Essay on JANE AUSTEN PRIDE AND PREJUDICE - 1094 Words

JANE AUSTEN: PRIDE AND PREJUDICE A Critical Analysis The opening chapter of the novel gives us a brief introduction to the lives of the Bennets. Mrs Bennet’s sole purpose in life is to marry of her daughters to wealthy young men. It begins with Mr and Mrs Bennet having a conversation about marrying of their daughters as soon as possible. Mrs Bennet tells her husband about a young man who has taken possession of Netherfield and about how they should make it a point to visit him and introduce their daughters to him so he can marry one of them. Mr Bennet is seemingly uninterested and is sarcastic about the idea, which partly angers his wife. The use of humour in the opening chapter is brought out by Mr Bennet through his†¦show more content†¦This might not be the case for the man, and he might be completely uninterested in their daughters. This piece of irony serves to introduce us to the story in the book in a captivating and thought provoking manner. Mr Bennet says, â€Å"I will send a few lines by you to assure him of my hearty consent to his marrying whichever he chooses of the girls†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . Though this may be considered a sarcastic remark, it is an ironic statement because he says the opposite of what he means for the sake of emphasis. Due to this statement we see that his wife is ‘ over-scrupulous’ and that he is not much concerned about the marriage of his daughters. Mrs Bennet brings out irony in her statement, â€Å" Mr Bennet, how can abuse your children in such a way!†. This is irony because, though this is true of her husband, she too is guilty of the same thing when she passes comments about Lizzy. Mr and Mrs Bennet are sarcastic towards each other. This is shown by the fact that they refer to each other as Mr Bennet, and Mrs Bennet, which is quite unusual. â€Å"My dear, you flatter me. I certainly have had my share of beauty, but I doShow MoreRelatedElizabeth in Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen Essay1949 Words   |  8 PagesFauconier Jane Austen, a writer in 19th Century England, wrote about what she knew; namely the societal norms of her era and class. In a time where men were given all the status and privileges, she wrote novels predominantly about women, their position in society, and the roles that they played. Since women were not entitled to property, they would often grow up with the goal of finding a suitable husband (Guidelines 1990:1). It is for this reason that people have criticised Jane Austen’s writingsRead MoreCombined Experience of Suffering, Death and Love all at Once1541 Words   |  7 Pagesthey have a hard time expressing those feelings. Many of the greatest writers used their own personal life experiences to make beautiful works of arts, including Jane Austen and Charles Dickinson. Jane Austen’s background in the English landed gentry allowed her to analyze the culture in which she lived in such works as â€Å"Pride and Prejudice,† â€Å"Emma,† and â€Å"Sense and Sensibility.† Charles Dickens used his great childhood poverty to write such masterpieces as Great Expectations, David Copperfield and

Functionalism, Conflict Theory, And Symbolic Interactionism

Global poverty is one of the biggest epidemics that many countries face today. In this paper I will first explain functionalism, conflict theory, and symbolic interactionism. Secondly, I will explain the different causes of global poverty. Thirdly, I will collect my own data to explain poverty in one country. Finally, I will identify the idea of ethnocentric and culturally relative. First and foremost, there are three types of theories that can be applied to global poverty which are functionalism, conflict theory, and symbolic interactionism. To start off with functionalism is when a society comes together and works as a whole. Next, we have conflict theory where some theorist says it happens when a society competes with one another†¦show more content†¦Next, another example is when our country help a low poverty that have a great outcome of resources we tell them what to give us in return and how much to give it to us for. That causes a substantial deal of conflict because we are taking their resources that they need to make money for their country in order to survive. Finally, some places like South Africa had a system in which you weren’t able to move up to a higher position in which you are only able to obtain the position in which you are born into. South Africa’s system was called a caste system, it is no longer illegal, however; it is still enforced daily. When this caste system was a law, then people of lower status were not able to interact with those who were deemed higher than them, and there were some instances when they were not allowed outside at the same time they were. If your shadows had crossed or if you had accidentally had touched them, then they were considered unclean. This would fit under functionalism because they all worked together to keep this system in place. In addition, poverty in Kenya is a humongous epidemic, however; most of the poverty that is seen there is more in the rural area. Most of the work that is available for people in Kenya are farming and agriculture so when there is a disaster that ruins crops they no longer have a job. Even though they are a poor country the children are stillShow MoreRelatedFunctionalism, Conflict Theory, And Symbolic Interactionism875 Words   |  4 Pagessociologist’s standpoint, which are, Functionalism, conflict theory, and symbolic interactionism. All three allow us to take an outlook on how to view the act of deviance. Functionalism was founded by Emile Durkheim, who continuously question norms and how society works. Functionalism is based on how society conformed to the daily functions of everyday activity. As mentioned in the previous paragraph, there are boundaries that are strict between morals and social. Functionalism focus on the natural way societyRead MoreFunctionalism, Conflict Theory, And Symbolic Interactionism1462 Words   |  6 Pagesevaluate the â€Å"why’s† and â€Å"what’s† within a society. The two main perspectives or theories used by sociologists to analyze society are macrosociology and microsociology, but more specifically: Functionalism, Conflict Theory, and Symbolic Interactionism. First, functionalism is simply defined as: how a society works (Ferris and Stein 2016). This is a technique that is used through a macrosociology point of view. Functionalism is used to look at society as a whole, instead of paying attention to smallRead MoreThe Sociological World : Functionalism, Conflict Theory, And Symbolic Interactionism978 Words   |  4 PagesThere are three main theoretical perspectives in the sociological world: functionalism, conflict theory, and symbolic interactionism. Functionalist â€Å"see society as a structure of interrelated parts designed to meet the biological and social needs of the individuals in that society† (Keirns et al., 2015, p.15). Conflict theorists see society â€Å"as a competition for limited resources† (Keirns et al., 2015, p. 16), while symbolic interactionist focus on the relationships among individuals within societyRead MoreSociological Perspectives Of Functionalism, Conflict Theory, And Symbolic Interactionism900 W ords   |  4 PagesExplain the three major sociological perspectives of functionalism, conflict theory, and symbolic interactionism. Identify which perspectives use a macro level or a micro level of analysis. Apply each perspective to socialization. Functionalism – Macro Level – This means that each person has a specific function and that each society works together to achieve what is best. For example, my 2 boys attend a public school. The school is funded by taxes I pay as well as neighbors who do not have any childrenRead MoreTheories That Serve As Lenses For Analyzing Society : Functionalism, Conflict Theory, And Symbolic Interactionism1433 Words   |  6 Pagesmain theories that serve as lenses for analyzing society: functionalism, conflict theory, and symbolic interactionism. Functionalism is based largely on the works of the sociologists Emile Durkheim, Herbert Spencer, Robert Merton, and more. According to the functionalist perspective, society exists as a harmonious system of interconnected parts that maintain a state of social equilibrium and balance as a whole. Different social elements contribute unique aspects to society, and functionalism emphasizesRead MoreExample Of The Three Theoretical Perspectives Of Sociology1044 Words   |  5 Pages Theoretical Perspectives in Sociology Nanesha Greathouse HCC Abstract This paper describes the three major theoretical perspectives in Sociology: symbolic interactionism, functionalism and conflict theory. Sociologists developed these theoretical perspectives to help explain the way individuals conduct themselves and to help us to gain a better understanding of the world around us. Throughout this paper, the reader will learn about each perspective and its origin as well as additionalRead MoreCritical Theory, Functionalism And Symbolic Interactionism Essay1351 Words   |  6 Pagesthree major theories; critical theory, functionalism and symbolic interactionism. These theories express the structure of society in which each theory looks at a different aspects of sociology. Sociologists apply these theories in the study of society, but it becomes difficult if only one theory is applied. For that one applied theory, would only look at the aspect to which it is confined to. To successfully study sociology all three theories must be applied together. Critical theory was foundedRead MoreSociology : A Sociological Perspective896 Words   |  4 Pagesdifferent perspective to view the world through from a sociological perspective. There are three specific views: Structural Functionalist, Conflict Theory, and Symbolic Interactionism. Each has valid points of view, and not completely exclusive to the other, but in this case one is more correct and valid than the others. Conflict theory is the most credible theory in psychology because it factors in the problems of power and broken systems. Sociology is a social science that studies social interactionsRead MoreTheories And Nature Of Human Behavior951 Words   |  4 Pageshuman behavior is by how people view society. There are three major theories that provide a lens to compare how and individual see their environment. â€Å"A theory is a set of ideas that attempts to explain the known facts of a subject in a way that makes sense† (Claerbaut, 2015). The three major theories are sociology are structural functionalism, conflict theory, and symbolic interactionism. Structure functionalism â€Å"is a macro-level theory that views a society as a complete unit, in much the same way oneRead MoreThe Theory, Symbolic Interactionism, And Conflict Theory1040 Words   |  5 Pages The first theoretical framework is the symbolic interactionism. This focuses mainly on how the individual interacts with others, and how others influence the individual behaviors that impact society in a micro or macro way. The second theoretical framework is the conflict theory, it examines the rift between the rich and the poor and how it affects the quality of education, health care, and living condition of said group. Thirdly, the functionalist theory, which compares society to a system of interrelated

Scarborough Issues Free Essays

Scarborough issues Both the Philippines and China continue to assert sovereignty over the same area in the South China Sea. We therefore have an â€Å"international dispute,† an element necessary before one can go to an international court. We want to settle the dispute through the judicial resolution provision in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos); but China does not. We will write a custom essay sample on Scarborough Issues or any similar topic only for you Order Now That is the bind we are in. Suppose, however, that China eventually agrees to go to court. Can the Unclos be the source of resolution? If we appeal to the convention, will we be contradicting ourselves, as some claim, by laying claim to an area which is outside the geographical limits of Philippine territory as delineated in the Treaty of Paris? Indeed, the Treaty of Paris is a good starting point. But the treaty is an 1890 document drafted and entered into on the basis of the understanding of what maritime laws were at that time and their limitations. At that time the division of the law of waters was only between the territorial sea and the high seas. It said nothing beyond territorial waters. However, more jurisdictional divisions beyond territorial waters have developed since 1890. The territorial sea, as originally conceived, was the body of water which a coastal state could defend with the current range of cannons, a rather short distance. This was later expanded to the present 12 nautical miles. Within the territorial sea a coastal state could exercise certain restricted rights. Beyond the territorial sea were the high seas which were open to use and exploration by all. Things have changed radically since the early development of international law. The division into territorial sea and high seas is still there. But there have now come to be recognized certain zones of jurisdiction beyond the territorial waters. These developments are functional and resource-oriented and have come to threaten those who rely on traditional maritime rules. Thus, when you read of 22 Chinese vessels preventing Filipino vessels from entering the area around Scarborough Shoal, this is the problem we want the Unclos to resolve. The Unclos is not just a codification of customary international law but also goes beyond traditionally accepted rules. What are the new developments? First of all, we have to think of baselines. The Unclos allows states to draw baselines along the low water mark surrounding a coastal state. The baselines can either follow the indentations of the coast or they can be straight lines drawn from point to point. Straight baselines are allowed in archipelagos like the Philippines. Following the Unclos, we drew our baselines through the adoption of Republic Act 9522 modifying an earlier law. The baselines are important because the various zonal jurisdictions begin from there. Inward from the baselines are the internal waters over which a state exercises the same kind of jurisdiction it has over land. Outward from the baselines are 12 nautical miles of territorial sea. This is still traditional international law. But recently there have been recognized, beyond the territorial sea and within the high seas, new zones of limited jurisdiction. These new zones of limited jurisdiction are the contiguous zone (24 nautical miles), exclusive economic zone (200 nautical miles), and the continental shelf. These are covered by complicated rules that are under the Unclos. In some areas there has also been recognized an exclusive fish zone (200 nautical miles). The new zones, especially the exclusive economic zones of neighboring states, can overlap. The rules for resolving overlapping jurisdictions are also found in the Unclos. The Philippines has been asking China to go to court to resolve issues that have arisen in the Scarborough area. We also have issues with other neighboring states. These too will eventually have to be resolved through the Unclos. The problem we have with China is not just about waters but also about land area. A state’s claim to any portion of the sea begins from its terrestrial jurisdiction. We have conflicting terrestrial jurisdiction with China. We are claiming land areas that are outside the lines drawn by the Treaty of Paris. The challenge for us is to be able to justify our claims under the present state of international law. Merely citing the shape or date of old maps will not settle the issues. The Philippines will not abandon its claim simply on the basis of the lines of the 1890 Treaty of Paris. We should not surrender our claims simply on the basis of old maps. There is new international law jurisprudence on conflicting land claims which have to be studied to see how applicable it is to the current conflicting claims. This is a challenge to the Philippine government. Is solidifying our claim to terrestrial area essential to winning our maritime claims? Under RA 9522 we reasserted our claim to a â€Å"regime of islands† outside the Philippine archipelago. Islands, according to the Unclos, also have their maritime jurisdiction. (I am not sure if Scarborough Shoal qualifies as an island under Unclos. ) But the waters there are 120 nautical miles off the Zambales mainland, or within our exclusive economic zone. That is one basis of our claim, a good point to start from. P. S. Incidentally, Dr. Benito Legarda Jr. corrected me when I said in a previous column that Bajo de Masinloc means Below Masinloc. He is right. I have found since then that â€Å"Bajo† is the old form of â€Å"bajio† which means shoal. How to cite Scarborough Issues, Essay examples

Commentary and Projections Auditing Accountability

Question: Discuss about the Commentary and Projections Auditing Accountability. Answer: Introduction: The current assignment aims to provide an in-depth evaluation of the provided article, Half a Defence of Positive Accounting Research. The article focuses on positive accounting in the wider sense of a research program that intends to form causal descriptions of human behaviour in the accounting framework rather than profit after tax in accounting. In addition, the wide positivist research program has a number of deficiencies in practice. The most inherent complexities constitute of casual development of speculative models to be weathered, excessive dependence on the testing of hypotheses and lack of attention on the numerical values of the parameters. In order to evaluate the merits and demerits of positive accounting research, the researcher has evaluated the broader intellectual project with the assumptions of ontology and epistemology. In this context, Apostolou et al. (2016) remarked that critical review of positive accounting would review several loopholes, which restrict the same to make meaningful contributions to the broader research project. The assignment, thus, aims to provide a brief overview of the provided article. Moreover, the study would focus on identifying the research hypothesis along with description of its value and the method through which it has flowed from the literature review. Finally, the theoretical framework coupled with the significance and drawbacks of the article have been briefly illustrated. Summary of the article: The researcher, in the article, has attempted to investigate the positive approach associated with accounting research. As commented by Ballwieser et al. (2012), the accounting research of positive approach is linked with the broader intellectual project of scientific research, which aims to analyse the cause-effect relationships. The deficiencies in the positive accounting research have been demonstrated by selecting certain illustrative papers, which mainly include the papers from the auditing literature. It has been found that positive research is currently utilised in accounting; however, it has certain loopholes in accomplishing the scientific goal after choosing the illustrative papers to fit the purpose of this research. In addition, the description of Kuhn related to normal science suits with the positive research of accounting as well. The prospects are briefly elaborated for a Kuhnian revolution and crisis, which might accomplish positive accounting to accomplish its potent ial (Jones and Aiken 2015). The researcher has described Poppers criterion to prove that induction is not sufficient to measure the accuracy of any particular theory. In addition, the article has provided a brief review of the falsification of positive accounting theories. In order to describe the same, four classes of descriptions have been laid forward, which include error measurements, internal effects, external effects and the inefficiency of the relativity theory. Therefore, the researcher has inferred that a specific theory could not be anecdotal by observations; however, it could choose between two or more theories. In other words, the decisive observations falsify inaccurate theories; however, it is inherent only in case of support of a opposing theory. Along with this, the article has provided an in-depth dissection of the weaknesses and logic associated with the statistical hypothesis testing. However, it has been found that it has been a very dilute version of the logic of Popper. This is because every single test out of 20 could be wrongly rejected at the 5% level of significance. Moreover, the technical issue associated with hypothesis testing is the test statistic distribution falling under null hypothesis, which relies mainly on the supplementary assumptions. Furthermore, even if the technical issue could be resolved, there is high probability that hypothesis testing would fail. This is inherent when only a single alternate hypothesis is taken into account without adequate and careful specification. This is because it might be consistent with different accounting theories, which would provide different strength of association. Hence, the researcher has realised the ardent need to develop a better measurement procedure to unde rgo rigorous testing of the theoretical models prevalent in accounting. Research question/ hypothesis: The following research hypotheses have been set to examine the validity of positive accounting research: H0: There is existence of a universe, which is beyond the imagination level of an individual H1: The events in the world have reasons, which form a part of the universe themselves H2: The normal individuals could obtain highly reliable information about the global events with the help of vigilant observation H3: The intention of the intellectual property is to utilise observations for gaining a global understanding of the universe, especially causation In order to test the first hypothesis, various instances of positive research in accounting have been put forward. According to Bedford and Ziegler (2016), the operation of rational self-interest among parties interacted with implied or express contracts have resulted in theorising the phenomena of accounting. For testing the second hypothesis, the researcher has discussed scientific epistemology and ontology, which illustrates that the research of positive accounting is not identical as accounting research. In this context, Bromwich and Scapens (2016) advocated that events do not occur as random or the output of intervention from outside the universe. In order to assess the third hypothesis, the researcher has discussed falsification and hypothesis testing to determine its validity. Therefore, according to the provided theory, careful observation is required through which preliminary ideas could be developed. Accordingly, a formal theory could be developed with testable anticipations, which is consistent with the existing relevant and dependable empirical evidence (Chatfield and Vangermeersch 2014).After that, the anticipations of the new theory could be tested in contrast to new observations in circumstances, in which the old and new theories make various anticipations. Therefore, the above two steps need to be repeated. For testing the final hypothesis, the different models are tested with specific focus on measurement. In this context, Colasse and Durand (2014) stated that mental models could be used to map the causal procedures occurring in the universe. Therefore, the researcher has framed the hypotheses, which are adequately flowed in the section of literature review. Theoretical framework: The following theoretical frameworks have been used in the article to meet the objectives of the research: Instances of positive research in accounting: The operation of balanced self-interest among parties is the outcome of the accounting phenomena through implied or express contracts in various kinds of organisations. These cover the accounting choices on the part of the organisational managers, reporting and pricing decisions on the part of the auditors, the decisions of the regulators in terms of standard setting and the professional advices of academics. As stated by Crawford and Lepine (2013), it is necessary to determine the type of information, which the investor uses to make investment decisions. This deduces that the behaviour of the human beings is rational; however, not in the kind of games that happen from the theory of positive accounting (Smith 2014). In addition, after investigation of several accounting researches, the accounting settings have been evaluated in the absence of coherent behaviour, like the method through which audit professionals make judgements and the ways in which managers utilise discretion in the systems of performance evaluation. Therefore, these instances serve to demonstrate that the program of positive research is much wider compared to positive accounting theory (Deegan 2016). Therefore, any specific research that intends to gain an insight of the nature and causes of the accounting phenomena follows the scientific research of accounting. Scientific epistemology and ontology: In the words of Dyckman and Zeff (2015), epistemology is a scientific field, which aims to explain the different approaches available to gain an understanding of the world. Ontology, on the other hand, seeks to explain the activities and their association to answer the question. Firstly, the human agency and the socially developed nature of roles, associations and practices depict that the social earth does not have an objective subsistence devoid of the human beings, participants and the activities need not possess any rational reasons (Uno and Bartelmus 2013). In addition, the earth could not be observed devoid of the experiences of human beings and explanations of the participants (Gaffikin and Aitken 2014).Hence, because of such ontological and epistemological complexities, the agenda to gain an understanding of the reasons of accounting phenomena is like a futile exercise of flogging a dead horse. Therefore, the problem associated with the positive research is the exploration of experience and meaning, as it intends to explore reasons. The various research streams with diverse range of objectives could exist at the same time. Another major issue is related to that of agency. This is because if the human beings possess own will, their actions might result in causes that are not acquiescent to scientific study (Guthrie and Parker 2016). Henceforth, it is possible to describe the general behavioural trends; however, some accountants and auditors might tend to behave in a different manner. Thus, the behavioural causes would not be identified in the objective world; however, in a different place. Needs of an effective positive research program: From the provided article, it has been identified that stringent testing of the vulnerable models is needed for careful evaluation of the variable measurements. Along with this, the analytical modelling is necessary for testing and formation of the theoretical models. In order to implement analytical modelling in the positive accounting research program, the field pre-occupation is required to swing from tractability to plausibility (Henderson et al. 2015). The researcher has suggested that greater focus on measurement is required, instead of testing only. This is because in accounting, a bias related to strong publication is inherent against dimension, excluding when the same is linked with a theory. This is because the shortage of resources in accounting is inherent due to the lack of availability of adequate resources (Jones 2015). Significance and limitations of the article: After evaluation of the provided article, it has been found that the research has portrayed a broad gap between the current practices of positive accounting and the needs to make relevant contributions to the broader intellectual program. In case, there is absence of system optimisation, it is necessary to modify the same for rectifying the mistake. In addition, the article provides a rational insight of the scientific research, which is validated by the participating accounting groups. With the help of this research, it has been identified that there is need for better theoretical models, which are more reliable in nature. In addition, the article has proven that positive accounting research is a ramification of quantitative models, which are minimised to statements of the projected trend between two variables. However, the major limitation identified out from the article that this research would not contribute awareness of human behaviour in the context of accounting. This is because it lacks collection of real life data from various sources. This specific limitation has been acknowledged in the article. However, the lack of collection of secondary and primary data has hindered the quality of the research. In addition, the researcher has made inferences based on the statements of various authors regarding positive research accounting. Finally, the quantitative aspects are not provided adequate importance, which is crucial in the current era to estimate the future growth of the organisations in the long-run. Conclusions: The above assignment has aimed to evaluate the epistemology and ontology of positive accounting research to ascertain its loopholes and the methods through which such loopholes could be overcome. The researcher has recommended that certain theoretical models need to be formulated, for detailed testing of the accounting variables. Secondly, there is an increasing need for a better measurement tool to undergo rigorous testing of the theoretical models. In order to achieve the same, the concepts need to be operationalised through findings of proxies to present reliable associations. It has been determined that the behaviour of the human beings is rational; however, not in the kind of games that happen from the theory of positive accounting. However, the quantitative aspects of accounting need to be prioritised to predict the future performance of the organisations. Therefore, it could be inferred that slight modifications in positive accounting program is required to minimise the organi sational errors in terms of accounting. References: Apostolou, B., Dorminey, J. W., Hassell, J. M., and Rebele, J. E., 2016. Accounting education literature review (2015).Journal of Accounting Education,35, pp.20-55. Ballwieser, W., Bamberg, G., Beckmann, M. J., Bester, H., Blickle, M., Ewert, R., and Gaynor, M., 2012.Agency theory, information, and incentives. Springer Science Business Media. Bedford, N. M., and Ziegler, R. E., 2016. The contributions of AC Littleton to accounting thought and practice.Memorial Articles for 20th Century American Accounting Leaders,49, p.219. Bromwich, M., and Scapens, R. W., 2016. Management Accounting Research: 25 years on.Management Accounting Research,31, pp.1-9. Chatfield, M., and Vangermeersch, R., 2014.The History of Accounting (RLE Accounting): An International Encylopedia. Routledge. Colasse, B., and Durand, R., 2014. 3 French accounting theorists of the twentieth century.Twentieth Century Accounting Thinkers (RLE Accounting), p.41. Crawford, E. R., and Lepine, J. A., 2013. A configural theory of team processes: Accounting for the structure of taskwork and teamwork.Academy of Management Review,38(1), pp.32-48. Deegan, C., 2016. Twenty five years of social and environmental accounting research within Critical Perspectives of Accounting: Hits, misses and ways forward.Critical Perspectives on Accounting. Dyckman, T. R., and Zeff, S. A., 2015. Accounting Research: Past, Present, and Future.Abacus,51(4), pp.511-524. Gaffikin, M., and Aitken, M., 2014.The Development of Accounting Theory (RLE Accounting): Significant Contributors to Accounting Thought in the 20th Century. Routledge. Guthrie, J., and Parker, L. D., 2016. Whither the accounting profession, accountants and accounting researchers? Commentary and projections.Accounting, Auditing Accountability Journal,29(1), pp.2-10. Henderson, S., Peirson, G., Herbohn, K., and Howieson, B., 2015.Issues in financial accounting. Pearson Higher Education AU. Jones, S. (Ed.)., 2015.The routledge companion to financial accounting theory. Routledge. Jones, S., and Aiken, M., 2015. Evolution of early practice descriptive theory in accounting.The Routledge Companion to Financial Accounting Theory, p.91. Smith, M., 2014.Research methods in accounting. Sage. Uno, K., and Bartelmus, P. (Eds.)., 2013.Environmental accounting in theory and practice(Vol. 11). Springer Science Business Media.

Media and the War on Terrorism free essay sample

A paper which discusses the medias manipulation of the war on terrorism. A paper which presents a detailed discussion about the war on terrorism and the medias manipulation of the war. The writer outlines the societal views of the US attacks on Middle Eastern soil. The writer also describes the way the media has manipulated society members regarding the attacks by refusing to cover certain issues and cooperating with the US government. One of the earliest ways that the media began to manipulate the world opinion about the United States attack in the Middle East was its coverage of Bin Ladens reaction to the attacks on 9-11. The media on an almost world wide basis began to claim in November that Bin Laden had proclaimed credit was his for the attacks(Truth pg 10). We will write a custom essay sample on Media and the War on Terrorism or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Media in the United States, Britain, New Zealand and other nations insisted that he had admitted, we did it (Truth pg 10). It was reported that he confessed on a news network in England. This would have a very heavy impact on the way society would view Bin Laden and the war against the Middle East. Until this occurred, America as well as other nations were outraged at the attacks on America which killed thousands of civilians but there was a hesitation about who to attack.

Chinas Treatment of Its Growing Elderly Population

China's Treatment of Its Growing Elderly Population Chinas famous one-child policy had an aftereffect of creating a larger elderly population. Westerners often hear about how much regard the Chinese have for the elderly, but as China grows old, a number of challenges potentially await the emerging superpower. With this review of the elderly in China, better your understanding of how old people are treated in the country and the impact of a rapidly aging population there. Statistics About the Aging Population   The population of the elderly (60 or older) in China is about 128 million, or one in every 10 people. By some estimates, that puts Chinas sheer number of senior citizens at the largest in the world. It is estimated that China could have up to 400 million people over 60 years of age by the year 2050. But how will China address its masses of senior citizens? The country has changed dramatically in recent years. This includes the changing of its family structure. In traditional Chinese society, the elderly used to live with one of their children. But today more and more young adults are moving out, leaving their elderly parents alone. This means that the new generation of elderly people may not have family members to tend to their needs, as young people in the country traditionally have.   On the other hand, many young couples are living with their parents because of economic factors and not because of tradition. These young adults simply cannot afford to buy a house of their own or rent an apartment. Experts say family-based care is now impractical because most middle-aged children have little time to take care of their parents. So, one of the things the elderly have to face in 21st century China is how to live out their twilight years when their families cant take care of them. Older people living alone is not an anomaly in China. A nationwide survey found that about 23 percent of Chinas seniors over the age of 65 live by themselves. Another survey conducted in Beijing showed that fewer than 50 percent of elderly women live with their children. Housing for the Elderly Since more and more elderly  live alone, homes for the elderly arent enough to meet their needs. One report found that  Beijings 289 pension houses could accommodate only 9,924 people  or 0.6 percent of the population above age 60. To better serve the elderly, Beijing adopted regulations to encourage private and foreign investment in homes for the elderly.   Some officials believe that the problems facing Chinas elderly can be solved through combined efforts from family, the local community, and society as a whole. Chinas goal is to establish a support network for senior citizens that provides medical care and helps them avoid loneliness through scholarly pursuits and entertainment. The network would also encourage  senior citizens to continue serving society after retirement age by using the knowledge theyve acquired over the years. As Chinas population ages, the nation will also have to take a hard look at how this shift will affect its ability to compete on the world stage.

Economics of Race and Gender Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Economics of Race and Gender - Assignment Example The important advantages of specialization and exchange within the family were also analyzed in this chapter. The authors further explained that, the reasons that, women do some house chores better in it is due to the fact that, they specialize in these works. Economies of scale were highlighted as one of the advantages of families as the price of the commodity required within the family tend to be reduced due to the fact that, they are required in large quantities. Other advantages of the families are: the availability of public goods or shared consumption within the family, externalities in consumption as two people that care for each other tend to derive satisfaction from the happiness of the other party, risk pooling, family investments that occur due to the marital relationship within the family and certain institutional advantages (Blau, Ferbr & Marianne). The author also looked at the negative side of specialization. The unequal sharing of housework is one of the disadvantages of specialization as the women tend to do the bulk of the work in the house and this tends to deny them of some salient market opportunities. Other disadvantages of specialization as mentioned in the chapter are: the transformation that affects the female gender especially throughout their life in the family as she tends to her children, she does not have the kind of time that her husband has for leisure. Another disadvantage of specialization is the cost of not being able to exist or survive without the other members of the family. Domestic violence and tastes and bargaining power were also mentioned as disadvantages of specialization. The Marxist and feminist views of the family which were based on the marital and sexual exploitation of women in the family were also analyzed in the chapter as the men tend to be the ones making the decisions in the family. Other alternatives to economic approaches such as the bargaining models and the transaction

Work Now trends (complete part one) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Work Now trends (complete part one) - Essay Example On the other hand, this gives the temporary employees a chance to determine their level of interest in that company. Working as a temporary employee gives the employees an advantage over the external applicants in times of a vacancy announcement. In the recent research, about 58% of the employers will prefer to pick the temporary workers in the next five or so years to external applicants (Jim, 2006). People working as temporary employers have a chance to associate with employees who may help them gain the permanent position or at times provide them with leads, and end up getting better positions elsewhere. Other than the above-mentioned impacts of temp-to-fulltime to the employer, the costs associated with hiring permanent workers is higher compared to that of the temporary employees. As the main aim of any business is maximization of profits, this strategy saves on costs; hence, more profit. People go for temporary jobs for experience, extra cash or if they have no other source of income. However, temp-to-fulltime strategy has its own shortcomings. With this kind of employment, nothing is guaranteed. Sometimes a company genuinely needs a temporary employee for just a specified time for various reasons. It gets frustrating for a person who took up that job with expectations of ever having that position permanently. One has to try to be perfect in everything, as the slightest mistake would mean immediate dismissal. This is not fair for everyone makes mistakes. These employees enjoy lesser benefits and lower income compared to their counterpart. This is despite the fact that they often do most of the work. The best secret to make any temporary job a permanent one is to perform excellently and assimilate into the company and its culture in the shortest time possible. Coming in early, offering to stay late in the office, complete the given assignment, and presenting it in time and having the right mindset are

Maslow's theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Maslow's theory - Essay Example It was clear that the hygiene factors meet mans needs to avoid unpleasantness but do not motivate them to take more interest in the work.† The Maslow’s theory argues that it is clear that lower order needs such as food, shelter and physical security. These factors are considered some of the basic â€Å"hygiene† of the workplace necessary for minimum functionality undoubtedly for any employee. Additionally, appraisal and feedback system was another huge theories that were present in both methodologies in human resource management. It is crucial to understand that giving feedback to employees that feel that they need to benchmark and leverage their standards. Evidently, Herzbergs theory goes above and beyond that hygiene plays a huge role towards employee’s performance. Without a doubt, if these are met- a worker is free to explore the higher order needs necessary to build superior worker productivity, with a particular emphasis upon self-esteem and creativity, as well as earning the respect of

Analyzing Thailands Tourism Industry

Analyzing Thailands Tourism Industry Abstract In the present context of an increasingly globalized world, and the nature of the tourism industry, it is worthwhile to note if Porters Diamond framework still provides answers to the changing competitiveness of Thailands tourism and identifies success factors and factors detrimental to its competitiveness. A revised version of the Diamond framework has been proposed for the given context of tourism industry and Thailand state. This paper tries to analyze Thailands Tourism industry using this revised form of Porters Diamond Framework, identifying the various sources of competitiveness or the lack of it thereof. It attempts to identify key areas for improvement based on the above analysis and suggests solutions for the same. Keywords: Competitiveness, Thailand, Tourism, Diamond Model, Revised framework Introduction For any country tourism impacts not only revenues but employment and economic development as well. For Thailand, this is even more so. It is therefore important for Thailands tourism industry to be competitive not just in ASEAN region but globally. Subsequent to the success of Visit Thailand Year in 1987, Thailand, a small country in the Asia Pacific region became the biggest growth story in the region with a growth rate of 7 %. Subsequently its economy (GDP) grew at an astounding 10.9 %, 13.2 % and 10 % respectively in the next three years i.e. an average of 11.7 % from 1998 1990, about the best in the world. However, it did not maintain that growth subsequently, and its tourism industry faced many adversities. This paper will analyze the recent developments in the tourism industry to help understand the reasons for the same in todays context. Today when not only individuals, products, firms compete against each other but industries and nations themselves strive to outdo the competition, it becomes imperative to understand what it takes to beat the completion and stay competitive i.e. to acquires a good understanding of the determining factors of competitive growth. This paper proposes to do such an analysis for the tourism industry of Thailand. It also, argues a case for revising the Porters Diamond Model framework for the given context. Porters Diamond Model Framework Besides traditional resource advantages like land, location, labour, natural resources and size of population Porter (1990) argued that grouping or clusters of interconnected firms and stakeholders like institutions, suppliers and related industries provide competitive advantage which are not inherited and which can be acquired. To get a better understanding of the determinants for such attainment of competitive advantage, Porter (1990, 1998) provided the famous diamond framework (Fig. 1). This framework helped in the analysis of not only industries but also nations. The four vertices of the diamond indicated four groups of determinants. These were: factor conditions (also called input conditions), demand conditions, related and supporting industries; and firm strategy, structure and rivalry. These were the basic determinants. There were however two external or additional factors chance; and government. All these factors were not isolated but interconnected. Thus, demand and factors conditions were connected. So were the factors: related and supporting industries; and firm strategy, structure and rivalry. The national factors of production like natural resources, infrastructure and skilled labour are the key factor conditions. The nature of domestic demand for product and services chiefly define the demand conditions. The presence (or absence) of suppliers, related industries which are themselves competitive (internationally) form the related and supporting industries vertex. The domestic rivalry between the firms and the conditions that govern their formation, organization and management form the last vertex of the diamond in the framework. The framework is useful in identifying not only the sources of competitive advantage but also identifies key problem areas to be addressed. Oz (2006) illustrated this when identifying the sources of competitive advantage of Turkish construction companies in international markets. The success factors like dynamic domestic market, variables favourable to entrepreneurship, and intense domestic rivalry pressures effects were brought to fore along with the trouble causing areas like government induced hindrances, difficulties in financing and weak consulting and design engineering capabilities positioning of Turkey in the international arena. However, there are limitations to this framework and many researchers have combined this with other form of analysis like Rugman and Verbeke (1993) used SWOT for comparison, citing flaws like difficulty in making it operational i.e. of putting it in practice. It is noteworthy that this framework is been applicable to services as given by Lee and Spis to (2007). The case for the Endogenous Role of Government and Chance Apart from the limitation attributed to the diamond framework above, another flaw in it is that it does not include government as one of the basic factors but only considers it as an external factor despite the fact that it greatly affects all the other basic factors. To compensate for this Wickham (2005) re-conceptualized the framework for the Australian context. It had government as an integral basic factor at the centre of the framework, depicted as government surrounded by all the other factors as vertices of a hexagon with the chance factor in incomplete (dotted) lines giving it a separate identity as an external factor alone. He also suggested that the role of chance be considered in with new attention when applied to a regional economic model like that of the Porters Diamond. Fig. 1: Determinants of Competitive Advantage: Porters Diamond Model Framework Factor Conditions Chance Firm Strategy, Structure Rivalry Related Supporting Industries Government Demand Conditions The importance of government policy initiatives to promote and develop the industry can be seen for the tourism context in Prideaux (1996), who on examining growth trends of Taiwanese inbound tourism to Australia, studied the factors responsible for this and listed them as better air connectivity, promotions and organization of Taiwans travel industry. Suggestion was also made that repeat visitations would be greatly beneficial and to achieve better tourism prospects with Taiwan steps like forging links with operators in Taiwan, increasing frequency and connectivity of airlines, cultural education including language training, and customization of products to suit Taiwanese tastes should be undertaken. The importance of the study lies in the fact that it provides a model for Thailand to replicate with neighbouring ASEAN nations. It provides inputs as to what it should do to target a lucrative, individual nation like China. Clearly government policies and trade agreements with regional nations play a great role in determining the relative competitiveness of Thailand as a tourist destination. The role of government and chance here, for the Thailand tourism industry plays a crucial role given the recent history of Thailand it was the epicenter of the Asian financial crisis of 1997; it faced the Indian Ocean earthquake followed by Tsunami on 26th December 2004; it dealt with global recession post September 11, 2001 attacks, the financial downturn of 2008, SARS (and H1N1 Flu phenomena) and more recently domestic political chaos. These seem to have impacted tourism severely. This builds the case of chance being a critical determinant in the diamond model leading to the assumption that it should definitely be regarded as an endogenous factor and not just one having an exogenous role in the whole framework. Pine, Chan and Leung (1996) have outlined the impact of the Asian economic downturn and stated that the economic downturn which affected adversely the tourism industry has led to slowing or halting of many projects in the hospitality arena. It noted that intra-regional tourism had grown due to the regions strong economic growth. They further expect the tourism to be adversely affected (based on limited data); intra-regional tourism was expected to decline but increase from Europe and Americas in the light of the recent currency devaluations. Zhang (2005) has reported after analyzing industry data that Chinas outbound tourism got distributed as a result of the Tsunami. The South East Asian and South Asian nations lost out on many Chinese tourists to hitherto new choice of destinations. The perception of the region was one of high risk and this eventually led to loss in tourist numbers and revenue. The new destinations garnering attention even saw escalation in prices. Travel insurance was more sought as a result of the tsunami phenomena. Also, Ichinosawa (2006) provides highlights as to how Tsunami stigmatized Phuket as a tourist destination. Leiper and Hing (1998) studied unrelated four events in 1997-98 in the Asian context and the impact on the tourism industries of the respective nations. The events included huge forest fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan, Chinese takeover of Hong Kong, the triggering of Asian Economic Crisis with currency collapse in Thailand and social and economic unrest in Indonesia; and political and economic crises in Cambodia. These they inferred resulted in decline in international as well as domestic tourism. Thus, chance was a major factor here. Malhotra and Venkatesh (2009) have explored how vital it is to have contingency plans for crises and provide guidelines to proactively design a crisis management plan; even to take care when things go really bad. They compared Hong Kongs strategy and Thailands response to the Tsunami and the SARS outbreak. Based on such deliberations they advise having fluid structures and policies with regards to the organizational design, so as to effectively and timely deal with uncertainties of various kinds. They name various kinds of crisis, along with all their stages and depending upon the readiness of the affected entity (nation etc) determines the gap that needs to be filled in terms of crisis management. This they argue is the responsibility of the hospitality and tourism industry. The role of the government in formulating beneficial policies then becomes crucial given the above chance factor is so influential in the tourism industry. Thus, roles of chance and government are said to be cri tical in relation to the tourism industry. The influence chance has over government policies (and even governments themselves) implies that chance is way too important and thus should be regarded as intrusive, internal factor integrated with the whole framework of the diamond model. Clearly, for the case of a highly specific industry like tourism and a country where the government (directly or indirectly) holds more than half of its net capital stock (Phongsathorn, 2001), the government cannot be left out as just an exogenous factor. It is too important to be dealt as an influence. Thus, government should be thought of as an endogenous factor in the model. Also, government today has more a role of a collaborator than just an influencer or policy maker. Considering that the diamond framework has not been applied to services as it has been to manufacturing industries, and also less work is done specifically on the tourism industry using the model, the role of the external factors need to be seen in new light. Besides, tourism itself is such an industry which in the case of nations like Thailand may incorporate the whole country as the operating area. More recently, Pettus and Helms (2008) have included government in an endogenous role in the diamond model framework, while analyzing the case of Argentina. Though, Porter (1990) has opined that chance events are outside the control of the industry, nevertheless its effect can be negated. Also, prudent investment and preparation can actually prevent the occurrences of man-made disasters and reduce the probability of many untoward incidents. Besides, the operationalization of chance even outside the diamond as an external factor is also very difficult. It is noteworthy also that chance even affects the government and its role. In the scenario of much globalized world where two countries are not isolated anymore and the events in one country affects the other in a more significant way than ever before the model requires an upgrading. Thus, a case has been made for the exogenous factors Government and Chance to be treated as endogenous. Therefore, in effect the diamond model gives way to the proposed model (fig.2). Fig. 2: The Proposed Revised Porters Diamond Model Framework Factor Conditions Government Related Supporting Industries Firm Strategy, Structure Rivalry Chance Demand Conditions Research Methodology The study identifies the key variables that act as constituents to the various determinants of competitiveness of the tourism industry of Thailand. It also looks into the role played by Chance and the Government in altering the industrys competitiveness. For this, unforeseen events and government policies and their impacts were studied and extensive literature reviewed to achieve the above stated objectives. A couple of telephonic interviews with Thai people were conducted to probe into specific areas and to corroborate findings. Thus, primarily the analysis is qualitative in nature. Discussion and Analysis Factor Conditions Factor conditions like infrastructure have been in the governments eye along with the human resources. However, it is perchance that the multi-million dollar airports that were to be a gateway to Thailand and its scenic beauty was the centre of anti-establishment protests and subsequently two airports were then shut down. Thailands natural resources like beautiful beaches definitely provide a competitive edge. This factor condition is also one of the key variables for the tourism industry. Its spicy food, hospitality and exotic culture are inherent attractions. The significant external markets for the tourism industry are widely spread across the world and include major European countries, the U.S. and now even China. Thailands ideological commitment to liberalization and open economy has had major impacts on the industry dynamics especially over the long run. Knowledge resources also have grown. Capital resources which were an area for concern has been dealt well in recent times and policy measures for financial markets has made it more sound and less prone to international volatility in comparison to earlier years. Location is definitely an important issue here. Singapore and Taiwan are so important for global businesses because of their strategic location. Quality and quantity of highly skilled work force for the industry is also a huge concern. Serious policy initiatives are to be taken by the state in this regard. Recommendations include the continued development of various transport related infrastructure and maintaining and enhancing a skilled labour pool. The Tourism Authority of Thailand Travel Industry Portal provides online training for the industry personnel. Another facilitator for easy travel is a rail link from Suvarnabhumi International Airport to Bangkok by means of a sky train. This initiative reduces the travel time to 15 min and is greatly appreciated by travelers.  [1]   There is growth in the road linkages. The newly formed North South Economic Corridor links Thailand to other Asian countries by means of a twelve hundred km R3A road highway which links Thailand with Laos to China emerging from Chiang Rai in Thailand was developed successfully in 2009. Thailand is becoming known for its status as a definitive hub for regional aviation. It has strong aviation linkages and airlines presence. Now, many countries have more flights from Thailand than most others in the whole of Asia. There are weekly 131 direct by around 13 airlines connecting Middle East Asia. Thailand is served by over seven hundred flights per by charter, scheduled and low-cost airlines from all over the world. Thai Airways has also launched new routes to Abu Dhabhi and Jeddah form Bangkok. Tehran-Bangkok link has been proposed. Similarly, rival Emirates Airlines have inducted Airbus-380 aircrafts for its Bangkok route to provide daily service from the city of Dubai.  [2]   Human Resources: Labour Force Statistics 2009 (Source: NSO) Total population is 66.72 million of which persons who are aged below 15 are 14.15 million, and persons aged 15 years old and over 52.57 million. Total labor force (Available for work) 37.53 million. Persons not in labor force (Not available for work) are 15.04 million. Thus, employed persons are 36.50 million, unemployed persons are 0.78 million. Of these seasonally inactive are 0.25 million. Household workers are 4.93 million, students are 4.41 million, and others are 5.70 million. Fig. 3: Comparison of number of employed persons between Quarter 1 of 2008 and 2009 by Industry Unit: Million Persons (Source: Labor Force Survey 2009, NSO) The physical and natural beauty of the beaches and islands of Thailand are the greatest attraction for tourists. Thailands most popular beaches and island destinations include along the Andaman Coast: Phuket, Mu Ko Similan Marine National Park, Mu Ko Surin Marine National Park, Ao Phang-nga National Park, Krabi, Phi Phi Islands, Mu Ko Lanta Marine National Park, Tarutao Marine National Park; along the Gulf of Thailand: Cha-am (Hua Hin), Ko Samui, Ko Pha-ngan, Mu Ko Ang Thong Marine National Park, Ko Tao and along the Eastern section: Pattaya, Rayong Ko Samet and Ko Chang Marine National Park. The National Telecommunications Commission Act of Oct 2004 along with the earlier Telecommunications Business Act 2001 has done a lot to setup the competitive environment for telecommunications industry. The formation of the Universal Service Fund by CAT (Communications Authority of Thailand) and TOT (Telecommunications Organization of Thailand) has provided impetus to the development of the industry. This has been instrumental for the growth of the tourism industry of Thailand. Car (rentals), train, bus; taxi services are available for transportation. A host of other offerings are available for inland transportation which includes motorcycle taxis, Tuk-Tuks, tricycles, bicycles and Song Thaeo or the very popular pick-up trucks. Charter, scheduled and low-cost airlines make up the air travel avenues; cruises, boat, etc provide water transportation facilities. Railways provide access to a large network of destinations in Thailand, providing economical and efficient transportation. Firm Strategy, Rivalry Corruption and bureaucratic hurdles created by the government is another deterrent to it reaching its competitively superior position. Anti-trust policies of the Government are few and far between. There is a lot to be desired on this front from the Thai government. A recently enacted anti-competitive law had a monumental flaw in it as it did not apply to state-owned enterprises (that enjoyed monopoly). Environmental regulations are being looked into by the state. To be competitive on the global platform requires efficiently producing goods and services of value more than that provided by other competing nations. It is important for Thailand to do so for the tourism industry to make a mark for itself on the global platform especially when its productivity levels are low. Firms should lay emphasis on retention of and attracting intellectual capital. Within the industry as well as across the industry technology should be shared. The Trade Competition Act 1999 and thereby the Trade Competition Board helps provide fair trade. The General Agreement on Trades in Services (GATS) furthers this cause. However, the anti-trust policies are not very effective as these are biased in favour of the government. Also, the players pay a high price for the illegal or unethical practices of rivals. The governmental officials prove a bane as there is rampant corruption and cases of corporate cronyism provide hinder fair competition between the players. The rivalry is also relatively less intense than it could be to get more value for the consumers for the services offered. The local base of the competition makes the rivalry worthwhile. Employer and labour relations are adequately cooperative to discourage any untoward strikes or major hurdles in provision of productive output. There is adequate decentralization of various corporate activities and delegation of responsibility and authority is a prevalent phenomenon. However, the corporate boards leave more to be desired in terms of efficacy. The cry for greater privatization is justified as it would certainly help in making the industry more competitive. Greater role of the private sector would ensure better management and corporate governance practices, reducing the business related corruption highly prevalent today. This process could be expedited by better corporate control activities, maintaining ethical business standards, sharing management know how, devising incentive based compensation systems, applying performance based appraisal systems, and having collaborative partnerships with local players with an understanding that practices to be in the right spirit, having joint investments, etc. Considering the significant role of the government in this industry, Private public partnerships (PPP) could effectively achieve the requisite competitiveness for being one of the best globally. No doubt that if this is implemented properly over time then the incident revelations from CNNs survey of global travel and tourism that Thailand was the best on the basis of value for money amongst all countries in the Asia Pacific region would not be an isolated event but among a series of similar results. Turtle Conservation Plan in Mai Khao area which involved beach and reef cleaning also is a PPP initiative for environmental considerations. Interestingly, many hotels in Thailand have raised the quality standards in terms of environment friendliness by going smoke-free i.e. promoting anti-smoking measures. Thai Airways and Nok Air have decided to cooperate to boost up domestic traffic over specific routes like Bangkok to Phitsanulok, Bangkok to Ratchathani and Chiang Mai to Mae Hong Son Already Thai Airways is part of the Star Alliance the worlds first major global airline alliance which aids its network operations. Demand Conditions The internal demand though grown is limited by the population size and disposable incomes. Reductions in prices have encouraged local demand in recent years. However, Thailand may not be able to charge the premium it did during the hey-days. And any further price increase will discourage domestic demand. However, the internal demand for Thailands tourism industry offerings has been seen to grow in recent years. Advantage for Thailand exists in the offerings in terms of varied services and a competitive value proposition vis-à  -vis other countries. Also, the active tendency of the local tourists to readily accept the latest offerings offered by the tourism industry makes the demand. A few regulatory standards for tourism based trade and environment are exacting in nature. Even the intellectual property rights and safety standards for online transactions are less than desirable providing less encouragement for innovation and stimulation of demand. However, not only does the internal demand conditions condition the industry to become competitive globally it provides an avenue for experimentation and more importantly provides revenues when global tourist inflows ebbs below expected levels. Increasing internal demand could then easily be used as a hedge for fluctuations in collections from international tourists especially during the off seasons. Specialized market segments for specialized services and distinctive benefit segmentation provides impetus to the internal demand and subsequently to the external demand. In this regard providing incentives for innovation and aiding multinational corporations should be the policies pursued by the industry. There are various activities that a visitor or tourist can undertake for pleasure. Thailand offers a wide array of such offerings which include shopping, golf, adventure treks, hill tribe visit, special cooking and food, elephant rides, special festivals and celebrations, spa, spiritual and religious insights and learning (especially Buddhism), meditation, water sports, etc. Water sports include diving, sailing, yachting, cruising, canoeing and kayaking, swimming and snorkeling, fishing, windsurfing, rock climbing and bouldering, jet skiing and wakeboarding. Medical-tourism and business events also form an integral part of the range of offerings. Many indigenous events attract visitors from within and outside the country thereby stimulating demand. Some key events that happened from time to time in Thailand are the Luang Phor Thuad and Sunflower Field Festival dealing with the first blossoming of sunflower at a distinguished temple and paying tribute to Luang Phor Thuad, Chinese New Year Fair where prayers are offered the Chinese way, and there are opera shows and a food festival for vegetarians, Chinese Lantern Festival where a competition for lanterns and its decoration is held, World Wetland Day involving environmental related activities and awareness, bird watching and games, Eco-tourism and Kasalong Flower Festival involving bonfire and camping activities, showcasing of rare species of wild flowers and visiting caves, Thailand International Kite Festival that showcases traditional kites from different regions, kite flying competitions, etc; Thai Sky Festival involving a show of Skydiving by skydivers from many countries, Traditional Gold Leaf Covering Ceremony at Kuiburi Temple involving prayers and religious rites and as the name suggests gold leaf covering, Blooming Lotus Festival providing a tour of the Lotus Pond and trekking, Hua Hin Jazz Festival where Jazz concerts are performed, Hua Hin Regatta involving a race of sailors, Hua Hin (Cha-am) Golf Festival involving golfing contests, Hua Hin Vintage Car Rally which involves parading vintage cars. Many sports events, trade events and festivals had been planned for attracting visitors to Thailand in 2009. Important among these were the 1st World Comedy Film Festival, Thailand Grand Sale 2009, Thailand Tourism Festival (TTF) 2009, LPGA Thailand 2009 (Golf), The 2009 Kings Cup Elephant Polo Tournament, 1st Asian Martial Arts Games, Loi Kratong, Candle Festival, Songkran Festival and the 14th ASEAN Summit. New attractions like Sirindhorn Museum and Phu Kum Khao Dinosaur Excavation site, Chiang Mai Zoo Aquarium, Dragon Descendants Museum, etc have come up. It is interesting to note that Thailand was voted as the best sailing venue in Asia in a poll conducted by Top of The Gulf Regatta. Also, Phuket Kings Cup Regatta was the winner for best regatta in Asia. Thailand was also voted as the Asian Spa Capital for 2009 by AsiaSpa magazine. Also, Thailand won the Destiantion Spa of the year for Six Senses Destination Spa in Phuket. The major destinations chosen by tourists are (by region): Central Thailand: Ayutthaya, Bangkok, Hua Hin, Kanchanaburi, Cha-Am, Chachoengsao, Lampun, Nonthaburi, Petchburi, Phetchaburi, Prachuab Khiri Khan, Pranburi, Samut Songkhram, Saraburi. Southern Thailand: Koh Lanta Island, Koh Phi Phi Island, Koh Samui Island, Krabi, Phang Nga, Phuket, Trang, Chumphon, Hat Yai, Khao Lak, Koh Phangan Island, Koh Tao Island, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Ranong, Suratthani. Eastern Thailand: Koh Chang Island, Koh Samed Island, Pattaya, Chanthaburi, Chonburi, Koh Kood Island, Rayong, Trat. Northern Thailand: Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Mae Hong Son, Sukhothai, Lampang, Phetchabun, Phitsanulok, Tak. North-East Thailand: Nakhonratchasima, Khon Kaen, Loei, Nong Khai, Ubonratchathani, Udonthani. Latest foreign technology is available to it and this should be made good use of by the industry players and the government. Use of ICT (info-communications and technology) in hotels and other areas is a step in the right direction. The following of the Star Rating methodology for hotel standards by Thailands premier hotels was a step in achieving quality and recognition. To the advantage of Thailand is the level of orientation of the tourists coming to Thailand and the internal tourists as well). These are more or less favourable for the state and should be capitalized upon. Thailand Travel Mart was a large showcase for travel and events held in June in Bangkok. Such events promote the internal demand significantly. Inadequate reliance on experts and professionals for managing the business and related aspects of the industry, poor managerial innovation, low level research and development activities for the tourism industry, provides a hindrance for Thailand to emerge competitive against other players compromising the very nature of its competitive advantage. The extents to which it brands its industry though much better now and steadily improving over the years even in quality, leaves more to be desired in this front. Basing compensation on incentives is another recommendation for the industry. Training staff, at various levels is required to put together a skilled workforce and efficient labour pool for the industry. Related and Supporting Industries The tourism industry is well connected and linked with industries like the transportation and hospitality. Specialty services and has also provided impetus to the industry. However, the stigma of child prostitution and Aids epidemic is still a major concern for the government of Thailand. Labour productivity of Thailand is also not competitive at all. The revenues per tourist to Thailand are less than many competitors in the region. Also, these have not gone up over the years. Understandably, this was due to the chance factor but nevertheless, it seems to compromise the competitiveness of the industry even further. The importance of the framework applied here is that it helps identify sources of competitive advantage. One specific area of interest is the formation of clusters. Domestic rivalry and geographic concentration enhance competitiveness of Thailands tourism industry. The six factors depicted in fig. 2 help the framework act as system. Scalability, magnification and upgrading help provide linkages and networks. These thus help in forming clusters which provide competitive advantage. Efforts should be made to build special business relationships with the various players. Partnerships and alliances between and across the industry could help get the maximum value to the consumer inevitably making Thailand more competitive and the formation of clusters more evident, thereby benefitting the industry greatly. Provision of incentives to encourage; and subsidies to support the entrepreneurial talent in the industrys core and related areas could benefit the industry in many ways including the adoption of innovative tools, techniques and methods and e

Wedding Speech Delivered by the Bride :: Wedding Toasts Roasts Speeches

Wedding Speech Delivered by the Bride Families and friends. This has been a terrific day for Bob and I and we are both thrilled you could all be here. I wanted to say a few words in response to my Dad and thank a few people for all their support. I have spent a lot of time thinking about how to make these thanks – its amazing how much advice and how many books there are out there for Groom and Best Man’s speeches but there is not a lot out there to help the bride. So having failed to find any sensible advice in print, I thought I would ask around to the family and friends for some advice on what to say this evening. I didn’t get much advice about the speech but they gave me some useful snippets to use. Sarah found out that Bob and I will share our wedding day and anniversary with a very famous Royal – 2 very famous Royals in fact – the Queen obviously as I believe she is having some sort of celebration herself this weekend. The other Royal is the late King Edward who abdicated to be mar ried to the love of his life – Mrs Simpson. Now I expect that Bob and I in time will be more like â€Å"The Simpsons† than Edward and Mrs but I trust we can be as happy as that couple were. I have some thanks to make. Firstly Paula – thanks for the â€Å"hairdo† and busting a gut to get here on time to have a trial run. Ben – thanks for taking photos for our guest book and thank you all for posing and signing it. Sarah – you made your dress, you looked after me on my hen night (I’ll forgive you for buying me that Tia Maria and get you back some time). You have been the perfect Best Woman and a great friend for may years now. You have always been around for me through thick and thin and it was a privilege to be your bridesmaid last year. I have to thank your new husband Ian too for marrying you – it has been fantastic fun planning weddings together and thanks for all your top tips and ideas – many of which you can see we have stolen! Simon – perhaps I should reserve my thanks to you until after your Best Man’s speech! Thanks for being such a good mate to Bob for so long and for brushing up so well today.

Green Energy Essay

This is a serious issue in many countries and is harmful to humans’ and animals’ health, the environment and also increases pollution (Veziroglu 2007). Now, it is the time to face these problems by using clean energy such as solar, wind and water. Wagner & Mathur (2011) state that hydropower is the most efficient renewable energy, while Veziroglu (2007) claims that hydrogen is the key to the solution in the 21st century. Therefore, this essay will focus on energy sources water and hydrogen. The first part will analyse how to use water to produce a large amount of power in several ways. The second will discuss the effect of hydro energy. The third point will explain where hydrogen comes from and how to use it. The last section will describe the reason why many researchers and industrialists are interested in using hydrogen power. It is argued that using hydro power and hydrogen energy in many countries can decrease CO2 emissions that are the main cause of climate change and create an amount of clean energy, although these sources of energy have some negative impact and requires high investment costs. Hydro is a large natural resource that can be used to generate power in different ways. Hydro means water which is a significant power source to generate electricity. Destouni & Frank (2010) state that hydro-electric is a large resource, and it is more stable and reliable than other resources when they are compared. Additionally, the electric can be produced from water by using generator in many ways. Wagner & Mathur (2011) reveal that there are three ways which are river power plant, storage power plant and oceanic power plant. Firstly, they state that river power plants create power by the flowing and dropping of elevation of water. For storage power plants, they reveal that they generate electricity when the reservoir allows water to fall from natural resources such as Mountain Lake and artificial resources such as dam. For example, they point out that the biggest storage energy stations is the Three Gorges Dam in China which creates over 25 times more electricity than a coal-fired energy station on the basis of capacity. Secondly, another power plant uses water from the ocean such as wave, tide and the different temperatures of the sea to produce energy. Furthermore, hydro-energy is the main source of electricity in some countries. For instance, the percentage of using hydropower in Norway, Brazil and Canada are 99, 84 and 58, respectively (Wagner & Mathur 2011). In the future, the global product of hydro-electricity tends to be growth. Destouni and Frank (2010) suggest that it will increase around 20 percent by 2050 for decreasing the using of fossil fuel and carbon emission. Hydro energy has negative and positive sides that affect human lives. Firstly, all hydro power plants require a great amount of capital. Secondly, river plants produce small amounts of energy compared with other hydropower plants because this type does not use the full flow of the river, so the energy is not sufficient for many households. Thirdly, large dams could lead to floods in the cities which are situated lower than the dams because of overload caused by heavy rain or damage caused by earthquakes (Wagner & Mathur 2011). Moreover, hydro plants could impact on environment. For example, large dams can interrupt fish’s lives when fish try to swim upstream and deplete natural animal habitat for birds and ducks that have to move to another area as shown in the O’Shaughnessy Dam in the United State which destroyed some parts of Yosemite National Park. Moreover, over one million people were forced to move out their villages when China built the Three Gorges Dam project (National Geographic 2012). On the other hand, there are many advantages of hydro power plants. Wagner & Mathur (2011) indicate that storage power plants can generate large amount of energy, and when well managed can avoid flooding, and can provide water for farmers whenever they demand because the dams collect water all year. In addition, dams have the efficiency of controlling the water that can begin, stop and generate power immediately. Furthermore, the average cost to invest in this power is lower than the other sources, and it can be used longer than 50 years. For example, the plant in Darjeeling in India is installed in 1897 (Wagner & Mathur 2011). According to National Geographic (2012), hydropower is sustainable and clean source because of water cycle that water transforms to steam and come back to water again, and no greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide which pollute into the air so that it decreases impact on environment and reduce the causes of global warming. Another widespread renewable energy is hydrogen which is a basic source which can be produced from natural and artificial resources and can use in many kinds of industries for reducing carbon dioxide emissions. Hydrogen is made from primary sources such as solar, nuclear, water and fossil fuel (Fig. 1). Edwards, Kuznetsov & David (2007) point out that a fuel cell is a device for generating electricity and recharging power by oxidation between hydrogen and oxygen from the air though electrodes and this process will continue until no fuel and air (Fig. 2). Therefore, many countries select hydrogen energy to solve climate change problems that are caused by the use of fossil fuel. For example, some countries which are interested in using hydrogen power are the United States and Japan who spend a lot of money investing in hydrogen energy projects both to decrease carbon emissions, and as an alternative power resource (European Commission 2003). Hydrogen energy and fuel cell have some pros and cons for decision to use in society such as vehicles, aerosol and stationary. The advantages of hydrogen power and fuel cell are cycling of water, low or zero carbon emission, high efficiency and power quality, and low noise. As a result, these advantages will reduce pollution and eliminate greenhouse gases which cause ozone layer depletion. Moreover, these systems are used in wide range such as hospitals, transport, and IT centres (Edwards, Kuznetsov & David 2007 and Veziroglu 2007). In transport, hydrogen energy has been used in transport because it provides good performance and high convenience such as smoothing and low noise, and also it is used for silent power of airspace and producing high levels of power for advanced soldier uniforms in military program. Furthermore, technology such as computers, telephone and radios also use hydrogen and fuel cell in recent year because it can provide long life batteries. However, it cost a great amount of money to hydrogen project and sometimes it can use in short time just thousands hours (European Commission 2003). In addition, Veziroglu (2007) reports that some process will produce other gases not only hydrogen such as nitrogen oxide group can cause global warming. In conclusion, the advantage of hydropower is providing the amount of energy that is sufficient for the requirements of every household, and the advantage of hydrogen energy is that it can be used in many industries such as cars and airplanes. Moreover, both of them, which are clean and sustainable energy systems, reduce carbon emissions. Furthermore, the cost of these kinds of energy will decrease as these systems become more prominent and will be used more widely in the future. Therefore, hydropower and hydrogen energy are likely to be used in the future to decrease the causes of climate change. Reference List Destouni, G & Frank, H 2010, ‘Renewable energy’, Ambio,  vol. 39, no. 1, pp. 18-21, viewed 1 December 2012, . Edwards, PP, Kuznetsov, VL & David, WIF 2007, ‘Hydrogen energy’, Philosophical Transactions: Mathematical, Physical, and Engineering Sciences, vol. 365, no. 1853, pp. 1043-1056, viewed 1 December 2012, . European commission 2003, Hydrogen energy and fuel cells: a vision of our future, European Communities, Luxembourg, viewed 28 November 2012, . National Geographic 2012, Hydroelectric energy, National Geographic Society, Washington, D. C. , viewed 28 November 2012, . Veziroglu, TN 2007, ‘21st century’s energy: hydrogen energy system’, in JW Sheffield ;  C Sheffield (eds), Assessment of hydrogen energy for sustainable development, Springer Netherlands, Dordrecht, pp. 9-31, viewed 23 November 2012, . Wagner, H ; Mathur, J 2011,  Introduction to hydro energy systems,  Springer, Dordrecht.

Components of civic education Essay

The core meaning of civic education is that it is a subject that promotes civic knowledge, civic skills, civic values and civic dispositions. Civic knowledge is concerned with the content or what citizens out to know, it is thorough familiarization with what civic life constitutes. It is having an understanding about basic principles of democracy, politics, elections, institutions. Having the understanding of the rights and responsibilities, knowledge of what rights and responsibilities our political leaders have. Social relationships in the community entails levels of civic knowledge, an understanding that their different cultures. It is about having an understanding of current issues, the functionality of institutions and sustainable development. Civic skills, with regard to the three positions given on the meaning of civic education it promotes practical skills meaning service learning and common awareness hence for people to discharge their responsibilities and exercise their rig hts as citizens, the need for skills, participatory and intellectual capabilities becomes paramount. Intellectual skills in civics and government are inseparable from content, these skills are sometimes called thinking skills. The National Standards of Civics and Government categorize these skills as identifying and describing; explaining and analyzing; and evaluating, taking and defending positions in public affairs. A good civic education enables one to identify or give the meaning or significance of things that are tangible such as the flag, national monuments or civics and political events. It also enables one to give the meaning or significance of intangibles, such as ideals or concepts including patriotism, majority and minority rights, civil society, and constitutionalism. Civic disposition’s refers to the traits of private and public character essential to maintenance and improvement of constitutional democracy. Civic dispositions develop slowly as a result of what one learns and experiences in the home, school, community and organization of civil society. These experiences include understanding that democracy requires the responsible self governance of each individual; one cannot exist without the other. Traits of private character, such as moral responsibility, self discipline, and respect for the worth and human dignity of every individual are imperative. Traits of public character are public spiritedness, civility, respect for the rule of law, crucial/ critical mindedness and  willingness to listen, negotiate and compromise are inseparable to democracy’s success. These bring about the intention to be active in the community, to participate in civil society as well as in particular political community. The importance of civic dispositions, or the â€Å"habits of the heart† as Alexis de Tocqueville called them, can scarcely be overemphasized.

fantasy story essays

fantasy story essays In a time long before the great scholars of Istaria can even fathom, a time before the massive northern peaks were formed. A time before light and darkness, before the oldest Dragon Legends, there were the two. Without form or restraints, without origins, they existed and all of reality remained a perfect balance, a precarious equilibrium, an existence that neither changed nor evolved. As the countless eons passed, the two forces changed, one, a force that thrived in decay, chaos and darkness, we have come to know as Arimann. The other, the essence of light and order we call Ariddel. As the Two grew they gained the desire to overcome each other, and a silent war raged on, the material plane formed as a physical product of this war, as each power wished to show its dominance over the other; what one created, the other destroyed, anarchy fed off order and vice versa. No clear victory was possible because both were equal, eternal rivals that could never hope to vanquish one another. The endless war led to a reality in constant turmoil and the balance of the universe was in jeopardy. Both realized that they were powerless towards each other and thus retreated, back to their own realms, they left the middle realm as the final battle ground, where they would play no direct role, but watch with eternal vigil to see who will rise victorious from the ashes of the conflict. Below Zarchire sat on the rock, how long had it been Months? Years? Eons? He sat his lifeless body still, overgrown by the slimy fungus that engulfed all in the cave. Only his mind was alive, lost in meditation drifting endlessly in search of an answer, he chanted, his mind burned with only one thought...how? How could they defeat him, the hatred for himself, for...for the infidels was all that consumed the ancient mind...how? He cursed the name of mheguss Khan, he had let him fall, the dark lord had abandoned him. ...

Benefits and costs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Benefits and costs - Essay Example Vehicles create exhaust gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2) and monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur dioxide (SO2), hydrocarbons (HC), volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and particulate matter (OEERE 1). These pollutants create air pollution, adversely affecting health of the general population (OEERE 1). Market failure is inevitable as these negative externalities cause cardiopulmonary diseases leading to premature deaths, decreased visibility and other dangerous side effects. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) used command and control policies (Peltz & Fitzgerald 2). Lead was removed from fuel, oxygenates were added and sulfur content was reduced (OEERE 2). Catalytic converters were placed on US passenger cars, SUVs and light trucks to reduce CO, NOx, HC, and VOC emissions. VOC emission capturing and emissions testing of cars were introduced too (OEERE 2). Many decided to commute and so decreased emissions levels. However, improvements also led to reckless behavior. Pollution caused by vehicles in the USA has become a global problem. While Americans represent only five percent of world population, they use one third of world’s cars (Borger). American cars are 15 percent less fuel efficient than passenger cars driven elsewhere. Moreover, Americans on average drive longer distances than Europeans or Asians. Since 1988, carbon dioxide emissions have been increasing (Borger). CAA has not produced positive results with regard to carbon dioxide emissions. The resulting pollution has increased incidence of cardiopulmonary conditions such as asthma and heart disease (OEERE 2). In 1990, under the CAA Amendments (CAAA), vehicle standards were made stricter (EPAa). Under the amendments, ozone pollution, carbon monoxide and particulate matter emissions were addressed. Procedures such as inspection/maintenance programs and vapor recovery installations at gas stations were introduced (EPAb). A permit system will be developed

Personal statement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Personal statement - Essay Example My short-term plan is to get an Associate degree in accounting to gain new knowledge and refine my existing accounting skills and knowledge. My long-term goal is to start my own business where I can use my professional accounting skills and knowledge to achieve success. My aim is to become an invaluable part of the development and economic progress of my native country, Cambodia. I want to play a key role in the economic development of my country by running a successful business. An advanced knowledge of accounting and related subjects would be helpful for me as an entrepreneur to ensure and achieve business success in the present fluctuating economy of my country. I am of the viewpoint that economic status and educational opportunity go side by side in ensuring quick personal and professional progress and achievement. This is the reason for me to get a degree in the field of professional accounting. This degree would help me in acquiring key accounting skills and knowledge, as well as in running a successful business. I have had some working experience that proved to be very helpful for me to understand the value of the practical professional life. For example, I have recently worked in a local TV station broadcast in Long Beach, which is called Khmer TV. I worked there as an interpreter and gained experience of managing the office work. This working experience has improved my English language skills and has allowed me to become more socialized and able to do successful communication with other people. At present, I am also working part time for a local retail business, namely Bigfish Tackle, in Seal Beach California as a salesperson. My duty is to contact with the customers all the time and make successful deals with them related to the sale of the company’s products. Both of these practical experiences have helped me in developing professionally. I have come to know the ways to run a

The effect of terrorism on the global economy Essay

The effect of terrorism on the global economy - Essay Example and all of the countries it trades with. The federal government, in what some might term a ‘knee-jerk’ reaction to the attack, spent unprecedented amounts of money on questionable programs and ventures in an effort to ‘provide security’ to its citizens. â€Å"The President has requested a significant increase in security-related programs in the context of the budget for 2003. Additional spending of $48 billion was proposed for national defense (an increase of 14 percent from the previous year). In addition, the President asked Congress for an appropriation of $38 billion for homeland security, compared to $20 billion spent in 2001† (Looney, 2002). The combination of a stunned economy, a flat-line growth in the job market and dwindling government resources made its affects known worldwide. This paper will examine how the events of 9/11 influenced many aspects of the U.S. economy and examples of its global consequences. The U.S. was enjoying a period of vigorous economic expansion during the second Clinton administration, a period that saw the nation’s first budget surpluses in 40 years. This growth was fueled largely because of a general confidence in the nation’s economic health and an increase in worker’s productivity. This time of prosperity was over by the latter part of the year 2000 as the trend in business appeared to reflect a lessening confidence in the direction of the national economy. Corporations, especially those in the technical industries, began systematically downsizing, outsourcing and employing other means of economizing because of steady revenue losses. The economy had shown signs of weakening the entire year of 1999, and by the end of 2000, the manufacturing segment was also steadily shrinking as was evidenced by the lack of equipment orders, profits and number of employees. This trend was experienced many other industries

Technological Advances in the Last Century Essay Example for Free

Technological Advances in the Last Century Essay In the last century, technology has changed mass media immensely. A hundred years ago, people would use the post office, a rare telephone or word of mouth to communicate across large distances. These were not the most efficient methods of communication. However since then we have developed ways of communicating in faster, more effective ways. In the 1920s, radios started becoming more and more popular. Not only did they produce music for entertainment, they also produced news stories and many advertisements. In the late 1920s, the Great Depression started. It was due to the radio that many people likely heard the news and offers of employment with Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal. As people were listening to the radio more often they also began to mistrust â€Å"big business†, because people started to feel exploited in all aspects of life by the large businesses. Since a lot of lower class people did not know how to read in those times, newspapers and written advertisements were not the most effective means of communication. This made the radio even more popular, because not only educated people, but also uneducated people could gain knowledge that was previously restricted to those who could read. When the 1930s came around, radio was still just as popular as in the 1920’s, and they also used motion pictures for entertainment and advertising. In the 1940’s the television began to make its appearance on the scene allowing the public to view daily fiction shows, as well as news broadcasts and advertisements. Families began moving from big cities to the suburbs, where being in close vicinity is no longer needed because of the television. Defense technology and satellites began the beginning of the internet as a result of the Vietnam War in 1959. During the 1960s, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) controlled radio and television airwaves, ruling what was appropriate or not for viewers to see or hear. Social issues such as race, class, politics, and prejudice are huge topics for television shows. In the 1970s a great new invention called the Video Cassette Recorder (VCR) was introduced and the public could watch pre-recorded movies, documentaries, or biographies of their choice. They could watch something other than a program they did not choose to watch, but were forced to watch, because of the lack of networks and programming. Computer corporations also came out with the microprocessor, which was, and still is, essentially the â€Å"brain† for a computer. When the microprocessor was revealed, computers were about as big as a small room. Computer engineers did not think, at the time, that a computer would ever be smaller than a small living room, because they did not believe it would be possible to create such a huge amount of information in such a small device. As we moved into the 1980s, cable television exploded into a nationwide phenomenon. Cable networks varied from all day long heartfelt movies to 24/7 news broadcasts to any music video you could think of to reality television. The digital era became fully fledged in the 1990s. There were computers in virtually every home, and consumers were able to use dial-up internet to E-Mail individuals, or to use it for business communication around the world. With the computers in the home and advancement of technology came the advent of the laptop. This was essentially a home computer that could fit on the lap of the individual. Individuals weren’t only confined to their own state or country anymore, the movement had become global. Compact Discs (CD) and Digital Video Discs (DVD) were expanding, having movies, music and video games as content. Soon, the population would learn how to use the internet to broadcast news videos and personal videos. As the world passes the turn of the century, movies, TV shows, music, books, magazines, and newspapers all converge on the internet. Within 10 years, inventors and major cell phone and computer companies develop â€Å"Smartphones†, or cell phones on steroids. Everything basic that anyone can do from a desktop computer, they can do from the palm of their hand. Soon, those boom into touch screen tablets, where anyone can watch podcasts, play games, write documents, search the web, and communicate more efficiently and instantaneously. As Bill Gates once said â€Å"640KB [of memory] ought to be enough for anybody. † (Adams McCrindle, 2008) This just shows how much our technology has advanced. Some portable devices have up to 64MB for memory, plus extra internal memory as well. That’s 65,536KB, about ten times more than what Bill Gates originally thought would be enough. In conclusion, media literacy is hugely important for consumers in this day in age. People are often on the run, working, exercising, taking kids to school or practice, that they rarely have time to actually sit down and read the paper, or watch the news. If consumers have all that information clipped to their waists, or in their briefcase, when people have a few minutes to relax, they can sit down and take time to do what they enjoy, whether it be watching the news, watching sports highlights, reading, social networking or playing games. Anything they want is at the touch of a finger.