Wednesday, November 27, 2019

President Bush and the Stem Cell Debate free essay sample

This paper discusses the decision of President Bush to allow some funding for stem-cell research. This paper focuses on the recent decision by President George W. Bush to allow limited funding for stem-cell research. The author defines stem-cells, and discusses why they are useful to the scientific community. In addition, the author also describes the process that President Bush went through before making his final decision, which as an example of the influence of interest groups on presidential decisions. On August 9, 2001 President George W. Bush decided to allow limited research on existing stem cells. He made this decision to cater to the wants and needs of as many different people as he could. The science community was content that he at least allowed some research to be done, while anti-stem cell activists were content that he took some moral stance in limiting the research. However, neither side was overly pleased. He could have done more, some argue. We will write a custom essay sample on President Bush and the Stem Cell Debate or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Still others feel he should have done less. All of this exemplifies the moral divide in our country. We also see how difficult it can be for a leader to please all of the general public.

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Long Island and Sac south Essay

Long Island and Sac south Essay Long Island and Sac south Essay SBU Transit Map - Service Level B, C & D A B D C E G F To Stony Brook Village .R. L.I.R 25A No 1 P d Ci Cir Natural Meadow Softball cle Recreation Fields ad Varsity Tennis Courts Circl e Ro ad Kenneth P. LaValle Athletic Stadium 3 Gym Roa d n S. Toll Drive Joh Van de Graaff Accelerator Math Tower e John S. Toll Dr iv T No West Apartment B Complex A Driv e Circ Roth Quad le R oad Keller College Drive velt Greeley College Bioengineering Laufer Center e Driv er i ng En gin e Stimson College Cardozo College Centers for Molecular Medicine Life Sciences (CMM) Health Sciences Garage Underpass Gershwin College P SCAN Center STONY BROOK MEDICINE Health Sciences Tower Roose E 5 Toscanini College Tabler Quad SBU Transit (631)632-6418 SBU Parking (631)632-AUTO Email: transportation@stonybrook.edu Hospital Main Entrance Chapin Commons Hand College D ler Tab rive Ashley Schiff Preserve r Drive Douglass College Marburge Sanger College Emergency Entrance Hospital Circle Road Sports Court Tabler Center www.stonybrook.edu/transportation Basic Sciences Tower Whitman College Roth Cafà © L.I. High Technology Incubator rive l beRoosevelt Quad D C A c a d e m i c Ye a r Effective 2012-2013 Main Entrances Hilton Garden Inn (under construction) Social and Behavioral Sciences (SBS) Hendrix College Mount College /4 es D We st Nobel Halls Yang Lauterbur Hall Hall 1 ienc h Sc Healt Wagner College West Apartment Complex E F Heavy Engineering Dreiser College Chapin Apartments Hospital Parking Garage P ts R Patrio P SOUTH CAMPUS Dutchess Hall University Police d g Edmund D. Pelle P P iences Health Sc STONY BROOK UNIVERSITY TRANSPORTATION & PARKING OPERATIONS Endeavour Hall We are dedicated to satisfying our customers with efficient and convenient transportation and parking services in support of the diverse missions of the University. South Entrances riv hD ut So Marburger Drive Rockland Westchester Hall Hall Sullivan Hall School of Dental Medicine Drive e Discovery Hall P ad Ro L.I. State Veterans Home Pain Management Center Challenger Hall Marine Sciences Research Center o rin P oad Ambulatory Surgery Center ad Suffolk Hall Cancer Center Imaging Center Ro Roa Putnam Hall olls 6 Broo k Carol M. Baldwin Breast Care Center Dana Hall Nic Nassau Hall Stony Stony Brook University SBU Transit Map ad H G G Kelly Dewey Cafà © College West Drive Schomburg Apartments 0 Point of Woods Bldgs. Drive lls Ro B Sports Court Administration Parking Garage Ken ny Nico I Humanities Educational Communications u mp P Center Ca Light (ECC) Javits Engineering Lecture Engineering New Center Computer Computing Science Center (under construction) Computer Science Hamilton College Kelly Quad Baruch College P oad . .R I.R B e riv sD SBU Bike Storage Lockers Mile le R Ke P Drive Eisenhower College Schick College L. Shir ley A Psychology B Student Activities Center (SAC) BL CAMPUS ACADEMIC MALL EEarth and d Sp Spa SSpace pacc Sciences (EESS) (ESS) MAIN Frank Melville Jr. Memorial Library Old Chemistry Harriman Hall Charles B. Wang Center Staller Center for the Arts SBU Bike Share Stations Circ 4 Chemistry B P Red Dragon Labyrinth Administration 25A Primary N Transfer Stop Irving College Gray College Stony Brook Union Campus Recreation Center P Physics Simons Center Service Group P P Central Services (Receiving) CoGen Plant lly Mendelsohn Quad P Sports Complex Central Stores (Warehouse) O’Neill College Ammann College Outdoor Basketball Courts P James College Student Health Center 25A Soccer Practice Field SBU Transit Stop with Suffolk Transit Connection Benedict College H Quad Lacrosse Practice Field Circle Road Track Practice Field BL Benedict Road Langmuir College Recreation Tennis Courts P Stadium ad Sports Court Soccer Practice Field SBU Transit

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Ancient Greek Philosopher Confucius Research Paper

Ancient Greek Philosopher Confucius - Research Paper Example He believed that change is the constant force of the universe. Everything is changing and even the next second, we are not the same person. Change is elemental in the universal process. He also believes that elements of the universe do change themselves but one element is intertwined with another as he stated once, â€Å"To souls it is death to become water, to water death to become earth, but from earth water is born, and from water soul† (Pro and Ilmari, 2012). He was of the opinion that although elements in universe change but they remain constant in totality due to natural laws. There are harmonizing elements or forces present in nature that does not let happen anything drastic but keep things in equilibrium. Heraclitus was a great believer of war as many philosophers may have expected of him. He stated â€Å"War is father of all, king of all. Some it makes gods, some it makes men, some it makes slaves, some free and we must realize that war is universal, and strife is justice, and that all things come into being and pass away through strife.† These ideas depict that he was of the belief that these are the conflicting ideas that bring lively uniformity in universe (Thomas, 2012). Heraclitus also believed that to exist in society, one good man is worth ten thousand ordinary people as one good man can bring stand out character to the society. It clearly means that he distrust many in society but believes a very few people (Daniel, 2011). Ethical foundations are also found in Heraclitus philosophy. He believes that a man should not be derived by his wishes and should not try to get whatever he wants as it will lose its purification of soul that is the chief ambition of a soul. Ideas of the Greek Heraclitus were clearly opposed to the concept of dualism. He also believed that there is no after life or death for soul rather it remains

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

The Expectations of the Dollar Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Expectations of the Dollar - Essay Example Interest-rate futures demonstrate that the traders are certain the Fed will increase its benchmark to 4.75 percent on March 28, and predict about a 65 percent chance of another increase to 5 percent at the May meeting. However the outlook was not the same say in October 2005 when Fed was expected to go in for graduated dosages of increase in interest rate in keeping with the trend began since June 2004. The dollar had then risen 2.3 percent against the yen since the end of June 2005. The dollar ran its third straight quarterly gain, reported in October 2005, against the yen, the longest winning streak since 2001, as the Federal Reserve stuck to its policy of ''measured" increases in interest rates. The markets had then expected the dollar to rally to about 115 yens. The yield advantage of 10-year US Treasury notes with Japan had averaged 2.87 percentage points in 2005 year and reached as much as 3.27 percentage points on March 28 2005. As a result of these Japanese investors were buy ing the dollar to purchase overseas assets, such as Treasuries strengthening interest in dollar. As compared to this The Bank of Japan had kept rates near zero since 2001.US Rate increases had helped notch an 11 percent gain in the dollar vs. the yen. However for the first time ,in this scenario Bank of Japan indicated that the yen may be supported by indicating a timetable for ending its policy of holding interest rates near zero.BOJ had also decided to stop pumping money into the economy and to recommence forecasting of inflation after a seven-year absence. The risks to the US dollar in 2006 are being widely debated. Last year too Bill Gates, Warren Buffett and George Soros had predicted a crash of the US dollar which, however, did not materialize. However sufficient arguments exist today on why the US dollarwill stopdefying gravity and fall this year. As stated abovein the last few weeks the dollar has kept on falling relative to the Euro and Yen, as expectations of relative short term interest rate differentials and growth rates are turning against the U.S. US slow down, which may or may not trigger global slow down, is quite a probability with risks of a disorderly adjustment triggered by the bursting of the US housing bubble and the stagflationary effect of another oil shock driven by supply tightness and a confrontation with Iran. Moreover a large trade deficit of 7% of GDP has led to an unsustainable accumulation of net foreign liabilities (Roubini, 2006). These combined with domestic slowdown leave out weak signals for dollar wi th slight corrections in or around the two expected step-ups. This outlook would run concurrently to the period required to smoothen out these imbalances. This is expected to last the entire of the remainder portion of 2006 at the least. Theoretical Setting Post Bretton Woods period was a period of fixed exchange rates and primary forex market analytics concerned the effects of discrete policy induced changes in the level of exchange rates-be it a devaluation or appreciation. National economies and the global economy as result

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Municipal Solid wastes at National level Essay Example for Free

Municipal Solid wastes at National level Essay India is one of the largest countries in the world whose multifaceted socio-economic progress occurred in the last 50 years since its independence in 1947 (Gupta, et. al. , 1998). Indian population is second largest in the world with 856 million in 1991 (Gupta, et. al. , 1998) and 1,027 million in 2001(COI, 2001). The country has an average annual growth rate of 1. 3% (Gupta, et. al. , 1998). The growth of the nation is shown by its rapid industrial and economic growth both in the public and private sectors. This has contributed to the changing of the general lifestyle of its people. Soon enough, they have begun to espouse an urban lifestyle (Jha et. al. , 2007). This drastic change in the lifestyle of the people of India triggered an increase in the production and consumption of all sorts of products. It further spawned additional economic activities – new or innovated products and services – that led to an overall great rise in the volume of wastes generated by the city (Sharholy et. al. , 2007; Jhaet. al. , 2007). Even the packaging of products has undergone an evolution. After all, these are all natural consequences of the city’s growth. Indeed the city has grown both in size and population. The number of territorial divisions has increased from 30 in 1919 to 155. The population has similarly increased from 5 lakhs in 1921 to approximately 42 lakhs. The increase in the city’s area is from 27. 6 sq. miles in 1921 to 174 sq. kms. (COC website) Several studies in the past (Bhoyar, et. al. , 1996; Esakku et. al. , 2007; Rathi, 2006) reveal that the composition of MSW in Indian cities have recorded higher percentages of earth and inert materials (35-52%), varying degradable matter (35-84%) and lowest recyclable material (10-20%) (Jha et. al. , 2007) and there has been a gradual increase in total MSW over the past several years in Chennai (COC, 2004). The increasing amounts of MSW have been causing problems that governmental agencies have been attempting to solve. The extent of the problem, which covers threats to the health and welfare of the people and the environment, just seemed to keep growing and there were no conclusive solutions in sight (Srinivas, 1998). With environmental concerns on top of the government’s agenda, the key area which needs an extensive importance at present is the MSW Management (MSWM). The system of garbage disposal and management poses a great challenge to the municipalities and the magnitude of which is not felt much, involves heavy cost, but derives only less concentration (Bhide and Sundersan, 1983). Chennai in past 20 years has shown increasing growth in population (Table 5; Figure 31), also there is substantialgrowth in industrial sector resulting in increased quantities of waste generated in the last 12 years (Table 1) (COC, 2004). MSW in Chennai, like in most other Indian cities is collected and dumped at open landfills. Ecologists and environmentalists around the world term this improper dumping technique, and argue that such open dumping of garbage poses serious health hazards and also disturbs environment leading to ecological imbalance, habitat modification and deterioration of species (Kansalet. al. , 1998; Sharholy et. , al, 2007). A study by Das et. al. (1998) show that about 90% of the wastes generated is disposed of by way of open dumping in landfills and such practice causes serious environmental and human health hazard. The quality of land, water and air also get deteriorated because of dumping at open landfills. They in turn influence an increase in leacheate percolation of environmental pollutants from garbage into naive environment, polluting the wetland and groundwater of the adjacent areas (Sharholy et. al. , 2007). Chennai Wards and Zones Chennai is divided into wards and several wards are grouped together as zones. There are totally 155 wards (Table 2, Figure 2) and 10 zones namely Tondiarpet (Zone I), Basin Bridge (Zone II), Pulianthope (Zone III), Ayanavaram (Zone IV), Kilpauk (Zone V), Ice House (Zone VI), Nungambakkam (Zone VII), Kodambakkam (Zone VIII), Saidapet (Zone IX), Adyar (Zone X) (Figure 3). Zone V (Kilpauk) is the largest zone with an area of 25. 62 sq. km and a population of 542,132 and Zone VI (Ice House) is the smallest zone with an area of 8. 24 sq. km and a population of 341,805 (Table 3) OK. Why does this matter? How does this relate to your overall question? Should this be in your introduction? MSW in Chennai Chennai is under enormous stress for a controlled MSWM and this is predominantly due to uncontrolled urbanization (Lakshumi et. al. ,2006). MSW handling and disposal in Chennai is jointly performed by Corporation of Chennai and Neel Metal Fanalca Environmental Management Private Limited (Figure 3), private-public participation. This is the second time Corporation of Chennai has joined hands with a private concern to collect and dispose MSW in Chennai (COC, 2004). Expand, why the second? What happened during the first? Earlier CES Onxy, a private MSW collection and disposal industry, handled disposal of solid wastes in three zones (zone VI, zone VIII, and zone X) in Chennai, where they cleared approximately 1000 tons/day of MSW between year 2000 and 2007 (COC, 2004). Onyx charged Rs. 1,212/ton (~$30 USD) of garbage cleared. After the contract period with Onyx, Corporation of Chennai called for fresh bid for tender towards solid waste management for the three zones; Kodambakkam (zone VIII), Adyar (zone X), and Ice House (zone VI). The Corporation has also planned to privatize fourth zone namely Pulianthope (zone III) (The Hindu, 2007). OK Chennai shows high quantities of organic wastes among the MSW collected everyday, primarily vegetable and fruit wastes collected from areas in-and-around the marketplace (Ramakrishnan, 2005) and in most other part of Chennai paper predominates MSW (Jhaet. al. , 2007). But with increasing consumerism, the amount of wastes produced has also been increasing and if this trend continues then the generation of waste would soon outnumber the rapid increasing population. Moreover, as the dumping sites and landfills are also nearly filling up, Corporation of Chennai is on the look for alternate dumpsites and effective MSWM techniques like recycling of wastes (Jha et. al. , 2007). Composition and Sources of MSW Reports from Corporation of Chennai show that organic wastes (food wastes, green wastes, timber) are of greater quantity among the MSW composition than other wastes (Table 4a). Also the main source of MSW waste is generated by the residential (Table 4b) (COC, 2004). Dumping grounds in Chennai Chennai has two open dumping grounds namely Kodungaiyur, which is the north Chennai and Perungudi in South Chennai (Figure 5). 1. Kodungaiyur dumping ground Kodungaiyur dumping ground is located within the city limits (Figure 5, 6 7). It is rectangular and has a total area of 350 acres, where 65 acres is owned by Corporation of Chennai while 285 acres is owned by Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB). The soil type is clayey alluvial flatland. The dumpsite came to operational in 1980. The daily waste disposed from zone I-V at this site was 1600 to 1800 tons. The maximum life expectancy of Kodungaiyur dumping ground is until 2010 (COC, 2004; Jha et. al. , 2007) 2. Perungudi dumping ground Perungudi dumpsite is located outside City limits in South Chennai (Figure 5, 8 9). Perungudi dumpsite is also rectangular with a total area of 600 acres owned by CMWSSB. The dumpsite area is a wastewater disposal marshy land made of silty-clay alluvial soil. Perungudi dumpsite came to operational 7 years after Kodungaiyur dumping ground became operational and has a life expectancy until 2010. About 1500 to 1800 tons of garbage from zone VI-X is dumped here (COC, 2004; Jha et. al. , 2007). MSW Collection Chennai Municipality (Figure 11A) and Neel Metal Fanalca (Figure 11B) employ sanitary workers or sweepers who are either permanent staff or daily-paid temporary workers (Figure 10) who sweep and remove solid waste, like paper, plastics, organic debris, construction wastes etc every day. They sweep about every 50 meters of the roadside before they gather solid wastes on the adjacent roadside. Sanitary workers from Corporation of Chennai or private organizations engage in door-to-door domestic collection (Figure 12) of segregated and/or non-segregated solid wastes (both biodegradable/non-biodegradable and recyclable/non-recyclable) from residents, streets, roadsides and arterial roads in rotomould bins (Figure 13) and tricycles (Figure 12). The solid wastes thus collected in wheel barrows or tricycles are carried to the nearest collection point or collection depots (Sharholy et. al. , 2007). The MSW collection process includes either primary collection and/or the secondary collection. Primary collection of segregated and/or non-segregated wastes involves the transportation of wastes from the collection point to the nearest transfer station (Figure 14 15) or NGO-run recycling units through Light Motor Vehicle (LMVs) or compactors and this technique involves manpower completely in the collection process (Sharholy et. al. , 2007). Whereas in the secondary collection process each MSW collection worker is assigned with work schedules and work areas (COC, 2004) who transfer the accumulated garbage from collection points by way of compactors and tippers, and ferried to the disposal site where they are dumped (Sharholy et. al. , 2007). In many parts of Chennai, a small portion of the waste generated everyday lie around the garbage bins without being collected (Figure 28) and the collected portion is taken for disposal. The efficiency of collection of solid waste can be equated to the amount of garbage collected from the streets to the disposal sites divided by the total volume of MSW generated during that period. Studies made reveal that the two main aspects that contribute to MSW collection efficiency are manpower and transportation facilities (Sharholy et. al. , 2008). Segregation REWORD On an average, the city generates around 3,200 tons of garbage and 500 metric tons of building debris daily, of which recyclable and biodegradable waste would be approximately 40-45% and 40-45% of building debris and the rest non-biodegradable MSW (Sharholy et. al. , 2007; COC, 2004). If this 40-45% of recyclable and biodegradable wastes is removed, the life expectancy of the landfill would substantially increase and this is possible only with source segregation. Source segregation of MSW in Chennai has been a quest for Corporation of Chennai (Malarvizhi, 2007). Although they made efforts in few areas, as part of a pilot study, to improve awareness and segregate wastes at source (Figure 16), yet source segregation technique in Chennai is far to reach common public (Malarvizhi, 2007). On the contrary, few NGOs are also participating in source segregation awareness program and actively helping Corporation of Chennai in door-to-door source segregation programs (Malarvizhi, 2007). Some residents segregate their wastes into dry and wet wastes. Few others also dump the organic wastes in small pits where organic waste get decomposed, converted to compost and used as fertilizers (Rathi, 2006). Also to add, rag pickers play an active role in segregation of wastes, where they segregate wastes into paper, plastic, wood and metals before these are sold in recycling market for money (Figure 17) (Rathi, 2006).

Friday, November 15, 2019

SWOT Analysis of MTV

SWOT Analysis of MTV The first music channel to broadcast music television in Asia was the American music channel MTV. It entered the Indian market in 1991 via Star TVs satellite. But two years later, over a disagreement regarding the amount of local programming it left the scene and a new player emerged in the form of Star TVs own Channel V. this was after Rupert Murdochs News Corporation acquired Star TV. Since the MTVs approach to the market was global, channel V emphasis on local artistes and VJs and for a while enjoyed a monopoly position in the market. But this monopoly was not for long, MTV reentered the Asian market in 1995 with new strategies to gain competitive advantage and brand image. Since then the growth of MTV in the region has been tremendous. In 1999, the rivalry manifested itself in an escalating war of words between Steve Smith of Channel V and Frank Brown of MTV with each alleging that the other was misrepresenting distribution figures. The case documents this feud and its effect on advertisers in the context of the emerging Asian market for televised music. The Music Television Channel, MTV was created in collaboration of Media Company Warner Communication and Credit Card Company American Express on 1st August 1981. Within the next 10 years MTV had become a popular culture icon among the youth. It became a launch platform for artists and became a whole lifestyle in itself. MTV popularized music and changed the way audience conceived it before. Whereas Channel V, an international music channel chain, owned by Star TV network and is aired in many countries around Australia, Asia and the Middle East, played both mainstream and alternative music. There approach was local. Their target was the 15-24-age set, where it currently trails with its competitor, MTV. This funky channel is a craze among music loves and the young generation. The case also talks about the initial success of channel V which lead to a shift in MTVs programming mix and the various steps adopted by MTV that enabled it to become the market leader at the cost of channel V. INDUSTRY ENVIRONMENT ANALYSIS Analyzing the case based on the porters five force model :- Suppliers A suppliers influence is defined by its ability to bargain price and influence availability of materials. Other strengths of the supplier include their ability to increase prices without suffering from a decrease in volume, reduce the quantity supplied, organize in a formal or informal manner, compete in an environment with relatively few substitutes, provide a product/material that is a critical part of the end product or service, impose switching costs on their customers when they depart, integrate downstream by purchasing or controlling the distribution channels. As such, every company that depends on the services and materials from key suppliers need to be sensitive on the variables that are highly important and considered by the suppliers. MTV and CHANNEL V Medium to high for record companies, music producers, and movie companies. The supplier is the music industry which provides content and programming. The decision-makers of the company should have a clear understanding of the business dynamics in which suppliers are directly involved in. These include the suppliers concentration or their focus and core business interests, variety of products and design offered, and the alternative resources that are available. In this light, it is most appropriate to build win-win relationships with suppliers or arrange the use multiple suppliers in order to protect the interests of both ends. Buyers It describes the impact customers have on an industry. Stronger the buying power stronger is the influence in determining the price. The bargaining power of buyers increases when they have the ability to make agreements with other companies providing similar products and services, purchase a product that represents a significant fraction of the expenses incurred by the company, purchase of a product that is undifferentiated, incur low changes in costs when they change vendors, be price sensitive by bearing in mind the options available, and Integration to purchase the goods of the suppliers. MTV and CHANNEL V- Teenagers to young adults, advertisers, satellite Cos, TV channels. Barganing Power of Buyers High for advertisers, satellite/TV channels especially due to the fierce competition between the two. New Entrants The competition is determined by the number of new companies entering the industry. Success can be determined by evaluating the methods of entry and exit for a new player. Although any company should be able to enter and exit the sector, each industry presents different levels of difficulty influenced by economics. These unique characteristics of the each industry are referred to as barriers to entry which may come from different aspects of the business ranging from supplies to technology. They seek to reduce the rate of entry of new entrants which leads to maintenance of a level of profits for the existing players. MTV and CHANNEL V -To enter in music TV channel industry needs huge investments to set up a TV channel. There are also strict government regulations especially in Asia on TV content. indeed the barriers to entry are low as more music channels are beginning to emerge.Several companies are pitching in with all the new digital platforms widely propagating in the entertainment industries. MTVs competitors can only multiply through substitute platforms that will attempt to topple down MTV due to viewing alternatives. Cheaper means to present music has since multiplied thanks to wireless solutions. As barrier to entry is low, MTV and channel V can definitely expect threats from other competing channels from all over the world. The government also will get in the way by regulating the channels entering their countries. Substitutes â€Å"Substitute products† as those that are available in other industries that meet an identical or similar need for the end user. Due to the availability and affordability of more substitutes, the demand becomes more elastic since customers have more alternatives. Other concerns in assessing the threat of substitutes include the presence of new technologies that can contribute to competition though more diverse and economical substitute products and services. A segment is unattractive when there are actual or potential substitutes for a product. MTV and CHANNEL V- Medium to high, people can enjoy music from other means like DVD, CD, and Radio etc. New cable networks had been fast emerging ever since the 1980s. Cable networks would enjoy enormous growth during the 90s to the dawn of the 21st century and they provide viewers, audience and markets other viewing options. Industry Competitors Firms strive to secure a competitive advantage over their rivals. The intensity of rivalry varies within each industry and these differences can be important in the development of strategy. Industries that are â€Å"concentrated,† versus â€Å"fragmented,† often display the highest level of rivalry. In pursuing an advantage over its rivals, a firm can choose from several competitive moves: changing prices, improving product differentiation, creatively using channels of distribution, exploiting relationships with suppliers. MTV and Channel V-Duopolistic competition among MTV and Channel V. Globalization has opened competition especially in the case of local channels. There is new technology to be exploited that will expand broadcasting capabilities. Locally produced material has become the goals of every TV channel in order to truly suit the personal tastes and sensibilities of the viewers. Governments also encourage local materials. Globalization has opened the doors for other entities internationally to join the competition as they are able to access new markets. Competition will perceivably become stiffer in the growth of new competition and rivals all around the world. STRATEGY OF MTV â€Å"I Want My MTV† MTV came up with a loyalty concept, a slogan that targeted the 12-34 age segments. The idea of â€Å"want† and â€Å"my† gives off the idea of a personalized desire that can be met by MTV. Its the individuality of this segment that wants them to declare it proudly. Therefore consumers seek for this distinctiveness and want to take part of the MTV revolution. Cable networks and advertisers alike cant help but to include MTV among its ranks. Network MTV can possibly capture a wider market share even beyond their 12-34 demographics, by forming more spin offs such as MTV dance and through channels like VH1 and Nickelodeon.Through VH1 they can reach out to the market older than 34, they are reportedly a group of loyal consumers at the same time they can win the appeal of those younger than 12 through the Nickelodeon channel and the online game called Neopets. To achieve all this, they can work towards mergers, alliances and acquisitions which leads to the next strategy. BUSINESS LEVEL STARTEGY Channel V had already established itself quite well by the time MTV re-entered Indian market. Commenting on Channel [V] becoming popular in MTVs absence, Peter Jamison, the then in-charge of MTV Asia commented, â€Å"I feel like the father who went to war and has come back to discover that his place in the family has been taken by another man.† In 1997, MTV was forced to announce a strategic shift in its programming mix and started airing Hindi film songs by the Channel [V]s growing popularity. However the MTV sources refused to accept this. MTV cashed well its more focused approach by understanding the pulse of the Indian music market in terms of programming mix whereas Channel V lost its focus and failed to do so. But we cannot hold the channel solely responsible for it. There were certain problems inherent in the organizational structure. The channel had a centralized structure, wherein almost all the programming decisions were made at the headquarters in Hong Kong. As a result, the channel found it difficult to track the latest popular songs and modify its programming mix accordingly. Channel Vs image as a music channel become so popular that it acted as a barrier while projecting its new image as a channel for youth and to change this perception by offering non-music programs was a big task. They had adopted this new concept but had no benchmark to judge its programs. MTVs programs attracted audience across all segments whereas Channel Vs programs appealed only to one section of the audience at a time. The ‘Back to Basics† strategy was initiated by the Star TV network which had a majority stake in Channel [V]. According to this strategy, the channel decided to take off all non-music programs off the air, as producing them was very costly compared to the music-based programs. Moreover, advertising time on Channel [V] was sold as a package along with other Star TV channels at a discount. For instance, an advertiser advertising on channel(s) under the Star TV network was offered spots on Channel [V] at concessional rates. As Stars channels such as Star Plus and Star Movies were very popular, Channel [V] hoped to cash in on their popularity. Bottom of Form LEVELS OF DIVERSIFICATION In order to establish themselves as the winner and sustain the position both the channels adopted new channels of diversification:- In 1998 channel V signed a deal with ALMA TV, to beam there international channel to 50000 homes in Kazakhstan. Brand extension by MTV in the form of record compilation such as â€Å"unplugged† series and the CD â€Å"MTV alternative nation† released by Seagrams. MTVs deal with Singapore telecommunication for licensing. MTV logo featured on merchandises in Philippines. Channel Vs brand extension includes albums and t-shirts which were showed in INDIA but there scale of licensing activities were considerably less than of MTV. Mergers MTV joined hands with CBS Corporation and was able to reach exposure through CBSs advantage in news, sports and distribution. The Multi-domestic strategy- MTV Asia associated with National Broadcasting Company of the Philippines in order to establish a terrestrial channel on the country. In doing so, NBC is able to impart their mastery in distribution and operational expertise in the Southeast Asian country. Through its Music awards it is also able to attract big time sponsors such as PepsiCo and Ford Motors. This would even attract more market. In PepsiCos case, its food and drink consumers and through Ford, car consumers. It has also been endorsing the channel through political and social causes for poverty and AIDS. Multi-domestic Strategy MTV expanded by telecasting local contents whichalso allowed them to divide and reach individual markets who will want a music channel who knows not only their music interests but also their locale. MTV then acknowledges its slogan â€Å"I want my MTV† as it is able to give consumers the MTV they really want based on their culture and not merely western or European. The consumers are clearly interested to a channel that knows them enough to speak their own language and sensibilities. SWOT Analysis It is an integral procedure and a very powerful tool for organizations and businesses to instigate effective marketing plans. It aims to comprehend the environmental as well as the organizational influences that surround a particular business establishment. There are actually two types of situational analysis that are both equally significant. One is the external analysis and the other focuses on the internal environment. When conducting an external situational analysis, the business customers, market and competitors are analyzed. Whereas, internal situational analysis focuses on the identification of the companys distinctive competencies, expected growth, their assets as well as their liabilities. It also illustrates the core values of a company so that these value can be enhanced or beneficial to the market. The evaluation of the internal environment of the company involves the analysis of the companys structure, culture and resources. When a strategy is selected for implementation, it must be appropriate given the way the organization is structured or the way an organization must be restructured. The strategy must be consistent with the organizations culture. Finally the organizational resources must be available to actually implement the strategy that was formulated. Without the proper people, skills, abilities, finances and physical resources, the strategy cannot be implemented (Buhler, 1994). The success of the business organization entails detailed understanding and examination of political, social and economic factors that influence the growth and continuous operations of the company. Studying the important consideration relevant to the organization to serve the purpose and objectives of the company will determine its success. Consequently, decision-makers of the company should be sensitive of the general trends and changes that are taking place in their industry. This will include efforts to maximize the opportunities available while reducing the risks that confront the business organization. The strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and risks that characterize the operations of MTV are detailed in the discussions that follow. (S)trengths MTV dominates the young adult population who are some of the strongest money spenders due to its association of popular culture. MTV appealed to the population not only through the music but also through its coverage on lifestyle, film, fashion and other forms of leisure and entertainment that captured this market. MTV is a channel that has a personal appeal that cable networks and advertisers come knocking on MTVs door. MTV positioned itself as it gives the young adults what they want and at the same time, this market determines what MTV should show them. It was percieved that MTV is an empowering vehicle to the young adult market, which allows them to have a more pronounced self-esteem, power and personality which allows MTV to constantly claim the dominating position. One of its strength also MTVs appeal to its advertisers. During its many programs such as the Music awards, MTV has received sponsors from many companies that are confident to enjoy exposure in MTVs sought after programs.Ex- PepsiCo and Ford. MTV has been served as a launch pad of present favorites and successful artists. It expanded and exploited other media and entertainment forms other than music such as those brought by films and video games. Its constant mergers with companies such as the Philippines National Broadcasting Company will further localize MTV and fit the interests of its audience and bridging cultural as well as regional differences. MTV has since expanded to India and China and has been continuing its move towards alliances and mergers for wider distribution and for tailored products. Partnerships will allow MTV to cement its influence in a fast moving insatiable consumer market. MTVs constant support for social and political causes will allow greater relevance and presence. Its involvement with such issues strengthens its power and influence in the realm of entertainment media. Its expansion to other media forms will allow it to deliver more services other than just mere music. MTVs VH-1 will allow MTV to maintain its dominant position among other markets. (W)eaknesses MTV had encountered obstacles in reaching the local audience through their cultural misunderstandings therefore it started to lose its dominating power as there are other interest the markets and audience wants to be met. Thus MTV will need to find out what exactly these interests are and expand to this if they would want to maintain a dominating position. Cable Television offers several other choices that MTV is removed from its monopoly. They must understand the cultural background they are penetrating by making appropriate aspects such as advertising, brand, and cultural contexts. (O)pportunities Thes channels have an opportunity to merge into mobile and Internet companies for the wider distribution of their products and better solution what the market demands. At the same time, MTV may enjoy visibility in wireless technologies allowing the market to â€Å"have its MTV† when they want it. MTV can give an enhanced on-demand viewing experience the web and mobile. Globalization has helped MTV to get into international deals and the emerging markets such as China, India and Brazil having rich growth opportunities to venture into.Since two thirds of Asias population belongs to the 12-34 age group which is MTVs Target market.It will be a large market to explore and cater toand also due to Asia having interest in Western Products.Data says that MTV has up to 54 million homes in China. (T)hreats   Ã‚  Ã‚  Other substitute and the emergence of Digital cable will be a threat to MTVs current dominance. Germany had created their own local music channels that would be a threat to MTV. They have the advantage of their familiarity of the audience that MTV hardly has. Many Digital platforms provide other alternatives for the population to spend their past time and thus MTV must know well to penetrate this. For MTV to continue setting trends, it must be open to other possibilities as its consumers are known to be demanding and possessing short attention spans. New cable networks and channels have been eager to take a chunk out of MTVs advertising share. However, the advertising revenue has been decreased as cable networks lose their appeal. The presence of new digital and media forms provide advertisers other new and emerging ways and alternatives in marketing their products. The threat in MTVs chosen market is that the young adult stage is a turbulent and short-lived stage and the young adults sensibilities and interests are quick to change.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Production of more channels as a result of technology development allowing local cable and satellite technology to create more and increase bandwidth. Recommendations MTV must continue its expansion of local content as competition and rivals decide to attack MTV through local channels. Globalization has only increased the chances for MTV to meet its hungry competitors and it is easy to have the means to try to top MTV through new digital and media platforms. MTV has already its share of imitations from countries around the world and people may not mind this. By integrating these technologies and continuing its expansions throughout the world especially in emerging countries found in Latin American and Asia, it may continue to meet success. MTVs chance of success and survival is not as high in the 1980s and 1990s where MTV has been a pioneer of music television, and establish itself as a cultural icon. MTV must first correct its weaknesses foremost of which is its need to reach out to a local audience by researching about the market they are entering. This can be repaired through alliances with local companies such as the Philippines NBC. It also needs to appeal to the governments. In each country there is an obstacle or challenge waiting like the limitation of pay television and the propagation of free channels which will discourage purchase of MTV. The young generation or the 12-34 demographic is the hardest market to pin down due to changing trends and interests. They are inconstant with their desires and most likely, they would not be the slightest bit similar to the generation that popularized MTV. These are the children of digital and new technologies that would have a shorter attention span and fleeting interests. The 21st century is an even more distracting world. MTV must constantly reinvent itself and start something new in order to ride along the changes and the thirst towards innovations. In order to be the trend-setter it was in the past, it must be able to encompass or conquer its challenges of globalization and technology and create from here COMPETING IN CHINA China with its 330 million television sets is considered as the major growth market. Because of the vast size and growth potential both the channels actively competing for local partners in anticipation of reaping future benefits. But the Chinese market is strictly regulated by the central government, because of the communism in the country. Satellite broadcasts were officially banned so foreign satellite TV must be filtered through registered cable approved by state administration for film, radio and television. Unlike the road shows and dance parties in India, Chinese market has largely been in the form of hosting music award ceremonies (1999 onwards). CONCLUSION MTV has become a symbol of globalization. It adopted right international strategies and controls at the right time to regain its lost popularity, especially in non English speaking countries like India and Europe. The rationale behind MTVs localized approach is to â€Å"get inside the heads† of the local population and produce programming that matches their tastes and preferences. Whereas Channel V lacked to achieve this target till great extend.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

American Politic

The United States of America had over the years restricted voting from women, black American and prisons of particular offences. The American legibility to vote over the years has been mainly determined by the federal and the state laws. Today, only the citizens of the US can be allowed to vote. However the states have their own laws that govern the right to votes at any elections. As if to deprive the states of their independence, the national constitutions has also gone ahead to restrict the voting laws at the state level.However over the years there have been extensions of voting rights. At the very onset of the American democracy, women and the poor were not legible to take part in the voting. This disfranchisement has been criticized over the years. Nevertheless it is appreciable the attainment of the voting rights have been as progressive as the progression of the American democracy. Until 1870 Americans were denied voting rights based on the three principles, race color and th eir previous servitude conditions.In 1920 the provision was reviewed and only sex was used as a restricting factor against one taking part in the voting process. In 1964 a provision was passed contrary to inter alia allowing American citizens who had failed to pay taxes to take part in voting. Hitherto, American who were not paying taxes were not allowed vote. In 1971, passed an amendment bill that sought to lift any restrictions on account of the age. The right to vote has been extended to a wide spectrum of voters. However some states barred people who had committed felonies from voting.Several movements pushed for the expansion of the suffrage extend. In the 1960 for example, young men who had taken art in the war in Vietnam were in dire need for voting to taking part in the election of their leaders. While they were taking an active part in the government policy implementation they appeared locked out in key government decisions such as elections. Subsequent to this movement the minimum voting age was moved from 21 years of age to 18 years. In a dramatic shift, some states even allowed those who were nearing that age to take part in election at the primaries and caucuses.The voting space was further opened through the extension of voting rights to prisoners. Though this was done spaciously, some states allowed only prisoners on probation to take part in voting. As of 2007 fourteen states in the United State were allowing prisoners with minor crimes and ex-felons to vote. It is however regrettable that an estimated 5. 3 American are denied the voting rights because convictions of felony. This is in sharp contrast with the practice in the European Union where ex-felons and in some cases prisoners are allowed to vote.In Canada for example, prisoners have been allowed to vote since 2002. It has taken relatively long for the extension of the suffrage in the United States. Presumably, this is because over the years there was no push for this course. However the few past decades have seen movements fronting for the rights of the franchised. While these movements go way back to the times of Martin Luther king Junior, after his death there was reduced political activism that would have led to reduction of the voter franchise. The extension of suffrage has been largely precipitated by the increased American political space.In addition, the increased economic development was coupled with political reform. Given that economic development is always coupled with political and social development, these transformations made the upsurge of political and social movements inevitable. Subsequently, the United States was being used as a parameter for ideal democracy; hence it was utterly inevitable of the powers that be to embrace human rights, inclusive of the voting rights. 2. Describe the factors that have contributed to the overall weakening of political parties in America. How are parties weaker?How do they remain important? What are the advantages of a political system with weak political parties? What are the disadvantages? Political parties are elected into power based on their manifestos and their policies. However it so happens that after election the parties tend to deviate utterly from their manifesto. They tend, in the opinion of the electorates, to engage in other businesses other than the mandate for which they were elected into power. Besides, the parties have revered their political party’s hegemony to an extent that they are not the electorates that count but the party.Apparently the United States has international forces that are dictating its direction. Worse still, the purported purchase of votes in the quest to pass certain bills are also making the voters loss their trust in the system. Given that parties are about numbers, this ends up weakening the parties even further. In particular the voters cite the passing of the healthcare plan bill. This exhibition of concealed corruption is making the general public to lose trust overall in the leadership of the country; who happen to be emanating from political parties.The decentralization of the party powers has also believably contributed to the weakening of the political parties. The implication is that the grassroots leader have equal mandate on the affairs of the party just as much as the leaders at the national levels. In addition the party system tends to have very many cleavages at all the three levels; national, state and the local levels. This fragments the system further hence making it to lose its powers. It is also worth noting that the parties sporadically supported; in one state, one party is supported altogether while in another, another party is supported.The United States has very many issues that need to be addressed. This diversified issues lead to lower internal unity among party members. This has been particularly prevalent in the Democratic Party. Vividly, even the Republican Party seems to be tending on this ver y trend. This notable is the fragmenting of the party into Conservative Republican and Libertarian Republicans. In addition, the emergence of interest groups has also critiqued the political parties to the extent of igniting distrust from the voters. Further, partisan bickering has also seen turn off to the American voter.There are a number of indicators of weakening of parties. In particular the realignment in elections has been dramatic encounter in the US. This has been an ultimate indication of the weakening of political parties. Areas that were initially perceived to be in support of the Republican Party are now supporting the Democratic Party. There has also been a decline in the straight ticket voting to increased split ticket voting. The subsequent inclusion of the office bloc ballot that allows for the split ticket voting is an indicator of this trend.There appears o be no clear cut merits for weaker political parties; however, weaker political parties tend to strengthen de mocratic ideals. Clearly, when the incumbent is duly mandated they tend to deliver service with a clear conscience of low civil mandate. On the contrary, when political are weaker the lack of mandate expose them to sabotage even when their strategic and political intention or good willed. In general this tends to impede the success of both political social and economic agenda. In the overall analysis it does affect the functioning of political economic and social systems.Ultimate, the delivery of services to the general public is tampered with. 3. Should race be taken into account when congressional districts are redrawn after each census? If 20 percent of a state is African American, should 20 percent of the districts have an African American majority? First, it need to be acknowledged that any process that takes race as a central parameter for course will always end up disfranchising the nation. Therefore such attempts should be resisted at all costs. It is equally appreciable tha t over years racism has impacted white people.Usually that discussion comes in the context of an assumption that, if whites can see that racism has negative effects on them as a group, that realization will motivate action to eliminate racism. While the forces of racism would not be demonized as such, its emphasized use promotes its ideals. Hence if the criteria is used it divides the nation into such lines. Racism is by far too powerful and recalcitrant force that if it is allowed to permeate, it clings and stubbornly gets lodged into the system this assumption acknowledges, clinging stubbornly wherever it is lodged.In addition there is much price to be paid in acceptance of this draconian approach to national development. Most of the white will not accept this aspect and would rather not accept this dynamics. However, the role they do play is so immense that the least consideration should be given to such criteria in making such decision as rescheduling of the district boundaries. In measuring the benefits, powers and privileges, in some concealed process of thought and sensation outweigh the negatives.Nevertheless, there is the least possibility of balancing the effects of the racial criteria with their inherent negative effect. Racism would not only hurt the marginalized, but also those who purport to be privileged. While the argument in the article should not play sanguine, the basic principle and guiding criteria should be that in earnest, racism has the least positives to offer, rather it simply creates divisions that jeopardize the peace and tranquility of the nation or the state.Fronting of divisions based on these criteria will defeat the national object of ensuring that the state is dully glued together and utterly cohesive. Majorly, it has always been perceived that racism affect the blacks more than the white; however, I feel the effect is felt across the board. Racism has distorted reality for many whites. Teachings about history, the world, the pursuits of thought, expressions of culture, and personal relationships have for most whites been both limited and false.Racism has taught whites that we are members of a race which is superior, and that assumption creates false expectations and warped illusions. Racism, particularly during the period when Africans were enslaved, taught white men that it is all right to rape black women, and also exacerbated the devaluation of white women. Racism has taught whites that we are entitled to privilege as a right of birth, undercutting the assumption of achieved merit which is one of the cornerstones of democracy.Racism, present at the foundation of our nation, left a country built on a fundamental and terrible contradiction between a belief in equality and a belief in white superiority. That contradiction remains unresolved. Racism has produced in white society a mental health problem: characteristic responses among many whites are dominated by unfounded fear of blacks, hatred, suspicio n, guilt, shame, and jealousy. These words are the language of disease. The cost for whites who want to move beyond racism has been a high one, measured in time, emotion, psychic energy, and sometimes money.Racism, as one of the root causes of poverty, costs our nation huge amounts of money, measured in crime, unemployment and related social ills. Racism has set whites who are made poor in our society in competition with people of color, and has also increased the separation between classes among whites. Ultimately, no, race should not be taken into considerations. Ideally taking into account the race is simply trying to fragment the nation into the races. 4. A dilemma is presented by the values of liberty and equality in regard to interest-group activity.On the one hand, individuals should have the liberty to organize themselves politically in order to express their views. On the other hand, there is a strong class bias in the politics of organized interests. How has the U. S. gove rnment sought to regulate group activity in order to balance these competing values? What else might government do to make group politics less biased? What are the potential consequences—both good and bad—of the actions you suggest? The United States has sought to regulate group activities through passing legislations that require all lobbyists to register.Until the 1970, the United States monitored rather than regulated the activities of lobby groups. Today the activities of the various groups have been regulated through four constitutional legislations. Within the constitutional provisions, the lobby groups are expected to report on their expenditure and the activities of involvement by the registered lobby groups. The government has also regulated the activities of the groups by restricting the association of the civil servants and government organizations with the lobby groups.The association regulated is in terms of finances and logistics. Ideally this is meant to reduce the muzzle of the lobby groups in terms of their financial capability and their subsequent technical ability to address certain group issues. In addition, this assists the government to ensure that there is no leakage of any government classified information to this lobby groups. The groups are also expected to disclose their financial statements. Ideally, the lobby groups are meant to publish their income sources and their expenditure items.Besides, the government restricts and limits the amount of money that can be attained from the various funding organizations. Further, the government sets timeline within which the group can access funds from various fundraisers. The political action committee is mandated with the regulation of funds for the purpose of campaigns. Presumably, the PAC is supposed to ensure that the groups do not get beyond the target set for group expenditures on campaigns. It need be noted that different states have also come up with supporting laws that regulate the activities of the groups.Like in the case of campaign financing regulations, some of the laws compel limitations and prohibits the contributions from Political Actions Committees. The US constitution does require that the political parties should get majority votes from half the states. To reduce bias further, I feel strongly that there should be a provision to the effect that the winner should gunner at least 40 percent of the votes cast from the remaining states other than the present requisite majority of the 75% from the electorates college. 5. Two of Congress’s chief responsibilities are representation and lawmaking.Describe the ways in which these two responsibilities might conflict with one another. How do these responsibilities support and reinforce one another? What would Congress be like if its sole function were representative? What would it be like if it were solely legislative? The congressmen and women are expected to represent their electorates in the all spheres, and on the other extreme they are expected to make laws that are to serve the interests of the larger America. There are issues that would be in conflict with the representative’s aspiration of the people whom they do represent.Some of the legislations are in the interests of the country at large; however, the representative may have to sacrifice the desires of the electorates to have the legislations passed. In some cases, the laws presented would, though good, may be turned down because the representatives are trying to have their electorates protected. Ultimately, this represents conflicts in interests. In financial related bills, as a representative the legislator would be compelled to turn down the bill if the bill does not give considerations to the states of representation.In earnests this would be in the interests of the state but not the national interests. This conflict would impede on the overall delivery of services to the nation. In additions, on e may push for legislations that only take care of the states for which there represents not taking the interests of the nation into account. As a legislator, the representative function curtails the members of the congress to pass legislations that would not hurt their electorates, but remain consistent with the needs and desires of the nation. Subsequently the legislations passed remain consistent with the interests of the country.If the congress was only comprised of legislators, it could be more likely that the laws would not take into consideration the needs of the citizens. This would just lead to complacence in the entire legislation process. The fact that legislators are also representatives makes the whole process issue and needs oriented unlike if the legislators are only playing that role in seclusion without understanding the needs of the citizenry. If the congress was purely of the representation functions, there could be a high chance that the legislations passed would have total seclusion from the ideal state on the ground.Ideal reforms would be practical to the needs of the citizenry need to bridge between the linked to the ideal state on the ground; the central role of representation. Partisan politics largely take the interests of the state at heart rather the national interests. In view of this aspect, legislation may be hampered by the interests. In their quest to defend the party positions, which are representative of their election mandate, the representative end up dwelling a blow on the functions of the congress. 6. Presidents have constitutional, institutional, and political sources of power.Which of the three do you think most accounts for the powers of the presidency? Is it, in fact, possible to discern among these the true source of presidential power? Select a president and discuss the ways in which that particular president used each source of power to succeed in the presidency. Because of the democratic ideal embraced by the Unit ed States of America, constitutional source of power tend to take much prominence in the presidents mode of administration. Though the other powers may come into foreplay, they can only have impact where they are supported by constitutional powers.When the president gets into office appointment, he undertakes appointments informed by the constitutional powers, though behind the scenes there could be some fore play in the determination of the person, the whole act is prompted by the constitution. The constitution does mandate the president to make appointment subject to certain conditions. Nevertheless, he has the powers that are constitution of undertaking the appointments. Taking the decision such as the engagement into war in Iraq Bush simply used his constitutional powers to declare the war on Iraq.Ideally political powers could have the list effect as the decision was not supported by all the Republicans. In essence the party was much divided over the declaration of the war in I raq. On the strength of this argument it is evident that constitutional powers fore played other sources of power. It is utterly possible to discern that the political powers only assist the presidency to take over the office. But once the president has taken over the office institutional powers take the central stage the decision making process with the other sources of powers only being supportive to the entire excise of the presidential mandate.Essentially, one can strongly content that the major source of powers for the presidency in the United States of America is mainly the constitution. The institution of the presidency has sufficient powers that allow the American president make decisions on behalf of the state. Pursuant to this provision the presidency (under Bush) refused to sign the Kyoto protocol which according to bush was going to hurt the American economy. Bush argued that if the Kyoto protocol was signed, it implied most of the vehicle (75 millions) were to be remove d from the road which meant the Americans were to resort to some other form of transport.When President Bush (former) was seeking election to the white house he did make a promise to the conservatives that he would nominate one of the conservative judges to the high court bar. For him this was going to change the direction in the court. Alito’s appointment was purely, within this context, political. The credentials of Alito, purely conservative, were to provide a swing vote in O’Connor. 7. Often the efficiency of public bureaucracies is judged in terms of the efficiency of private business and other organizations.In many instances, government has been expected to do things that businesses in the marketplace have chosen not to do or have found unprofitable. Might the tasks that government is asked to perform be more prone to inefficiency? Think about the ways in which business might be able to perform some tasks that government currently performs. Would business necessa rily perform these tasks more efficiently? Should efficiency be the only priority in the public enterprise? There are certain services and goods that would otherwise not be left in the hands of the public for delivery to the consumers.These goods will ascribe to these aspects for a number of reasons. First, the fact that certain service such as the constructions of roads has such a large capital outlay that the private sector would not single handedly offer implies that it is only the government that can offer such services. Some goods and services are so sensitive that leaving their supply to the private sector would not only jeopardize national security but will also put at risk the security of the civilians at risk.Services such as the military, police services and the prison services are so sensitive that leaving them to the private sector does not give the general public assurance of the efficacy and the reliability of the services. The provision of the legal tender for any gov ernment, America and any other would not be left in the hands of the general public. The currency would readily be supplied to the economy without the least consideration of effect particularly where partisan interests come into foreplay. In the long run the currency of any state may never be stabilized.This risks the economic performance of any state. The other reason for the provision of these services by the government is if the services or the goods are very unprofitable. Given that the central goal of the central objective of any business is to make profits. Any service that proves unprofitable would definitely and at all costs be avoided by the private sector. Given that the government has to ensure the provision of these services is inevitable, the government has no option but seek to offer the services.The lightings of the street for example have the least returns, if any. However, the provision of lights on the streets is an inevitable venture. For the streets to be safe, t he government has to erect street lights for the safety of the street users. Such venture has the least prospects of any profits. The provision of road networks services would still be left to the private sector for business if the private is allowed to collect some toll from the roads. It is appreciable that the private sector world over offers the best services compared to the government.If such avenues are opened up, it is possible that the private sector would offer relatively superb services compared to the government. However, such step can only be approved off with due caution. This is because the private sector, due to the monopolistic nature of the road system network, would end up exploiting the citizens and making exorbitant profits at the expense of the common citizenry. Therefore should be generally appreciated that the private sector has the likelihood of offering better services but the challenge would only be how best they can be contained to reduce consumer exploita tion.Nonetheless, services such as banking would only be regulated by the central bank but utterly left to the private sector to undertake such services. Ultimately efficiency and effectiveness would be attained. I strongly feel indeed efficiency should be the central indicator of good performance; however, other factors such as the reliability of the service delivery and effectiveness of the entire process should be equally taken into consideration. Clearly, being efficient may not necessarily imply that the entire citizenry is able to access the services.Ultimate, the efficiency aspect should be coupled with aspects of reliability and the effectiveness of the services being delivered. 8. In many ways, courts are expected to be apolitical institutions of government. In what ways are courts, judges, and justices shielded from politics and political pressure? In what ways are they vulnerable to political pressure? Are the courts an appropriate place for politics? What is the danger o f having too much or too little political accountability in judicial decision-making?The American judicial system has been made independent through a dependent judiciary and independent judges. Ideally the accountability of the judiciary and the independence of the judicial system are irreconcilable. Presumably, the both the two are means to an end and are never ends in themselves. The United States has a well-functioning adjudication system that has ultimately tries to reconcile democratic and legal legitimacy. In earnest, the achievement of a balance between the democratic and the legal legitimacy is utterly in the hands of the judges.The judicial has the mandate to restrict the government on certain issues. The muzzle that the judicial system has is marshaled from the fact that the judges have a security of tenure in office. This makes it possible for them to dispense their responsibilities with the least form of fear or favor. Given that their decision can not be overruled so ea sily, the judicial system therefore become impartial and therefore end making decisions that end up giving judgments that are beyond political reproach. The courts are capable of questioning the government over certain actions.Courts hold governments answerable through their power to evaluate the actions of the executive and the legislature. These powers are at the zenith particularly when courts can declare certain laws passed by the parliament as unconstitutional. Courts can also declare any decision by the parliament as unconstitutional and the executive has the least say on the same. This decision would be reached in respect to or subject to both the national and the international law. Though the judicial system is termed as an independent institution, its appointment mode subjects the process to political likelihood of manipulation.Given that the appointment of the judges is normally done by the political class, this subjects the system to political reprisal. The fear of immine nt lack of reappointment after the change of government thus subjects the judicial system to some boot-leaking condition. Definitely, the courts are not the best place for politics. Allowing politics to permeate the judicial system denies the civilians their right. Clearly, when politics dog the judicial system, the officers in the judicial system live in fear of political reprisal and hence tend to serve the interest of the political class than to fully follow the constitutional order.While the political class will feel contented, the civilians will be denied their constitutional rights. The extremes of involvement or lack of political involvement is equally disastrous. Too much involvement, as has already been mentioned curtails the rights of the civilians. The lack of political involvement makes the court lack responsibility. Hence the best balance that would be at the interest of the civilian should be political involvement that is moderated. Moderation implies that the politica l class should only make the judicial system accountable.Lack of accountability should be pointed out by the political class and therefore allow the system to valuate the entire accountability prospects. Ultimately, the interaction between the judicial system and the other branches of government should be geared to quality and legal service delivery to the civilians. Extraverted exercise of these powers simply jeopardizes the service delivery process to the citizenry. The three arms of any government should simply act as checks and balances of each other. this subsequently translates to the efficacy and efficiency if the entire service delivery process to the populace.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

House on Mango

Have you ever been disappointed by high expectations? Although fulfilling said expectations might not be possible at the time, it is not reason to forfeit or throw in the towel; rather with enough effort these goals may be realized. The expectations set by Esperanza in Sandra Cisneros’s â€Å"The House on Mango Street† inevitably leads to disappointment; however fulfilling these dreams is still a possibility despite of its non-actuality. Esperanza lives out unfulfilling life disappointed by the uninspiring house she lives in, a worthless music box, and the dream of eating in the canteen.Esperanza had hoped for more, even believed in more than what she received; a shabby, broken-down house on Mango Street. The description of the house Esperanza’s parents provide does not go with the reality of the situation leading Esperanza to hope for something that cannot be. Esperanza is disappointed by the lack of stairs, the absence of a yard, the actuality that the house is not the picture perfect house as seen on TV. Although Esperanza is not happy with the house she lives in, she still hopes for a better future despite knowing that her goals will not be met for a very long period of time.Esperanza faces these unsatisfied dreams with hope still in her heart using the old decrepit house as inspiration to better her future. Additionally, Esperanza faces further disappointment when she visits the junk store and finds something of interest to her. Nenny, Esperanza’s little sister, spots a record player but is unaware of its nature. She discovers that it is a music box and Esperanza’s hopes immediately soar; she longs for a pretty box with flowers painted on the exterior, and a ballerina inside.This beautiful thought fades away as she discovers that the box is instead just a dusty record player with a brass record that has holes in it, which when played, sounds like a cacophony of moths. The hope she had been given was crushed. The canteen i s her dream of eating lunch is not fulfilled, so once again her heart is overwhelmed by disappointment. Esperanza believes the kids who eat there are special and important. Esperanza expended much effort to convincing her mother to grant her permission to eat at the canteen fully believing the experience would be every bit as extravagant as she imagined.These beliefs are completely dismantled by the harassment Esperanza receives from a nun; Esperanza ends up eating her then cold food in solitude. Her dream of eating in the canteen portrays yet another instance in which Esperanza is brought down due to the predispositions she has no control over; these wretched experiences do not ultimately limit Esperanza’s ability to succeed in the future. The addition of this photo is crucial to displaying how disappointment is an unavoidable factor of life.In viewing the above image, an image irrelevant to the subject, one who reads this paper, may be disappointed; however this disappointm ent does not limit the capacity of the reader to read the following text. Failure to have the specific criteria that one longs for may be uncontrollable much like an alien invasion in the Jurassic period, and such is life; the key is to keep moving forward and keep fighting on even in the face of Armageddon. The scientist running experiments in a lab often comes upon errors in procedure, wrong answers to questions asked. A boxer throws many, many blows at his opponent, and the boxer misses most of those blows.Esperanza longs so much for a life she cannot lead because of her upbringing, but this does not stop her from hoping. These trails all lead to disappointment and failure. Esperanza doddles on the harsh realities of her life at the time, disappointed with the situation presented to her; although the disappointment she holds for her life is based on factors she has no control of it forms no real barrier in terms of what is possible. Disappointment is an inevitable factor of livin g and it must therefore be felt but never looked on as being told what can and cannot be done.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Schitzoid personality essays

Schitzoid personality essays Schizophrenia is a mental disease that effects over 1 percent of the population. It can occur at any age but most commonly happens between 16-30. It leaves the patient confused in a chaotic state of mind with multiple debilitating mental confusion. The first of them being delusions, the patient is convinced that people around them can read their minds, and that they can read other peoples (British Journal of Psychology, 625). The patient then begins to believe that the people around them are plotting against them and are out to get them. Not only does the disease effect the patient mentally though, but also it starts to effect their physical sensations. The patients cant interpret incoming sensations and cant control their physical emotions, this effects the patients common sense of what to do in every day situations. For example when a person with normal mental health receives a gift their natural reaction would be to thank the person who gave it to them. A schizophrenic person wou ld become confused and be unable to react and cope with the situation. The patient begins to get an altered sense of themselves and have an extremely hard time functioning in every day life. They start to believe they can control other peoples thoughts. They usually start to become violent because they get so confused with the thoughts of plots against them they believe they are defending themselves. A person who is diagnosed with a schizoid personality is basically on the way to having schizophrenia. It is considered a stage to the disease. The causes of each of the diseases are the same, and most of them are physical abnormalities of the brain. In over hundreds of studies on schizophrenia and similar mental conditions doctors have found some similar abnormalities in the brains of the patients. The first being enlarged ventricles in the brain (British Journal of Psychology, 697). The second be ...

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Bycatch Essay Example

Bycatch Essay Example Bycatch Essay Bycatch Essay Bycatching is when fishermen only concentrate on few fish species with the high commercial value such as salmon, tuna, and flounder, while other species are unintentionally caught and then discarded. â€Å"Particularly the Northeast and Western Pacific and in American legislation Bycatch means species/sizes/sexes of fish which are discarded,† (2008, July 29). The FAO Corporate Document Repository (2000) stated, â€Å"Majority of these catches, however, originates from the Sicilian Channel during high summer, being due to trawlers based in Sicily† (para. 0). My plan is to sustain by reducing the amount of Bycatch and developing uses for the Bycatch that remains. Making sure that the community agrees with me, which we can stop killing off the different species in the ocean or find a better use of the animals’ remains when they do can them. Develop a program with activities and their affects, schedule a presentation day and time, invite the people or participants in the community, and research the effects of Bycatches. Meaning we have to address the problem Bycatching is causing to the people or other species. In the meantime there will be some people thinking that is alright to catch these different species, so that they will not be in danger when they are out in the ocean. While the other people wishing that they would stop killing these animals for just the money. How could someone just do it for the money? That is the main question they are asking others. People go around saying, â€Å"they are going to kill each other anyway and they are doing them a favor Bycatching. Every living creature should be treated as if they were human like the people in the surrounding community. They do not see how it will affect the other animals by throwing the remains back into the ocean. Not knowing they are affecting the water, which might leave the other animals sick or they began to die off one by one. For example, Sea turtles, dolphins, seals, whales, and other aquatic organisms are accidentally caught and killed in addition to the target fish. According to the plan my challenges are as follow; the fishermen are trying to catch the different fish such as salmon, tuna, and flounder; while their nets are in the water they do not intend to catch the sea creatures such as dolphins, sea turtles, et cetera. The limitations many nations extended their limits of jurisdiction to 320 km (200 mi) offshore. Which we can only do so much about the fishermen accidently or intentionally catch sea turtles, dolphins, seals, et cetera. They will have to implicate the other people who intend to elp out with the plan. This action removed most fisheries from international use, because more than 90 percent of the world’s fisheries are harvested in fairly shallow waters close to land. This policy was supposed to prevent overharvesting by allowing nations to regulate the amounts of fishes and other seafood harvested from their waters. However, many countries also have a policy of open management, in which all fishing boats of that country ar e given unrestricted access to fishes in national waters. My plan will not put the fishermen out of a job, but to ensure that they are trying to watch out for catching the endanger species in their nets. If the fishermen did not have a job the people in the community will not be able to eat the fish and this may cause a riot or protest against them for trying to Bycatching. This will have scientist out of jobs also, because they are studying the species and how they are important. People would not know about these different species if they were not caught at all, which would have left everyone speechless. For example, people were to get attacked by or came in contact with these species. They would not know what to do or what it was. My plan will not only save, reduce Bycatching, and find something to do with the remains but help the community. References Bycatch. (2008, July 29). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 15:29, August 10, 2008, from http://en. wikipedia. org/w/index. php? title=Bycatcholdid=228538447 FAO Corporate Document Repository. (2000). THE IMPACT OF FISHING ON VULNERABLE GROUPS AND HABITATS. Retrieved August 10, 2008, from fao. org/docrep/007/y5594e/y5594e04. htm#TopOfPage

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Rewriting Pension History. Some big firms move to recognize Gain or Case Study

Rewriting Pension History. Some big firms move to recognize Gain or loss in the year they occur - Case Study Example Instead, these companies would now take into account such gain as well as losses in the corresponding year of their incurrence. The mentioned companies did so, in order to make their income look superior in the upcoming years. The companies claim that the change would make their income reporting additionally transparent and that the prevalent low rate of interest made this a suitable point in time for the change in practice. The change in the practice is on the face of the criticisms for the fact that the present accounting rule can have a considerable impact on the income of the companies for years. The current accounting system concerning the pension assets are very ambiguous and do not provide any information to an investor about the gains or losses in the pension assets in a particular year. The actual gain or loss of a particular year is significantly affected due to the distribution of the previous years’ gain or loss values over a period of time. This practice propagated by Financial Accounting Standards Board does not comply with the matching principle either.  For instance, Honeywell, AT&T and Verizon had huge values of unrecognized losses as on 2009, viz. 55%, 49% and 43% of the pension assets respectively. The non-recognition of these losses on the income statement of 2009 would have an impact on the actual earnings of the companies in the coming years. Though these companies consider the latest mark-to-market strategy to be preferable due to its simplicity, the anticipated rise in the interest rates could also help their pension plans. The high rate of inter ests would lower the value of the companies’ future pension obligations due to the discounting effect. The reduced pension obligation would result in lowered interest expense to be paid by the companies and hence enhance the performance of the pension assets and lead to superior earnings. However, this change involves potential risk for the shareholders of the

Friday, November 1, 2019

Animal Cruelty Speech or Presentation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Animal Cruelty - Speech or Presentation Example This is only the smallest thing you can do yet. In all cities of every state exist refuge and associations for the rescue of uninhabited animals. You can watch over No Kill protection and rescue groups in your region and observe if you can join in. a kind human being should refuse apathy in all its shapes On fur farms animals are kept in overcrowded dirty cages, they are restricted to live in those small regions without any protection from the changing weather states. They do not even get the basic requirements like clean water, necessary protection from natural changes and veterinary care (Goranson, 1995). Fur farms restrict them to interact with nature and experience the natural activities like jumping, climbing, burrowing, and swimming. These extreme restrictions tire them from their life and due to lack of natural environment they become unable to deal with their life. To get the fur, fur farmers use inhumane ways of killing them. They try to practice the cheapest and the way which confirm the death of the animal. The cruelty can be confirmed by imagining their usual techniques which include suffocation, electrocution, poisonous gases and poisonous elements. A lot of animals are electrocuted by containing bars slotted in into their rectums and 240 volts pass all the way through their bodies (ASPCA, 2002). The animals shake, vibrate and often scream earlier than they have heart attacks and depart their life. Crude killing ways are not always successful, and at times animals "come to life" at the time when they are being skinned. Burberry, one of the leading bags and costume supplier, is well aware of the suffering that has been experienced in making the fur available for every fur-trimmed coat, hat, bag etc. Even after knowing this fact, the company does not stop using fur in its designs. Regardless of a number of alternatives available, it is useless to argue that they cannot stop using fur in their makings. There is no excuse for Burberry to continue helping the brutal humans in showing their cruelty by snatching the life of millions of animals for the sake of money and luxuries. To discourage Burberry and many other companies like them, who show that they are legal and are not involved in any such cruelty, we can stop using their products and notify them about our concern by simply contacting them via e-mail or their website. We must spread this news as much as we can, in order to provide a safe environment to the animals and to do justice with them. By using their products we are helping them in increasing their profits and buy more and more fur by killing more animals. Their products must be boycotted until they implement a fur-free plan (American Humane Association, 2000). Moreover, horse racing is no more an entertaining sport. The caretakers of racing horses do not take any account of the injuries and ailments that horses usually experience during racings. If the horse owners or the racing track owners are not ready to provide fitness and safety of horses, then authorities should implement strict rules to be followed by them in order to