Stat P-value Intercept -1.5311 1.0120 -1.5130 0.1452 EMR 1.4996 0.2812 5.3329 0.0000 SMB 1.2077 0.5364 2.2513 0.0352 HML 1.7840 0.6808 2.6206 0.0160 The model of MQG is very strong such that the value of R-square which is 0.6099 reflects that the excess stock returns of MQG are explained by 61% with 3FMs. The intercept is turned out to be insignificant due to higher p-value. However, all the three factors contributed in explaining the behavior of MQG such that all have p-values less than the cut off level of 0.05. The beta of MQG with respect to market is near to 1.5,

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Analysis the artwork Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Analysis the artwork - Essay Example It is from the Neo-Assyrian era made around the eighth century B.C. from the Assyrian culture, created by an unknown artist. Its accession number is 60.145.11 and the credit line is Rogers Fund, 1960. The artwork stands 13.5 centimeters tall (Metropolitan Museum of Art). As mentioned earlier, the artwork as an example shows its relationship to the artist’s time and culture. The color, lines, shape and volume may as well give the meaning of the artwork as the composition, form and content do. The Assyrian sculpture is made of ivory which has been widely used during the time of its creation. Such use of the material shows the influence of Egyptian culture to Phoenician art. Moreover, the themes of the artworks also reflect the same influence (metmuseum.org). With the age of the sculpture, cracks and chips are seen all over it but one can just notice the quality of the material that lasted for millenniums with some of the parts still looking seemingly new, having the usual shiny and smooth surface typical of ivories. As formerly mentioned, ivory was used because of the influence of Egyptian culture to Phoenicia but perhaps also because of its availability and its tendency to last for years. In addition, the beauty that ivory holds is already a reason in itself for it to be used in the piece of art. Furthermore, the color of the sculpture speaks of its age. Most of the parts are faded while those which retained the color of the ivory are a bit darkened perhaps due to exposure to different seasons. The artwork in itself speaks of its early origins, having the customary characteristics of early artworks which do not show the meticulous and detailed general form of modern arts. Instead, the sculpture is roughly molded showing a big head which is not quite proportionate to the body and the faces which do not show fine details. In addition, the body of the tribute bearer and his gifts projected in the sculpture are slender, which is claimed to be Phoenician style (metmuseum.org). On the other hand, the other parts of the artwork have finer details which also give away the influence of culture to the artwork. For instance, the hair is obviously not natural because it looks curly, almost similar to the headdress of ancient English people. Moreover, the wrap around skirt is designed with intricate details that reflect Egyptian influence which is mostly observed in their respective artworks. The way the man is dressed shows his position, seen among common Egyptians in contrast to the other cultures where the upper body is also covered. The necklace the man is wearing also shows the use of ornaments of the early generations which is also reflective of Egyptian practice. Lastly, the use of sandals similar to what is used by the Egyptians clearly suggests a close relationship of Phoenicia to the renowned Egypt. The artwork is a reflection of the importance of giving gifts in the Phoenician culture. The man is perhaps sent to the leader of the stat e with the gifts as it was customary in the old times when visiting a leader. It could also be a personal decision for the tribute bearer to bring the gift to the receiver to ask for favors. This practice is widely known and practiced in early generations as often reflected in written literature and films set on such early times. Gifts then could be in the form of fruits, root crops and other foods, jewelries, clothes or animals such as the ones

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Why women suffer disadvantage in the employment relationship

Why women suffer disadvantage in the employment relationship The essay will concentrate on the phenomenon of an occupational gender segregation that women continue to suffer in the labour market in Britain. Firstly this essay will look at some statistics surrounding women in the employment. Secondly, the paper will consider theories that try to explain the occupational segregation by sex. The essay will examined the neo-classical economic theories of human capital and rational choice. Moreover, the paper will evaluate if these theories stands up as an argument to reason the occupational gender segregation. Then the concept of patriarchy which is at the centre of feminist theory will be presented and appraised in connection with understanding the cause of occupational sex segregation. The last theory to be assessed in relation to disadvantage experienced by women in the labour market will be the idea of preference theory based on Catherine Hakims study. Despite over forty years since first Equal Opportunities legislation has been introduced, labour market in the United Kingdom is marked by the sexual segregation in occupations that women so often experience. Labour Market Statistics( 2010) highlights that 42.8% of female employees work in part-time jobs to compare with 11.9% of their male counterparts and 74.4% of all employees in part-time jobs are women; thus part-time jobs tend to be seen as womens work. This generates financial consequences for women. Recent survey by Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (2009, p.5) illustrates that the full time gender pay gap is at 16.4% and the part time gender pay gap is at 13.2%. The Equal Opportunities Commission (2006) estimated that the gender pay gap would lose a woman working on full-time basis a cumulative amount of  £330,000, or  £210,000 after taxes over her life. Labour Force Survey (2006, p.5) also points out that women predominantly work in service occupations whereby men most ly work in management occupations and in professions that require high level of knowledge and skills. The neo-classical economic theories of human capital and rational choice represent a prominent proposition that attempts to clarify the reasons behind occupational sex segmentation. (Blackburn et al., 2002, p.515) The rational theory suggests that employees and employers behave sensibly in the labour market. Thus, people decide to invest in their qualifications and gain work experience in order to obtain the highest level of income possible after assessing the level and quality of their human capital and existing constrains to enter particular occupation (Anker, 1997, p.317). Furthermore, employers look for the highest return possible by increasing productivity and reducing costs. However, the rationality of employers actions may cause unequal treatment of women in employment sphere (Kirton and Greene, 2005, p.55). According to human capital theory, women entering labour market offer lower level of knowledge and skills, and less suitable qualifications that employers are looking for compare to men partly due to inequality women experience within education system (Haggerty and Johnson, 1995 p.212 and 216) and partly because women are predominant child carers and are solely responsible for home activities (Anker, 1997, p.317). Moreover, women obtain lower level of work experience than their male counterparts due to temporary or permanent exit from the labour market to look after their youngsters and households (Kirton and Greene, 2005, p.55). Neo-classical theories indicate that house duties make women often to opt for a part-time work, a full-time job that does not require much effort and energy (Blackburn et al., 2002, p.517). Therefore, female workers are often regarded by employers as less committed and less professional (Epstein et al., 1999 in Hardill and Watson, 2000, pp.21-22). In accordance with Polacheks theory, women usually select occupations that do not carry severe penalties for short-term breaks that women take to care for their children and homes (England, 1982, p.363). Furthermore, the employers often link female employees with higher indirect costs, which the most known is maternity leave. It is said that women are more likely to be late or absent at work than men, possibly due to home responsibilities (Kirton and Greene, 2005, p.57). The women are often associated with high level of turnover as they often quit their jobs after childbirth or in some cases after getting married (Anker, 1997, p.317).Thus, according to Becker (1971 in Anker, 1997, p.320), employers are rational when they abstain to employ women in order to avoid higher indirect costs. Despite of neo-classical theories contribution to explaining occupational sex segregation, there are some issues when these theories are the only one considered. Evidences have indicated that womens participation in employment has risen in Britain since 70s (Kirton and Greene, 2005, p.60). Labour market statistics (November 2010, p.3) indicates that recent women employment rate stands at 65.7% compare with just 56 % in 1971(Office for National Statistics 2009).An introduction of house appliances such as washing machines, cookers and microwaves has decreased significantly the time required to perform certain house activities in recent decades (Bowden and Offer, 1994, p.728). Moreover, recently more women are force to work to sustain themselves and their children due to a higher proportion of single parent households (Buvini, 1995 in Kirton and Greene, 2005, p.60). Census (2001) statistics have indicated that 90.5 %of households in England and Wales are headed by single women. These ch anges indicate that women have increased their work experience and in this way they have enhanced their human capital (Kirton and Greene, 2005, p.60). Considering the human capital theory these changes should enable women to enter occupations. However, women still face barriers to enter those occupations (Anker, 1997, p.320), and the reason for that is not explained by the economic theories. In accordance with economic theories, lower level of income achieved by women is fair as their level of human capital is much lower than that of the male workers. However, pay inequality between men and women is much higher than would be anticipated based on human capital reasoning (Treiman and Hartmann, 1981; World Bank, 1994 in Blackburn et al., 2002, p.517). Furthermore, womens pay inequality is not only bounded to women with children. There are many professions which also badly reward single women. Although rational choice theory explains that there is a belief that all women will have children, recent researches have highlighted that more and more women are fully dedicated to their careers and decide to have no children on their own (Browne 2000; Franks 1999 in Blackburn et al., 2002, p.519). When looking at indirect costs, they are perceived to be higher for female employees than their male counterparts; however, the evidence has shown that the rate of absenteeism and turnover is very similar for both genders (Anker, 1997, p.319). The argument of human capital theory that women traditionally choose professions that are not costly when suspended for a short-time (Watts and Rich, 1993, p.60) is disapproved by England (1982). The evidence England has put forward indicates that professions with a high rate of women do not necessary carry lower penalties for short-term breaks from work than professions with lower rate of women (England, 1982, p.365). The neo-classical theories arguments applied alone offers just limited explanation for occupational sex segregation. Kirton and Greene (2005, p.62) have put forward questions that the economic theories do not explain; why do certain social groups on average come to the labour market with lower levels of education and in what are seen as less relevant subjects? Why is housework and childcare and elder care almost always the sole responsibility of women? The gender theory concept of patriarchy should fill the gaps that exist in economic theories discussed earlier. According to Hartmann (1976, p.152-3), occupational gender segregation is a result of the phenomenon of patriarchy. This concept is concerned with a social situation where women are in subordinate position and are dominated, exploited, and undermined by powerful men (Bender L., 1988, pp.5-6); thus it seems to be intended as an explanation of vertical segregation (Blackburn et al., 2002, p.521). Women around the world are generally perceived to be housewives, and men to be main breadwinners in households. This might explain why women are solely accountable for most of the house activities and childcare (Anker, 1997, p. 324). Due to patriarchal system, women joining labour market are affected by their free house work; their incomes are perceived as extra money added to a primary incomes of their husbands. This in turn stimulates the gender pay gap that exists in the United Ki ngdom (Kirton and Greene, 2005, p.64). The fact that women occupy subordinate positions and perform house duties solely might explain why women enter the labour market with lower levels of education and are more likely to obtain qualifications that are less relevant to the labour market as it is believed that women have a lower desire for qualifications that are appropriate to labour market (Anker, 1997, p.324). Although the patriarchy theory is indented to comprehend the concept of occupational sex segregation, many scholars have highlighted some limitations when considered separately. Walbys claim that men have usually been successful in excluding women from the better work (1986,p.248) is disputed by evidences seen in the British society where many women work in better professions, and have better working and living conditions than many of their male counterparts (Blackburn et al.2002, p.521) The patriarchy theory reasoning is also looking bad when we take into consideration recent developments in the labour market, where shrinking of the male trades (such as mining, steel and docking) and the expansion of the service sector has favoured women more than men. The evidences have shown that in some parts of UK women account for most then 50% of the entire workforce (Browne, 2000 in Blackburn et al., 2002, p.521). The preference theory is a connection between gender theory of patriarchy and Goldbergs (1973, 1979, and 1993) biological theories. Hakim (1996 in Crompton and Harris, 998b, p.144) argues that men are more ruthless and ambitious than women due to higher testosterone levels in their organism. She presents the evidence which indicates that male labour market dominance is strongly supported by both genders. Furthermore, Hakim believes that women are not the same and they differ in relation to their family and work commitments (Blackburn et al., 2002, p.523).Their choices between job and home are not limited by any significant restrictions (Hakim in McRae, 2003, p.318) but are based purely on their preferences. Hakim (2002, p.434) assigns women to three groups. The first group involves the work-centred females who are highly committed to their jobs. The second group are the home-centred women. Women belonging to this group are devoted to their families and prefer to stay at home (Blackbu rn, 2001, p.523). The third group includes the adaptive women who juggle job and home or women who have no idea where their careers are going (McRae, 2003, p. 318). Hakim (1996, p.211) suggests that male solidarity wins because women dither, because they are swayed by the dominant male voice and also because women are divided in their preferences and interests. Thus, the interplay between womens differences, an argument of patriarchy theory of male domination and womens diverse priorities explains the womens employment position in Britain (Crompton and Harris, 1998b, p.144). Hakim (2002, p.435-7) suggests that only small proportion of women are fully concentrated on their careers or families. Large majority of females integrate family and work without fully committing to either (Hakim, 2002, p.434). This view is supported by evidences that have shown that only 10% of first-time mothers remain in full-time work where 90% of mothers mix periods of full-time and part-time work or leave the labour market permanently (McRae, 2003, p.322-3) However, preference theory also has some deficiencies. Blackburn et al. (2002, p.525) disagree with an argument that womens choices are not limited by any constraints. They point out that concerns such as possible income and childcare costs have a great impact on women choices that might be far from their preferred choice. McRae (2003, p.333) suggests that the evidences introduced in her paper shows that women are not as diverse as suggested by Hakim in their choices in regards to their work and family lifestyle but they are different in their capacities to act on those preferences. These evidences are clashing with an assumption of preference theory about female heterogeneity. This concluding part of the essay offer some general conclusions about the applicability of the theories analysed in this paper for the reason behind the occupational gender segregation in Britain presented by statistical data. Discussed in the paper theories of neo-classical, patriarchy and preference have been very useful to understanding why women experience disadvantage in the labour market. They have offered different and sometimes contrasting arguments. Thus, the main argument of human capital theory is that women are disadvantaged due to their lower level of education and work experience which is a product of inequality in a schooling system and sole responsibilities for home and children. Contrary to human capital theory, preference theory has argued that women choose to be committed or uncommitted to their work careers and there are no major constrains to prohibit women from joining the labour market. On the other hand the concept of patriarchy has highlighted that male domi nation over women in societies is the main reason behind occupational gender segregation. Despite their great value to comprehend the cause of occupational segregation by sex, all of these theories are flawed to same degree and neither should be considered separately. To fully understand the reason for women disadvantage in the employment relationship, there is a need to bring neo-classical, patriarchy and preference theories together.

Friday, October 25, 2019

Customer Needs Essay -- Business and Management Studies:

Customer Needs In order to satisfy customers and to gain repeat business, it is essential that Morrisons satisfies their customer’s needs. Morrisons do this by providing the best customer service possible and offering customers with their wants and needs. By providing the best services for customers will align to high profits and a well-known and liked business for Morrisons. This will gain customer loyalty and ensure that they shop repeatedly at Morrisons. The different customer’s needs are: - product information - after sales service - response to queries - range of products - refunds and exchanges - response to complaints - response to orders - signs and advertising. PRODUCT INFORMATION Product information is demanded by customers because they want to gain an awareness of what they are buying. Product information is vital because it informs customers of what products consist of and also how to set up appliances. Product information is important for customers when they purchase electrical appliances. For instance, if a customer was to purchase a TV, they would need information which notifies the customer on how to use the appliance and what this appliance does as well as stating how to connect the TV in the right way and informing what the different buttons on the remote control does. If there is no product information, customers could be distracted because they may become wary to spend their money. Customers demand a bargain and would like to comprehend what they are buying. Product information is vital for a customer when they are purchasing products other than appliances, like food. For instance, if a customer was buying a pie, they would expect to see product information such as, ingredients, methods of cooking or heating and nutrition information. Ingredients are important for all customers because of their preferences, religion, diets and foods that are fit for their consumption. Some consumers may not like apples. Therefore, they would read the ingredients to see whether the pie contains apples because they would not purchase apple pies. Due to religion Muslims and Jewish customers would only eat certain types of foods. Muslims will only halal meat because Islam permits them to only eat this because it has been slaughtered in a special way. Jewish people will only ea... ...SPONSE TO ORDERS Although Morrisons do not provide online shopping, it is likely that they will have to respond to orders. For instance, if a customer wants to buy a Heinz Baked Bean can and they were all out of stock, Morrisons will tell the customer when they will order more cans. The customer expects the order to be placed quickly and will want to see the baked beans in the Morrisons store quickly and within the time scale Morrisons had informed. SIGNS AND ADVERTISING Morrisons advertise on television, billboards, leaflets through the post and in shop windows. They make customers aware of the products they offer and highlight what the bargains are e.g. buy one get one free. Around the Morrisons store there are signs indicating where products can be found which makes it easier for customers to shop. Hanging from the ceiling and are clearly visible are signs that informs shoppers of the different sections e.g. groceries, health & beauty and home & leisure. Under the names of the different sections are headings e.g. tinned foods, baby products and videos. This is so that customers know there way around the store and can quickly and easily locate products.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

King Lear – Bbc Edition vs Laurence Olivier

King Lear video comparison King Lear BBC vs. King Lear ft. Laurence Olivier In comparing the opening scenes of BBC and Laurence Olivier’s interpretation of Shakespeare’s King Lear, I believe that BBC’s interpretation is more engaging to the audience. There are qualities that Olivier’s King Lear has an edge on, but I do consider those as less important than other factors in play. The wardrobe and music of Olivier’s King Lear is much more extensive in comparison to BBC’s, but overall BBC’s King Lear does have better acting and camera angles.To many people, the music and wardrobe would come second to actor performance and filming. The camera angles and choice of location of both plays is important, but in Olivier’s it features mainly headshots in the opening of King Lear and close ups of the actors. Putting the actor in focus it makes a strong impression of each actor’s facial expression, but this does not allow for backgrou nd acting from other actors. In BBC, just prior to Lear disowning Cordelia, Kent is seen in the centre of the screen shocked and befuddled; speechless.With the directing of Olivier’s King Lear, the camera usage does not allow for this. The setting used in Olivier’s interpretation was also unique as it appeared to take place in a Stonehenge-style location, but as special as it is, it does not support the atmosphere of the play. King Lear is sitting merely on a raised platform. Not what history would have portrayed for the throne of a King. Although Lear’s room appears to be wooden in BBC’s interpretation, it still seems to show more respect to Lear, just as what would have during the time period that they are portraying.Music in the background is something that BBC lacks compares to Olivier's. The music in Olivier's play matches the time period, and accompanies the entrance of the King and his royal subjects, giving Lear, his daughters, and sons-in-law the nobility they deserve. Actors in both plays deliver the script well, but in Olivier does not play out the role of a king and a father well. Olivier's reaction to Cordelia saying nothing is too inert for someone with that ego. The delivery of the lines appears to be a chore for Olivier, rather than performing his lines with passion.In BBC’s version, Lear hesitates, and wonders for a short while before responding to Cordelia’s â€Å"nothing†, mimicking the contemplation that Lear would have undergone upon hearing nothing. Olivier dressed in vibrant colours along with his royal subjects give Olivier’s drama an edge. But the effect is not substantial enough to win over what appears to be rushed scenes with his play. With better actor delivery and camera angles, the opening scenes of BBC’s King Lear is much more effective at bring Shakespeare’s King Lear to life.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Legalizing weed

THESIS STATEMENT: Legalizing marijuana proves to have more beneficial effects or consequences on our society as a whole than banning it, as could be proved by other countries wherein purchase of marijuana is legalized.Legalizing marijuana had been one of the most controversial issues on many societies. Marijuana could be obtained from a plant named â€Å"cannabis sativa†. Marijuana’s most dynamic element is delta tetrahyddrocannibino or simply THC. THC is the one responsible for the way people gets high once they used marijuana. Marijuana is called in a number of ways such as grass, mary jane, smoke, pot, weed, etc.   Most people have certain connotation that marijuana is something which is bad and harmful. Most think of marijuana as nothing but illegal drugs. However, marijuana also has its medical uses which would be discussed later on this paper. There is also wide range belief that marijuana could either make or break a person. If marijuana is used on medicinal pu rposes only then the results are considered helpful but when used for other reasons then the result would be harmful. These claims would all be tested on this paper. The main question would be whether legalizing marijuana would cause more positive or negative effects on the individuals using it as well as on the society as a whole.ARGUMENT ON LIBERTYMany people condemn the use of marijuana because of its harmful effects on the society as well as on the individuals living in that particular society. It is basically because of the people’s fear of the harmful consequences of marijuana on which they argue that cannabis sativa be banned. The prohibition of using marijuana is often supported with claims like legalizing it would cause serious harm on our society especially on young adults. There are claims that most people under the age of 18 may have open access on marijuana. Another factor is some people beliefs that even people whose 18 years of age and above often do not know t he consequences of their actions and thus they could not decide for their own selves. There are claims that continuous use of marijuana would result to violence and in this regard marijuana really ought to be banned.First and foremost, an argument using John Stuart Mill as well as the liberals’ point of view regarding freedom is due on this paper. Mill strongly believes that the state as well as the other people does not have any right whatsoever to interfere with other people’s businesses unless the said people’s activities prove to be harmful on the society or on other individual. Not simply because other people find’s one action to be offensive or not to that person’s liking it already follow that that person has a right to limit or to prohibit other people from doing exactly what they please. For one, Person A may not find marijuana to his liking and thus vow to never use it, however, not simply because Person A does not like marijuana it alrea dy follows that he could prohibit Person B from using marijuana.The state could also not intrude on Person’s B’s freedom to smoke marijuana provided that Person B does not cause the state or the state’s individual any harm. There are arguments which state that most people who use marijuana gets violent and thus marijuana should be prohibited. In a way marijuana could be likened to alcoholic beverages. There are people who tend to get violent once they get drunk but most people often just go home after drinking and then they go to sleep. Thus, if alcohol could be legalized then why is it that marijuana ought to be banned? Violent person tends to get more violent once they get drunk, and such is also the case with marijuana. Marijuana makes a person feels high but it does not make a person violent as long as you are not inherently a violent person.ARGUMENT ON COST AND FAILUREOn terms of cost to the government there are people who believe that once marijuana is leg alized a lot of people would have open access to the drug thus heightening the likelihood that more people would have to go to rehabilitation centers in order to cure them of their addiction. These people argue that expenses used on rehabilitation centers are supported by people’s taxes thus legalizing marijuana would be an additional burden for the rest of the society. However, these arguments do not really prove to be valid, and often they are found to be unsupported or based on very shaky grounds of argumentation added to the fact that prohibition of the use of marijuana is not really effective.Most countries and individuals do not really support the legalization of marijuana especially since they consider marijuana as harmful. Marijuana may be harmful but so is cigarette and alcohol and yet cigarettes and alcoholic beverages are legal for use. With the endless efforts of the government to hunt or to track down people who uses and who traffic marijuana on the country peopl es taxes just go to waste. In contrast to the arguments of those who are not in favor of legalizing marijuana on the basis that rehabilitation centers costs a lot and is a burden to the society as a whole, pro legalization of marijuana would argue that the endless efforts of the government and of other individuals to prohibit the use of marijuana is what really costs a lot of money.The endless campaign against drugs, the imprisoning of good people who just happened to like using marijuana in spite of their being peaceful, these are all a waste of time and money. Compared to other drugs marijuana is not that harmful and marijuana is just as addicting as cigarettes and alcohol yet these two are not prohibited by the government (Weinstein, 1999). Besides, if we would look at it in a certain way we would see that everything around us is indeed harmful once taken in excess. For one, high caloric foods got harmful effects on our body yet they are not banned. In a way marijuana is just lik e those foods with high calorie, and excess use of it could have harmful effects on one’s body yet when it comes to eating the government does not really imprison people who eat in excess.Aside from that instead of wasting the government’s resources as well as the people’s taxes on chasing marijuana sellers and users, the government should instead legalize the use of marijuana and earn profit from it by putting taxes on the sells of it. Should truth be told the government is just making marijuana traffickers richer by illegalizing it in spite of the fact that they could not really stop the use of marijuana no matter what they do. People still use marijuana in spite of it being illegal and the government is spending money on the prohibition of it without earning anything in return, thus, they must reverse their strategy and earn profits from marijuana and spend most of their time and resources on chasing the real harmful criminals such as killers, robbers, etc.AR GUMENT ON ADDICTION AND IGNORANCEThere are people who fight the legalization of marijuana to the extent. In spite of the medicinal uses of marijuana these people still do not wish to legalize it due to certain arguments like patients would rely more on marijuana to alleviate their pain instead of on normal medical procedures. This particular belief was mostly caused by their belief that marijuana is addicting. Just like all drugs they believe that marijuana is addicting and thus it would be hard to quit once you started using it especially since it causes withdrawal syndromes. Additional factor is their belief that legalizing marijuana would heighten the numbers of people using it.The reason why many people turn against marijuana and why they dislike it so much is mainly due to their ignorance. Many people views marijuana as addictive and they believe that it causes harmful effects on individuals. During the late 1930s marijuana was assumed to be some kind of a narcotic mainly becau se they were mostly used by people who use narcotics such as opium and the like without making any effort at all to conduct a research on the real effects of marijuana. The government tried to fight marijuana by being silent and giving harsh penalties believing that by doing so they could protect their youths from being corrupted by marijuana. However, silence resulted to ignorance resulting people to believe the worse on marijuana.As mentioned earlier people believed that marijuana is addictive. Yet a research conducted by Dr. Jack Henningfield and Dr. Neal Benowits proved that marijuana is not really addictive. They proved that cigarettes and alcohols are in fact more addicting than marijuana. It was also proven that marijuana does not cause any withdrawal syndromes on those people who wish to quit from using it (Wikman, 2000). Also in regards to others belief that legalizing marijuana would increase the people using it, Holland would be the finest example to rebut that claim. Mar ijuana was already legalized in Holland since 1976 and since that time the number of people using marijuana decreased by 40%. Other states in America which also legalized the use of marijuana did not show any proof that legalizing marijuana would increase the number of people using it (Meiners, 2000).CONCLUSIONOverall this paper gave sufficient evidences that the legalization of marijuana would more likely cause positive effects on the society than negative ones. Study showed that marijuana is not really effective and that alcohol and nicotine is in fact more addictive and more harmful than marijuana. Also, anything in excess is bad and thus marijuana should be blamed for people’s misbehavior because even when someone does not smoke marijuana yet he drinks a lot then it would also surely cause harmful effects on that person’s body. Another point is that not since you views something as distasteful it would also necessitate that that person would abide by your rules and would quit doing what he wants to do especially if it does not cause any harm on the society and on the individual living on it. The government should also focus their attentions more on more serious crimes than the usage of marijuana. The government should also try to earn profit from the sells of marijuana to better help the nation. Marijuana is nothing really serious especially if not taken in excess thus, marijuana ought to be legalized.References:Wikman, Eric. â€Å"Legalization of Marijuana.† 2000.Meiners, Roger E. The Legal Environment of Business Cincinnati: Ohio South Western CollegePublishing, 2000.Weinstein, Sanford. The Educator’s Guide to Substance Abuse Prevention Mahwah, N.J.Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Incorporated, 1999.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

dolphins essays

dolphins essays Dolphins and porpoises are mammals. They breathe air and give birth to living young then they suckle. They belong to the order or group of mammals called cetaceans, which include whales. Dolphins have beaklike mouths. Porpoises have bunt mouths and are smaller than dolphins. But both dolphins and porpoises are toothed whales, and their close relatives include the killer, sperm and pilot whale. Cetaceans are mammals that returned to the sea. Hind legs disappeared and were replaced by a strongly muscled tail end and flat tail or fluke. The front legs have evolved into flippers. One primitive specie- the Bouto or the river dolphin of the Amazon and other southern American rivers- has finger bones that show clearly in their flippers. Most mammalian hair has also disappeared from the streamlined body of the cetacean. The nostrils for breathing air have gradually moved to the forehead and, in the dolphins and porpoises have become one blow whole, which leads right to the lungs instead of the mouth and throat. The river living dolphins such as the Bouto must come up for air every 30 seconds, but the ocean dolphins can stay in the water for a few minutes. When they surface, a great spout of moist, used air is comes out from the blow wholes. More air is taken in, and they dive again. A dolphin or porpoise baby is born in the water. The mother and another female dolphins, which acts as a nurse, then rush into the surface for the babys first breath of air. They introduce the baby to the deeper water and longer stays under the water the first few weeks. At first they return to the surface for the baby to suckle its mothers milk. Usually only one baby is born at a time. It spends a full year feeding on milk and strays from its mother ...

Monday, October 21, 2019

Become an Adjunct Professor

Become an Adjunct Professor In the academic world, there are several types of professors. In general, an adjunct professor is a part-time instructor. Instead of being hired on a full-time, long-term basis, adjunct professors are hired based on the number of classes needed and by the semester. Usually, they are not guaranteed work beyond the current semester and are not given benefits. While they may be retained over and over again, being an adjunct is more of a temporary role in general. Adjunct Professors Contracts Adjunct professors work by contract, so their responsibilities are limited to teaching the course they have been hired to teach. They are not required to conduct research or service activities at the school, as a typical professor would participate in. In general, adjunct professors are paid $2,000 to $4,000 per class, depending on the university or college at which they teach. Many adjunct professors hold full-time jobs and teach to supplement their income or to expand their networking capabilities. Some teach simply because they enjoy it. Other adjunct professors teach several classes at several institutions each semester in order to earn a living from teaching. Some academics argue that adjunct professors are taken advantage of because many so desire to keep a foot in academia despite heavy workloads and poor pay, but it still makes good financial sense for different professionals and institutions. Pros and Cons of Adjunct Teaching There are advantages and disadvantages to becoming an adjunct. One perk is that it can bolster your image and help you develop a professional platform; another is that you will not have to get involved in organizational politics that plague many institutions. The pay is much lower than a regular professor, though, so you may feel like you are doing the same amount of work as colleagues and getting paid less. Its important to consider your motivations and goals when considering a career or job as an adjunct professor; for many people, its a supplement to their career or income instead of a full-time career. For others, it can help them get their foot in the door to becoming a tenured professor. How to Become an Adjunct Professor To be an adjunct professor, you will need to hold a masters degree at the least. Many adjunct professors are in the middle of earning a degree. Some have Ph.D. degrees. Others just have a lot of experience in their respective fields. Are you an existing graduate school student? Network in your department to see if there are any potential openings. Also, inquire locally at community colleges to break in and get some experience.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

A Case Study of Woolworths Samples for Students â€Myassignmenthelp

Woolworths is the biggest retail supermarket in Australia. It operates efficiently in the retail industry to achieve its principal goal of providing customers with high-quality goods at affordable prices, (Pod.com, 2008). Its effective strategies have seen it compete favorably with other companies in the Australian retail industry such as Coles. However, it is apparent that this company does not operate in isolation. It interacts with both internal and external environmental variables. It is, therefore, prudent to analyze its inner and external environment so as to identify its key stakeholders and their influence on the success of the company. In 1878, Frank W. Woolworth established the first Woolworths store in New York. This store later failed and forced him to change location and establish another store in Lancaster, (Woolworths Holdings, 2016). In 1879. This is how Woolworths emerged. It later expanded its stores throughout the United States, Australia Mexico, and Germany, among other countries, (Pod.com, 2008). This supermarket mainly deals in retail products. It conducts proper strategic planning that has ensured its remainder in the retail industry. These are units within an organization that perform independently to contribute to the profitability of the whole entity. Some strategic units in Woolworths include Woolworth’s general merchandise and clothing unit, financial services unit and Woolworth’s foods, division. These units can be evaluated regarding profitability, (Woolworths Holdings, 2016). The BCG model can be used to analyze these units, whereby, the underperforming units can be retrenched, and profitable units advanced further Woolworths mainly deals in general merchandise, clothes food and financial services. Its primary objective is to enhance customer satisfaction, by making its clients to derive a value of their purchases, (Woolworths Holdings, 2016). Its main market is derived from clothes market, consumables and general merchandise. It has stores in several countries including Australia, US, UK, Germany, and Mexico among other states. The analysis of the external environment of this supermarket can better be done using strategic tools of analysis like PESTEL analysis and Porter’s five forces. This analytical tool assesses the present position of the entire industry where the firm operates. This tool can, therefore, be used to analyze the Australian Industry as follows: Bargaining power of buyers: The negotiation capability of consumers in the retail industry in Australia is relatively higher. This is because several supermarkets are dealing in similar items, making the consumers have a large variety of goods to choose from, (Arli, Dylke, Burgess, Campus & Soldo, 2013). Bargaining Power of Suppliers: The Australian retail market consists of many players such as Tesco, Coles, and Aldi. It is therefore highly concentrated, and some particular big players have dominated the market share, (Humerston, 2013). This increases the level of bargaining power of suppliers to a certain threshold, and as such, it may be concluded that the bargaining power of suppliers is moderate. Threats of new entry: when the market is not very concentrated, there is always a threat to new players entering the market. They then create a stiff competition with already established firms, (Hubbard, Rice & Galvin, 2014) In Australia, larger companies have made it difficult for the new players to quickly enter into the industry, (Hummerston, 2013). This reduces the overall threat of new entry into the retail industry.   Rivalry among existing firms: The current companies always tend to pose threats to each other by devising better ways of approaching competition. These may include innovation, creativity and utilizing unique technology, (Hubbard, Rice & Galvin, 2014). In the Australian retail industry, there are few existing competitors like Coles, Wesfarmers, Asda and Woolworths among others. These supermarkets are competing against each other to achieve larger market shares, (Moscardo, Lamberton, Wells, Fallon, Lawn, Rowe & Renouf, 2013). Therefore, the threat of rivalry among the existing firms is relatively higher. The threat of substitutes: Substitutes refer to products that can be used alternatively, (Hubbard, Rice & Galvin, 2014). The supermarkets in the Australian industry deal in similar retail products, (Hummerston, 2013). Therefore, the consumers have no substitutes rather than consuming the retail products. The threats of substitutes in the industry are therefore relatively small. This is another essential analytical tool that can be used to evaluate Woolworths’ external environment. The application of this tool in assessing the external environment can be made as follows: Political: Political factors refer to government policies and regulations which affect proper operations of an enterprise, (Dockalikova & Klozikova, 2014). The political conditions affect the operations of retail stores in Australia including Woolworths. For instance, the Australian federal government launched a competition policy which bars established free players like Woolworths and Asda in eliminating competition, (Keith. 2012). The increasing dominance of these traditional supermarkets has resulted in developing retailers struggling to succeed in the industry. Economic: Economic factors refers to the market variables that affect the performance of a firm, (Mialon, Swinburn, Allender & Sacks, 2016). The decline in the economic conditions in Australia has hit the performance of Woolworths. Apart from the decline, some economic indicators- fluctuations in the value of currency, and the decline in value of the Australian dollar have negatively influenced Woolworth’s’ international operations, (Ulle, 2014) Social: For a company to operate efficiently, it must be compliant with the social expectations of the community on which it operates, (Hubbard, Rice & Galvin, 2014). The present trend in the Australian market indicates that there are high expectations of the community on social responsibility, (Hummerston, 2013). The companies operating in this country must, therefore, ensure they are socially sensitive. Woolworths must, therefore, take social initiatives that would ensure it is viewed as socially responsible. Technological: With the growth of technology and internet marketing, companies must ensure that they devise technologically updated ways of marketing and distributing their products, (Docklikova & Klozikova, 2014). Woolworths, in particular, has considered the utilization of green refrigeration technology so that it can store the perishable products for longer time durations. Environmental: Firms must always examine the impacts of their operations to the environment. This enables them to avoid environmental pollution, (Hubbard, Rice & Galvin, 2014). Woolworths is particularly affected by environmental factors in that its petrol and wine making businesses are executing adverse effects to the environment, (Keith, 2012). This has adversely impacted on the profitability of this company. Legal: Legal factors include rules and regulations imposed by the government that businesses have to comply with, (Mcguire, 2014). In Australia, the imposition of the carbon tax has affected Woolworths and the retail industry in general, (Hummerston, 2013). Taxes reduce the profitability of businesses as they have to pay a certain percentage of their income to the government. Woolworths interacts with both external and internal stakeholders. The evaluation of the impacts of internal stakeholders on the success of Woolworths can be conducted through internal analysis. This can be done by utilizing SWOT analysis model. This is a tool that can be used to examine the threats, opportunities, strengths, threats and weaknesses a firm may be exposed. The analysis of Woolworths using this tool can be conducted as follows: Strengths: Strengths refers to the unique capabilities of a company. The power of Woolworths lies on the fact that it is a market leader in the retail industry in Australia, (Mcguire, 2014). It also has reliable sources of capital and secure resources. The utilization of technology such as green refrigeration also acts as a strength of this enterprise, (Ulle, 2014). The company has also developed an excellent market position, making the customers acutely aware of its presence. Weaknesses: Weaknesses are the aspects of the business that are not entirely established. Competitors may usually take advantage of these shortcomings so as to gain a competitive advantage, (Helms & Nixon, 2010). In the case of Woolworths, some of its weaknesses may include failure of its brand to attain competitive advantage and negligible presence in the global market, when compared with other enterprises like Tesco. It also entered the online market at a later time as compared to other companies, (Keith, 2012). These weaknesses have led to the development of a stiff competition between Woolworths and other companies. Opportunities: Opportunities are gaps in the market that accompany can fill so as to gain a competitive advantage against its rivals, (Helms & Nixon, 2010). The Australian retail industry shows an excellent growth capability. Factors such as advancement in the supply chain, computerization, and consumer lifestyle changes have influenced the ability of retailers and provided a chance for growth, (Ulle, 2014). Woolworths have also tried to adopt multi-option marketing approach so as to keep up with the diverse customer needs. Technology is a major determinant of competition. Although this company has tried to embrace technology through such aspects as virtual marketing and Woolworths’ app, the Woolworths app has not been customized to address all the customers’ requirements. One of the growth opportunities available for this company is that it should customize the Woolworths app so that the clients can be able to locate the exact shelf in the store where a product is located. The company has enough resources and qualified technical staff. It should, therefore, grow in this line so as to gain a competitive advantage against its rivals such as Coles. Threats: Threats refer to the factors that may necessitate a company to be quickly thrown out of the market. Threats mainly sprout from competition, (Mcguire, 2014). In the Australian retail market, there exists a high level of competition posed by other companies such as Coles and ASDA. These companies represent a lot of threat to the development of Woolworths, as Woolworths has to administer strategies that would ensure it remains competitive. Apart from this, government intervention in the market significantly affects the growth of Woolworths within the Australian retail market, (Hummerston, 2013) The success of Woolworths in Australia critically depends on three factors; the emergence of real online businesses such as Amazon, the rise of companies that conduct marketing traditionally and online, and growth of real traditional firms. The key success factors of this entity are based on its strengths. These may include: Strong brand: Woolworths has established a strong brand name in Australia. It, therefore, has a pool of loyal customers who purchase its products, (Powell, 2016). Customer loyalty is the primary determinant of the success of any business as it ensures that the clients develop a preference to the products of a particular company. It’s a well-established company: Woolworths is well-established and known in Australia as a big retailer, (Feigin, 2016). This makes its products known to the customers. Many customers have therefore developed trust to its products making it able to sell its goods quickly in the market. It has also produced a steady customer based and a significant market share, which enhances its profitability through the sale of a large volume of retail products, (Keith, 2012). Excellent Reputation: Reputation refers to the respect a company develops among its clients. This can be accomplished by providing high-quality products that are accepted by the customers, (Hubbard, Rice & Galvin, 2014). Woolworths has developed a strong reputation among its clients in the retail market, (Ulle, 2014). This has made it more successful as compared to its competitors as customers develop trust and preference to its products. In conclusion, it is apparent that Woolworths is an open organization that interacts with both internal and external environmental factors. Its internal environment can be analyzed using SWOT model, while its external environment can be evaluated using Porter’s five forces and PESTEL analysis. The company has critical success factors such as brand reputation and market reputation. It is also old-established in the market making it have a strong customer base in the market Arli, V., Dylke, S., Burgess, R., Campus, R., & Soldo, E. (2013). Woolworths Australia and Walmart US: Best Practices in Supply Chain Collaboration.  Journal of Economics, Business & Accountancy Ventura,  16(1). Dockalikova, I., & Klozikova, J. (2014). MCDM Methods in Practice: Determining the The significance of PESTEL Analysis Criteria. Proceedings of the European Conference On Management, Leadership & Governance, 418-427   Feigin, L. M. (2016).  The Effects of Protests and Boycotts on a Brand and its Reputation: a Case Study on Woolworths and Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS)  (Doctoral dissertation,The IIE). Helms, M. M., & Nixon, J. (2010). Exploring SWOT Analysis–where are we Now? A Review of Academic Research from the Last Decade. Journal of Strategy and Management, 3(3),15-251  Ã‚  Ã‚   Hubbard, G., Rice, J., & Galvin, P. (2014). Strategic Management. Pearson Australia.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Hummerston, J. (2013). Options and Directions for the Continuous Improvement of the AustralianMeat Retail Qualifications  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Keith, S. (2012). Coles, Woolworths and the Local. Locale: The Australasian-Pacific Journal ofRegional Food Studies, 2, 47-81. Mcguire, K. (2014). SWOT Analysis 34 Success Secrets-34 Most Asked Questions on SWOT Analysis-What You Need To Know. Emereo Publishing.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Mialon, M., Swinburn, B., Allender, S., & Sacks, G. (2016). Systematic Examination of Publicly-Available Information Reveals the Diverse and Extensive Corporate Political Activity of The Food Industry in Australia. BMC Public Health, 16(1), 1-13. Doi: 10.1186/s12889- 016-2955-7 Moscardo, G., Lamberton, G., Wells, G., Fallon, W., Lawn, P., Rowe, A. & Renouf, M. (2013). Sustainability in Australian Business: Principles and Practice. Wiley-Blackwell.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Poid.com. (2008, February 4). Woolworths Supermarkets. Retrieved January 4, 2017, from Poid.com website: https://www.poidb.com/groups/group.asp?GroupID=153 Powell, S. M. (2016). Journal of Brand Management–Yearend Review 2016.  Journal ofBrandManagement,  23(6), 601-611.   Ulle, J. (2014). Microenterprise; Marketing B2b from a Manufacturers Point of View Thesis 2014. Woolworths Holdings. (2016). Woolworths Holdings Ltd 2016 Strategic report. Woolworths Holdings. Retrieved 2017, from https://www.woolworthsholdings.co.za/downloads/2016/WHL-Integrated-Report-2016.pd

Friday, October 18, 2019

Phases of Transition for Nurses Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Phases of Transition for Nurses - Essay Example The gaps between theory and praxis will percolate within their system, as the abyss between reality and expectation brings innate confusion and perplexity. Phases of Transition for Nurses Duchscher (2001) explained that transition shock reinforces the need for new graduates to bridge their educational curricula with increasing workplace expectations with the aim of integrating new nursing professionals into such rigorous and dynamic context of healthcare practice. The transition phases include the following: a. The Honeymoon phase- this is the phase when a new practitioner attempts to reconcile one’s excitement and enthusiasm in the performance of job with such oozing expectations. New graduates express comfortability in the learning the variables from patients; not only settling on default information but also of other possibilities (Duchscher, 2001). They perform their new in accordance to standard policies of the practice in accordance to set of rules and standards set by t he medical institution with hope that they will be accorded with necessary counselling, mentoring, guidance, and evaluative care from their respective managers (Duchscher, 2001). ... b. Shock and Rejection– The feeling of shock and rejection often happens when the new practitioner’s expectation and assumption seemed to be incompatible or is in a mismatched to the empirical realities and demands of one’s job. When the feeling of shock is not remedied or not responded positively, frustration and disappointment may seep in the practitioner’s system. Confronted by this possibility, it is significant that neophyte healthcare provider should be oriented thoroughly of the demands of the job, the policies inherent in their respective duties, the potential stresses that their profession entails, as well as the standards imposed upon them as institutional protocols of the profession. Such orientation will help them cope from the competitive nature of their profession that require their core competence and positive attitude in dealing with the multiple tasks embedded in healthcare delivery. Guidance, mentoring, and professional support from the m edical institution’s management could help provide psycho-emotional balance to new practitioners amid variants present in medical care. It is also significant that new practitioners are able to understand exactly the caring profession hence, there is an imperative for them to act in accordance to their professional and ethical goals while providing support and compassion to patients or clients. Healthcare advocates should fully transcend the hassles and stresses of criticism, lack of support, or maybe those mockeries-- at an optimal level to meet their oath and to cope against potential rejection. It is therefore important that they too are able to understand the entire operational mechanism and framework of healthcare

Effects of Managerial Behaviours and Leadership Styles Essay

Effects of Managerial Behaviours and Leadership Styles - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that the evolution of industrialization paved the way for modern management practices and the emphasis shifted from autocratic management to human relations style of management. The human resources, once considered as menial labor earned importance through their inventive and innovative ways. The next phase revolved around establishing efficient processes and systems for gaining an advantage in the market. This practice was followed by the marvels of leadership in the business domain. With time it got apparent that businesses that realized the importance of human resources and their skills grew in size and acquired a competitive advantage in the market. These businesses deliberately designed intrinsic and extrinsic rewards for their employees, in order to keep them motivated and loyal. An inquiry into the research conducted on the subject matter of motivation reveals that employees tend to value intrinsic rewards more while extrinsic ones w ith time became tertiary. Within the scope of intrinsic rewards, the decision-making practices by management and behavior of managers towards employees acquired immense importance. Those managers that can gather their teams under one objective and achieve results were valued, consequently, those who could not motivate their teams became redundant in the modern era. After going through many ups and downs organizations realized that both employee’s motivation and their sustainability depends on the decision making the ability of power players within the company. A manager or leader is entrusted to keep their subordinates motivated and actively working towards achievement of organizational goals. As a driving force within the organization poor leadership or managerial behavior can result in colossal damages. These damages can range from quantitative damages in form of monetary returns and decreased revenues to qualitative damages such as reputation in the market decreased goodwi ll and demotivated employees. Modern firms realized this threat and consequences of bad decision making; hence as a precaution, these organizations invested heavily in leadership development programs. These programs were geared towards identifying and developing incumbents into future leaders. Those who cannot only motivate their teams towards desired organizational objectives but also have the business acumen that can help them in facing future challenges. Additionally, these organizations refined their decision-making approach and practices such as mentoring; counseling and brainstorming were adopted by these organizations, in order to develop effective leaders who can take timely decisions. With the rise of a knowledge economy, visionary leaders became the scarcest commodity in the marketplace. Regardless of the product, size and prevailing market dynamics, it is proven through many case studies that effective leaders can take organizations to greater heights. These leaders have unique characteristics and attributes while their decision-making style suites the appropriate situation. Organizations these days understand that in today’s economically fragile and dynamic marketplace, poor decisions made by individuals or appalling attitude towards employees or customers can devastate an organization.

Journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 5

Journal - Essay Example Do not wear white or tight things unless you use our products, they warn. If you get your clothes stained, it will be the greatest shame in your life. Even your boyfriend should not know that you’ve got menstruation, suggest some ads of tampons. You get the message. As to the menarche, I did feel some discomfort about it. It was a mixture if pride and sorrow. It was the sign of my growing up, but it also signaled the official end of my childhood. It is always that way: girls are proud of becoming mature, but they feel discomfort about their sexuality. Continuing the topic of shame, it is really very common among women. Many mothers do not tell their daughters of menstruation until it starts. They keep it in secret just like issues connected with sex. So girls often get frightened and feel shame, inherited from their mothers. I think it is very important to make girls acquainted with the stages of their development early in their lives, so that they could know that it is quite normal and would not be afraid of developing. #2. Like many other girls, I acquire my notions of beauty from mass media. I am lucky to have the ‘proper’ figure: to be slim. This way I could avoid pressures associated with weight. On the other hand, I do feel sometimes that I need to loose some kilograms, I realize that it is stupid but those fears simply come to my head. I do make-up both because I feel the necessity and because I like it. However, I can go out without make-up and feel OK. As to clothes, I am influenced by the demands of fashion. When I wear some clothes that are too out-of-date or baggy I feel discomfort. I like to be fluffy. Underwear, perfumes, nail varnish, handbags, jewelry – all those things attract me. They are beautiful and make you feel attractive and pleasant to look at. They give you the feeling of being rich and able to permit the life of luxury. If used properly, they make women look and smell very nice. I see nothing

Thursday, October 17, 2019

What Caused the Bubble and Bust in the US Mortgage Market Term Paper

What Caused the Bubble and Bust in the US Mortgage Market - Term Paper Example Introduction In the year of 2007, the world witnessed an economic crisis of a magnitude unimaginable in today’s sophisticated times withal its detailed planning, theories and innovations. Some compared it to the Great Depression of 1930s. It began with the crashing of the US Mortgage Market that is one of the most active sectors in the US economy. Gradually, it spread to the financial of many other countries and in 2008 one of the biggest investment banks in UK, the Lehman Brothers, crashed. Though the crisis affected the financial sector resulting in problems pertaining to banking, it soon got transmitted to the real sector through a fall in employment and output. The ultimate effect was an economic slowdown. (Muller, 2010, p.1) In this research, we will analyze the factors that led to the crash of the US Mortgage Market and contributed to a large-scale financial crisis. The US Mortgage Market To identify the factors responsible for the bursting of the bubble in the US Housin g sector, its structure and mechanism has to be studied in detail. General structure The US mortgage market has been one of the oldest sectors in the US economy. ... As a result, of securitization, the banks, now, did not have to wait till the maturity of loans since they have already been bundled and sold off to investors in return for its monetary value. Consequently, lending of credit increased earnings per share increased and the dividend to shareholders and corporate increased as well. Loans were bundled as per the requirement of the investors and sold to the one offering the best rate of interest. Soon, the primary sector banks and S&L were completely driven out from taking part directly in the mortgage market. It was, now, ruled by the secondary sector organizations, investment and mortgage banks. These banks formed a circular system with no lender of last resort like the FED or government bank and S&L. (Kim, 2010, p.139) Mechanism of the Bursting of Bubble in the Housing sector The secondary sector banks engaged in mutual securitization and purchase of one another’s loans. Also, due to lack of regulatory measures in the market, inf ormation about borrowers was either not verified or it was foreclosed, in the greed of making more profits and expanding. This resulted in an increase in the number of Non-Performing Assets (NPAs). The effect of each NPA on the mortgage market was magnified due the large number of layers created and it corroded the credit base. Finally, as the negative effect from these NPAs outweighed the overall wealth of these organizations, the entire mortgage market collapsed. Thus, the banks in the financial sector suffered severe losses and people withdrew their money from these banks. In 2007, two hedge funds, the High Grade Structured Credit Strategies Fund and the High Grade Structured Credit Strategies Enhanced

International Financial Markets Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

International Financial Markets - Essay Example Reasons for this trend are the fiscal stimulus packages, nationalization of private-sector debt, and reduction in tax revenues (Nelson, 2012). While government securities are considered close to risk-free, there have however been worries in 2010 that U.S. municipal bonds may default because of lack of liquidity, a fear which proved unfounded (MeritWealth, 2011). When the government requires high levels of borrowing, it tends to raise the yield on its bonds in order to attract investors. In a low interest environment, high-yield bonds become attractive to investors because the present value of high-yielding bonds makes the bonds more valuable when traded in the open market. However, by increasing the yield on its bonds the government crowds out private business and credit tends to become more costly – that is, added risk premiums increase interest rates over that offered by the government, discouraging private borrowers from resorting to bond financing because of the higher def ault risk involved. The result is a credit crunch that reduces funding to business and slows down productive activity, eventually causing downsizing, lay-offs and company closures. The central bank resorts to quantitative easing to introduce liquidity in the economy to spur nominal spending; this is done by purchasing financial assets from the private sector. The new central bank money used to pay for the assets increases the money held by banks and increases the level of deposits held by private parties. Quantitative easing is seen to help restore the inflation rate to positive levels when the economy is too weak that deflation (negative inflation) threatens to set in (Benford, et al, 2009). As for other developments, retail bond trading (lower-denominated bonds offered to individual investors) is seen as the better alternative to institutional bond trading. Retail had been growing when institutional was shrinking in the past crisis, due to its lower risk (Kite, 2008). Furthermore, emerging market dollar bond issuance has surged to $100 billion in 2012, as investment funds found safer markets in emerging economies little affected by the subprime financial crisis (Natarajan, 2012). Another alternative is sukuk bonds, which are Islamic financial instruments resembling conventional bonds but, consistent with Shariah law, are not debt instruments and do not pay interest. Instead, sukuk are ownership investments representing â€Å"legal/beneficial interest in specified tangible assets and/or services and/or projects.† Sukuk investments yield pre-determined returns, and specifies profit-and-loss sharing between fund user and provider (Adam & Thomas, 2004, p. 54-55). Contingent convertible bonds, also known as CoCo bonds, are a novel way by which banks may raise capital. These are bonds that automatically convert to equity when a particular trigger takes place, such as when the issuer needs money (Pietersz, 2012; . The CoCo mechanism quickly converts temporar y capital (debt capital, which must be paid back) to permanent capital (equity, which however tends to dilute shareholdings). As for the future of securitisation, there is still a great need for developing securities which businesses resort to for hedging and risk management. However, new regulations have been adopted to ensure that the

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Personal Reflection about My Learning Profile Essay - 1

Personal Reflection about My Learning Profile - Essay Example Mathematics, as they say, has always been a sore point in my life. If I remember correctly, as a little child I cried a river of tears more than I care to count, especially since I used to experience problems in counting and counting being part of mathematics made it even harder. The moment anyone, be it the teacher or a student, begins to spout numbers at me then it was rapidly becoming my habit to shut down. I used to experience a difficult time in completing basic addition and subtraction sums as my perception were that math was difficult. As my memory’s ability to store information was also not that good, I used to count my fingers and toes to get the answers to the simplest of the arithmetic questions posed at me and it was becoming embarrassing and tedious. Moreover, this was further worsened by the fact that I did not train as I was expected to both inside and outside my math classroom mainly because I hated the subject with a zeal. When my parents realized this, there was nothing they could do to make me do better at math rather they decided to push me to learn multiplication and division by drilling me over and over again. As a freshman in Binghamton University, my earlier experiences have made the understanding and application of threshold concept a bit easy. To start with is my newly developed interest in mathematics which came to light and boomed exponentially during my junior high school immediately after taking the Calculus AB class. For example, my teacher Luba Goldenberg taught us to visualize instead of memorizing during the first day of the class. This proved to be my eye-opener. Later on, she said that she would like to give us the trig quiz which asked about the answer to Sin 11Ï€ over 6. She also mentioned to us to try to answer each question in three seconds.  Ã‚  

International Financial Markets Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

International Financial Markets - Essay Example Reasons for this trend are the fiscal stimulus packages, nationalization of private-sector debt, and reduction in tax revenues (Nelson, 2012). While government securities are considered close to risk-free, there have however been worries in 2010 that U.S. municipal bonds may default because of lack of liquidity, a fear which proved unfounded (MeritWealth, 2011). When the government requires high levels of borrowing, it tends to raise the yield on its bonds in order to attract investors. In a low interest environment, high-yield bonds become attractive to investors because the present value of high-yielding bonds makes the bonds more valuable when traded in the open market. However, by increasing the yield on its bonds the government crowds out private business and credit tends to become more costly – that is, added risk premiums increase interest rates over that offered by the government, discouraging private borrowers from resorting to bond financing because of the higher def ault risk involved. The result is a credit crunch that reduces funding to business and slows down productive activity, eventually causing downsizing, lay-offs and company closures. The central bank resorts to quantitative easing to introduce liquidity in the economy to spur nominal spending; this is done by purchasing financial assets from the private sector. The new central bank money used to pay for the assets increases the money held by banks and increases the level of deposits held by private parties. Quantitative easing is seen to help restore the inflation rate to positive levels when the economy is too weak that deflation (negative inflation) threatens to set in (Benford, et al, 2009). As for other developments, retail bond trading (lower-denominated bonds offered to individual investors) is seen as the better alternative to institutional bond trading. Retail had been growing when institutional was shrinking in the past crisis, due to its lower risk (Kite, 2008). Furthermore, emerging market dollar bond issuance has surged to $100 billion in 2012, as investment funds found safer markets in emerging economies little affected by the subprime financial crisis (Natarajan, 2012). Another alternative is sukuk bonds, which are Islamic financial instruments resembling conventional bonds but, consistent with Shariah law, are not debt instruments and do not pay interest. Instead, sukuk are ownership investments representing â€Å"legal/beneficial interest in specified tangible assets and/or services and/or projects.† Sukuk investments yield pre-determined returns, and specifies profit-and-loss sharing between fund user and provider (Adam & Thomas, 2004, p. 54-55). Contingent convertible bonds, also known as CoCo bonds, are a novel way by which banks may raise capital. These are bonds that automatically convert to equity when a particular trigger takes place, such as when the issuer needs money (Pietersz, 2012; . The CoCo mechanism quickly converts temporar y capital (debt capital, which must be paid back) to permanent capital (equity, which however tends to dilute shareholdings). As for the future of securitisation, there is still a great need for developing securities which businesses resort to for hedging and risk management. However, new regulations have been adopted to ensure that the

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Socratic dialogue Essay Example for Free

Socratic dialogue Essay 1. Meno is among the Socratic dialogues that were inscribed by Plato early in the Fourth Century B. C in Greece. Plato wrote the article in an attempt to determine the befitting definition of virtue as he understood it. He wanted to come with a common meaning of virtue which applied evenly to every particular virtue; this he succeeds with the use of the dialogue between Socrates and Meno. The dialogue between Meno and Socrates tries to define what aspects makes a human being good and what makes him or her bad. Plato as well introduces another theme in the talk anamnesia. Anamnesia suggests that human soul is eternal and it understands everything, and merely recollects for the purpose of learning. The article brings out the ideological difference between Meno and Socrates. 2. Meno first points out that virtue is different from person to person but Socrates believes there is a common definition for all. Socrates rejects Meno’s assertion that virtues depends on factors like age and gender. Meno secondly suggests that the capacity to govern well (Plato, 2009) could be a virtue to all. Socrates mentions to the slave master, Meno, that governing well can never be a virtue of a slave, since he would then not be a slave anymore. Meno also suggests that virtue is yearning for fine things and the influence to get them. Socrates notes that this brings about another dilemma- a lot of people don’t recognize what is evil. 3. Socrates drew geometric shapes on the ground to articulate how a slave is originally ignorant of finding double the square area. Socrates explains how, before he randomly picked the slave boy from Meno’s entourage, the slave boy had spoken well and fluently on the topic (Plato, 2009). Socrates remarks that the numbing he effected on the slave boy did not harm him. Afterwards he draws another square shape diagonally; the slave boy can now observe that adding horizontal and vertical lines from the square corners, the area created is double the size. Socrates gets the slave boy to concur that the area is doubled and the slave boy admits to â€Å"spontaneously recovering knowledge from a previous life. Witnessing the slave boy example, Meno finally concurs with Socrates in his â€Å"innate† theory (Plato, 2009). 4. Virtue is something that someone learns from the environment that he or she has been brought up in. Sometimes the degree of holding on to a belief as being true depends on how seriously the subject matter is taken in the society one is brought up in. Knowledge and virtue are closely related but can be mutually exclusive. When a child grows up he or she learns new things by observing the environment, and based on his observations will decide what is virtuous and what is not. This is mostly based on his reaction to the society’s treatment or punishment of alleged vices. When he or she grows he forms his own opinion of what is good and what is bad, based on his interactions in life. Reference: Plato. (2009). Meno. Arc Manor LLC.

Monday, October 14, 2019

Factors in Child Language Development

Factors in Child Language Development Acquisitions of language and literacy skills are important to be internalized as early as possible in the development of the childs early education. The child starts acquiring such language and skills as from the moment s/he is born and not as s/he starts school; which skills evolve and become more complex as the child matures. Hence the first major steps in language are taken at home and then built on and reinforced at school as the child mixes with other children, each from different backgrounds and under the teachers guidance. The school and educators must strive hard in getting a glimpse of each individual childs background because only in knowing what baggage the child has brought with him to school, the educator is able to see the world from the childs perspective. This is very much in line with Piagets theory of learning since he stresses upon the fact that learning depends on a number of factors which include the childs prior knowledge, age, maturity, social and family influe nces, contextual setting as well as ways of learning. The educator must therefore get in touch with such knowledge about each and every child in class in order to help and support children in organizing their prior knowledge, which is a product of family and background influence. The importance of the adults or educators role in the development of the childs language and literacy has been recognized since it is the educator who helps the child become aware of certain aspects of the language and in so doing helping and supporting the development of language and literacy. The adult should be the role model for the child to imitate and emulate since children learn a lot from imitation and hence help the child reinforcing language and literacy acquisition. According to Piaget this takes place through assimilation and accommodation of new knowledge which in turns leads to equilibrium. Other theorists, including the Nativists such as Chomsky and Constructivists such as Skinner amongst oth ers, attempted to explain how the child develops language and literacy skills. Vygotsky and later Bruner, who refined his work, attempted to explain how language developes; language as a product of social interactions and environment. All different theories left a significant impact on our educational system. What characteristics within the home environment promote strong development in these areas? Home background marks the difference amongst children since not everyone is brought up the same and exposed to the same environment. Wilkinson, (1980) argues that, while the adult can offer a certain resistance to his environment, the child accepts it, drinks it in. Thus the whole environment of the child should be a positive, harmonious one. (as citied in Bruce, 1997, p.18). Implying that children are easily affected from everything that happens around them, especially in their home environment, but unfortunately not every child experiences a positive one. Early theories of development, including Jerome Bruner, argues that children learn a lot from imitation and in recognizing the others different experiences. Same with language since children are all the time imitating others and in so doing imitating language heard and learning that different intonations and words create different meaning in different situations. Developmentalists, like Catherine Snow (1997) argues that: even the quality of living and social level contribute to the language skills the children are exposed to. (as citied in Bee Boyd, 2010 p.217). The mother or primary care giver is crucial in the development of the child and by implication this person leaves a considerable impact and influence on the childs exposure to literacy and also in language development. Parents are childrens first and most powerful teachers and most important role models. (as citied in Carlyon, Carlyon McCarthy, 1998). Particular importance is given to the way the mother interacts with the child since language skills are transferred to the child. This infant directed speech is called motherese; where the simplicity and repetitiveness of the adults speech helps the child in language acquisition as well as in picking out the repeated grammatical forms used in speech. Research suggests that motherese plays a crucial role in language development; however these interactions start to interest the child mostly when s/he starts using language to communicate for him/herself. The child then would attempt to repeat and use words heard and forms in his own speec h to communicate while the adult guides and supports the child by recasting sentences and modeling the correct grammatical forms. In a literate society just as learning to speak it is equally important to be exposed to and acquire literacy skills. However, such skills need much more effort for the child to tap into his/her cognitive and motor skills. Denny Taylor (1983) argues that literacy is part of the very fabric of the family life (as citied in Bruce, 1997 p.130). The home is the main and first source of literacy since it is where the child is introduced to functional literacy. The child sees the family members engaging in literacy activities and most of the time the child get involved actively in these experiences and thus grasping the functions of such literacy actions and skills. The child learns that literacy is everywhere and that it conveys meaning by noticing some writing from scraps of paper in the house, phone messages, texts in storybooks and much other situations where the child is exposed to symbols in a context. Most of the time parents unconsciously expose their children to text in their ever yday situations and involving them in the literate society e.g. in doing shopping lists or choosing packets of cereal to buy. Parents are usually not aware that they are helping in the acquisition of literacy skills. Exposing children as from a very young age to printed text is extremely important e.g. being read-to, especially bed time stories. Bed time stories give the opportunity for one to one experience where the child is read-to and thus start making sense of text. Exposing the child to phonics would also help in reading and also in writing. Later on, the child starts learning about the multiciplicity of literate activities especially when the child start mixing with other children and participating in different social events e.g. Birthday parties. Children should also be exposed to writing and taught some basics so that they will find it useful later on at school. The parents should prepare the child for formal instruction e.g. in tracing letters and also in grasping the concept of words and spelling and helping the child get accustomed to the written language. How can an early years educator extend a rich language environment in an early years setting? Providing the children with a rich language environment requires the school to work hand in hand and collaborate with the family and all the different backgrounds the children come from because this affects a lot the performances and approaches children have at school. Each individual childs background must be acknowledged as well as appreciated and the differentiation accounted for, since each child has his own individual abilities and needs, in providing same opportunities to all individuals for fostering language and literacy. Where possible, parents should be actively involved in the childrens education since, When parents are involved, children do better in school and go to better schools. (Henderson, 1987), (as citied in Carlyon, Carlyon McCarthy, 1998). In an early classroom the educator needs to provide a balanced literacy environment where the four vital areas of language are addressed; speaking listening, writing and reading. It is healthy to expose the children to a variety of strategies and resources to stimulate these four areas simultaneously and providing meaningful activities in a context where children are encouraged to explore and get results; thus exploring the world for themselves. Children need to be provided with opportunities for first hand experiences which involve the use of senses as well as adequate challenge so that they are actively engaged in activities as well as satisfying their curiosity to further their knowledge. Most importantly the children must be given opportunity to see the teacher engaged in the reading and writing situations because in so doing they can see the adult as their role model. In class the children must be accustomed to read and write alouds which help them get a sense of audience. Indep endent reading and shared reading help the children as well in acquiring those skills needed later on in their life as well as in interactive reading and writing. In school a continuant promotion for reading and writing must take place; in fact in 1983 Health proposed a list of social oriented purposes for engaging children in reading and writing; which list is still applicable today. There exist a lot of methods and strategies to be employed in class which help the children to be exposed to a rich language environment. One of which is through language games since they tap in their cognitive development while having fun. Looking in different books and dictionaries as well as role plays are also very useful because it helps the children get into the context, explore and rehears language. Children should be exposed to a variety of text to help them expand and gradually build their vocabulary to a rich language development. Moreover, exposure to printed material helps a lot the children in developing a positive attitude to language and literacy. It also helps the children to learn different attitudes and concepts which provide personal and language gains. Children must be exposed to the writing simultaneously with other language skills although writing is in fact a longer and more deliberate process. Writing helps the child clarify and confide thinking by hypothesizing and recording feelings while also creates amusement through ones own writing. In class the teacher must offer all the help and support needed in helping the child throughout in his writing, especially when the child attempts to write something new on his own. Realistic opportunities and adequate environment for stimulating writing must be provided which furthers the childs confidence in experimenting wit h language. Children learn writing through trial and error and by experimentation but approach and purpose for writing depends on the childs age. In class children must be involved in writing which meets everyday activities e.g. in writing the shopping list since for some children this may be a totally new experience thus opportunities for role playing such experiences must be accounted for e.g. writing to the classrooms post office or going to the bank amongst others help a lot the children to make use of language in a functional meaningful way. According to Jo. Weinburger, writing does not just happen.since development occurs within a cultural and social context, children from different backgrounds will necessary have different experiences of writing. (as cited from Bruce, 1997 p.128). In class the teacher must cater for these differences as well as providing them with opportunities for individual activities. Acknowledgement of the emergent literacy, which the children builds on b efore starting formal education, must take place while engaging them in shared activities where children are encouraged to speak and share their own experiences in relation to the text. There are different methods for encouraging writing, mainly through; letter shapes, phonics, letter blending or word building amongst others. In the past school was all about reading and writing and very little on listening and speaking; a reality which I faced myself during my school days. Nowadays we have seen a gradual change in our educational system where the importance of listening and speaking in language development have been recognized, acted upon and catered for inside our schools. July Fisher (1996) emphasized that, one of the most important elements for young learners is the provision of opportunities for children to talk together and with adults (as citied in Bee Boyd, 2010 p.218). This highlights the importance of interaction and in practicing the spoken language to communicate and share ideas while listening to each other. In 1977, Tough came up with a list of functions and purposes for which children should be engaged in oral language. The adult role also places a significant role because it guides and supports communication throughout. The importance of being read-to at home can and should be extended in the classroom as well since this is extremely important and cannot afford to be missed from the childs education thus children must be read-to on a regular basis even in school. Read-to in class provides the children with the attention which they might not be provided at home. It also provides the opportunity for children to listen to language used in different contexts. Through different strategies, e.g. phonics, letter words and look and say method amongst others, the childs learning is facilitated. Development of phonological awareness as early as possible would help in learning to read; the faster this is learned, the faster the child learns to read fluently. The Importance of reading has been recognized; in fact the International Reading Association (IRA) suggests that children have a number of literacy right s which aims for excellent reading instruction. What are the short-term and long-term implications of a language rich-environment from a childs perspective? The child in his early education needs to be exposed to a variety of fruitful opportunities in order to introduce him/her to the language and also to acquire literacy skills. Throughout this journey of language development the child builds goals for himself; some of which are for the immediate future and others for more long term future attainment. Continuous support and praise help the child a lot in building goals since they boost his/her self esteem and confidence needed for working on the attainment of such goals. The adult presents himself as the role model for the child whom to imitate and emulate by presenting himself as a writer, reader, listener and also a speaker. The child builds short term goals for things which he hasnt been able to do on his own but he is sure and most probably can in the near future. He would also build future long term goals for things he wishes to attain in his future. Scaffolding helps the child building his confidence in attaining such goals. Motherese helps a lot in the spoken language because through communication with the adult and in recasting the childs sentences the child is able to initiate words and formulate sentences. Skinner (1957) argues that the child shapes his process of speech through imitation and systematic reinforcement. The child is continuously imitating and pretending to be someone else and in so doing appreciating and exploring others experiences and speech in different contexts. Helping the child participate and get involved in conversations and discussions makes the child use his spoken language skills for communication. Being read-to and in letting the child choose his own books gives the child a sense of security which is needed for him/her in setting short term goals in attempting to join in the reading through prediction and repetitive patterns. Exposing children to different stories help the children get accustomed to pictures and text and in matching the word with texts. It also helps the ch ild expand his vocabulary and encourages the child to learn more words. The child builds long term goals for himself for learning to read on his own just like the adult does. Shared reading helps the child a lot because children help and learn a lot from each other. Letting the child discover his/her own writing and in helping to explore different forms of writing encourages the child in taking part in the writing process. Keeping a record of the childrens work and displaying them in the classroom help children to be proud of their work. Children must be encouraged to be their own authors and in sharing their work which helps in building self-confidence. There are other goals which the child sets in an indirect way, e.g. through sharing experiences and in shared reading the child learns the value of trust and respect. The child also learns the value of tolerance and accepting cultural differences through different stories. The child learns that everyone is different and must be appreciated for these differences. The short term implications affect the child in the immediate form that s/he is faced with every day in class. While the long term ones affect the child throughout his life because its a life-lesson which the child will remember all his life and help him in his future.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Arab Israeli Conflict and Holocaust. :: essays research papers

The Holocaust was the almost complete destruction of Jews and others by the Nazis during World War II, which lasted between1939 and 1945. We can learn much from this event and ways to prevent similar events from happening again. However, it can be compared to today’s Arab Israeli Conflict, which is the cause of a dispute over the land of Palestine. The Holocaust was the worst genocide in history. The Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler wanted to eliminate all Jews as part of his plan for world power. Jews were not the only victims of the Nazis during W.W.II. The Nazis also killed millions of other people whom Hitler regarded as racially lower or politically dangerous. After World War II began in 1939, Germany's powerful war machine conquered country after country in Europe. Millions more Jews came under German control. The Nazis killed many of them and sent others to concentration camps. The Nazis also moved many Jews from towns and villages into city ghettos. They later sent these people, too, to concentration camps. Although many Jews thought the ghettos would last, the Nazis saw ghetto imprisonment as only a temporary measure. Sometime in early 1941, the Nazi leadership finalized the details of a policy decision labeled "The Final Solution of the Jewish Question." This policy called for the murder of every Jew (man, wo man, and child) under German rule. The first Nazi concentration camps were organized shortly after Hitler came to power. These facilities held tens of thousands of political prisoners arrested by the Nazis. Later on (around 1940’s), several new camps were established, with specially constructed gas chambers disguised as showers. When the Jews arrived at a camp, a physician singled out the young and healthy while the others were sent directly to the gas chambers. For identification, camp personnel tattooed a number on the arm of each person. The prisoners were forced to work long hours under cruel conditions. When they were too weak to work any longer, they too were killed or left to die. During the Holocaust, the Nazis kept their actions as secret as possible, and they misled their victims in many ways to prevent resistance. Initially, the Jews in the ghettos either were not aware of the slaughter planned for them or simply could not believe it was happening. The Arab – Israeli Conflict is similar in a way like the Holocaust.