Value At Risk Measurement Of Market Risk Finance Essay - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 3 Words: 1047 Downloads: 4 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Finance Essay Type Analytical essay Did you like this example? A credit rating tells the lender or investor the probability of a subject being able to pay back the loan. In the U.S the ratings are widespread, 94% of the SP 500 are rated, so this approach are thought to improve capital allocation.In Europe, only 53% of DAX-30 firms obtained a credit rating.Therefore credit ratings definitely will not work in this setting. Moreover, firms of lower credit ratings such as BB- and below, require 150% for the risk weight whereas unrated firms only incur a 100% risk weight. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Value At Risk Measurement Of Market Risk Finance Essay" essay for you Create order This creates an incentive for firms who believes they will achieve a lower credit rating to remain unrated in order to achieve cheaper financing. Credit rating agency has been subjected to many criticisms themselves. One of the most important criticisms which partly led to the financial crisis is the errors in their method for rating structured products, particularly in assigning AAA ratings to structured debt, which in a large number of cases has subsequently been downgraded or defaulted.Many argued that it is because rating complex structured products is very difficult. However,if it is just difficult there should be a balance of overrated and underrated structured products. There had been persistent bias which shows the rating seems to systematically over-estimate the creditworthiness of the rated instrument.  [2]  One of the reasons that SEC found out in their 10 month investigation is because of conflict of interest as they were paid by investment banks and other firms th at organize and sell structured securities to investors.  [3]  This has cause problems for financial institiutions as shown in financial crisis when ratings dramatically fall from AAA to below investment grade during the subprime crisis. Under Basel II, banks who initially only required capital allocation of only 0.6% due to an AAA rated securitization now requires 52% capital allocation as it downgrades to BB- rated securitization. Financial institiutions who did not hold enough money in reserves to safeguard themselves from downgrades would have to be bailed out by governments. Credit agencies do not downgrade the companies promptly enough. For example, Enrons rating remained at investment grade four days before the company went bankrupt, despite the fact that credit rating agencies had been aware of the companys problems for months.  [4]  This lag can be explained by the agencies reliance on accounting data, their inability to monitor all issuers continuously and their willingness to change only when they know the decision on the issuer will not change in the near future.However to forecast risk under Basel II, banking supervisors should not use past months ratings to rate their own credit risk as it will be inaccurate. Therefore credit rating agencies had to improve by constantly updating their rating system and improve their credibility before being able to be used to evaluate credit risk for firms effectively. Value at Risk measurement inapprorpriate to measure market risk Basel II requires financial institutions to use the 10 day VaR at 99% confidence interval as a risk metric to measure market risk. VaR is communicated as the maximum loss of a particular portfolio at a particular point (confidence interval) in an underlying asset returnsà ¢ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¡Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¬ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¢ distribution, over a given timeframe (the holding period).Since it is only measured to 99% confidence interval, losses beyond the region will not be accounted for in the minimum capital requirement.. Our group believes bank shareholders and managers uses this measurement as they do not bear losses above and beyond bankà ¢ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¡Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¬ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¢s capital. However this is not appropriate for bank regulators, as the losses in excess are funded by public authorities. Critics believe not incorporating the tail VaR destabilizes the economy and induced the crashes in the financial system  [5]  . However we fee ls that if tail VaR is accounted for, the capital requirement for the banks will be too large and this will slow down the economy as investments will decrease. Ineffective implementation of own risk models Under the Basel II framework, regulators allow large banks with sophisticated risk management systems to do risk assessment based on their own models to determine the minimum amount of regulatory capital. This is allowed because Basel II regulators believe own bank supervisors know their bank best. However the recent financial crisis proves otherwise. The need of recapitalization reveals that the internal risk models of many banks performed poorly and greatly under-estimated risk exposure, forcing banks to reassess and reprice their credit risk. This happens because there are no independent measures to assess the bank risk model. The banks could do what they thing is reasonable and it would be hard for anyone to fault them. By underestimating risk exposure, it allows the bank to increase their lending limits and thus earn more revenue for the company. However, we have to take note that mathematical models have limited predictive power in finance and the difficulties in accounting f or low probability but high losses events. Procyclical Basel II is being criticized of being procyclical. During the boom times, credit ratings will be better as their probability of default is lower. This allows the bank to have lower capital requirements under Basel II thus even the badly managed banks with inadequate capital and provisions initially can expand their business, resulting in overlending . However during the bad times, banks require a higher capital requirement as the credit ratings dropped due to increased risk. Difficulties in raising new capital further add on to their capital constraints during downturns. This causes institutions to reduce credit to firms and households and thus forced to cut lending when it is most needed. Faced with higher interest rates and lack of alternative sources of finance, firms will cutback on investment spending thereby aggravating the downturn. This is evident during the global economic recession whereby international trade has been severely affected, with trade volumes actually contrac ting by about 12% in 2009.This is associated due to the massive decline in trade financing  [6]  . Inconsistency in implementation of Basel II Basel II is being applied inconsistently around the world, and even within individual markets, leading to very different risk weights and capital charges for identical assets. Basel II is too accommodating on certain risk categories, especially trading risk and sub-prime mortgage. It fails to recognize that the enforcement of a common approach to risk management enhances the homogeneity of the behavior of market participants and hence exacerbates financial crisis.

Analysis Of Disney s Disney - 1907 Words

Research Paper: Disney Sami Danielson Hour: 3 â€Å"Between 1931 and 1968, Walt Disney won 32 Academy Awards and still holds the record for the most individual Academy Awards won.† (Walt Disney(1901-1966) ,2013 para. 25) Walt Disney has made an incredible amount of fantastic movies, music and characters that we will always remember. But what were the impacts of these to society? How does Disney affect children, adults and the LGBT community all around the world? Over the years, Walt Disney has changed lives of millions all around the world whether it may be his catchy music, beautiful animation, or his memorable characters. Although Walt Disney was a successful man, it didn’t come easy to him. Walt grew up in a rural area, and†¦show more content†¦Instead, Walt joined the Red Cross and was sent overseas to France, where he spent a year driving an ambulance and chauffeuring Red Cross officials. His ambulance was covered stem to stern, not with camouflage, but with Disney cartoons.† ( Disney Changed History?, para. 2) In 1918 Walt joined Red Cross, and drove Red Cross officials around with his ambulance which was covered with cartoons. October 29th, 1929 was the start of the Great Depression. People needed a distraction, a laugh, and most importantly, they needed hope. Not only did The Great Depression affect Disney, it actually helped him. He created movies, characters, and music to cheer people up during this time. Including Mickey Mouse, Cinderella, and Olaf. Everyone was affected from the great depression and one way Walt helped everyone was by helping America with the depression. Mickey was the mascot. â€Å"This little personage literally pulled America up from despair and gave it hope and vision for better times ahead. Mickey Mouse was said to be given his physical form by ‘ub iwerks’, but his personality and inner self was given to him by Walt Disney. Every fan knows that Mickey is Walt’s son.† ( Mickey Mouse: A Cure For Depression?, 2006, para. 2) Mickey Mouse was created to help people forget about the Depression and to give them joy, hope and giggles.† America related to Mickey and his problems because they were mirrored in theirs. He came to the rescue when no politician, actor, or

New Trend in Global Environment Authenticity

Question: Write about theNew Trend in Global Environmentfor Authenticity. Answer: Leadership: The Authenticity Paradox pp. Authenticity is a word that is used to describe any original work and not a copy. When leadership is used in describing leadership, it provides other areas of leadership that are usually seen as challenges. For example, the idea of becoming true to oneself when it comes to leadership with regard to work experience, discovering the self-qualities and disclosing thoughts and feeling. All of these areas are usually risky and require various qualities of the leader. In this manner, an authentic leader is one that is more interested in the empowerment of employees and does not only look at money and personal power(Ibarra, 2015). They are also guided by the compassion and the heard to do just about everything. As much as many authentic leaders may be having their self-made abilities, it is important to note that anyone in the right environment is able to be an authentic leader as much as they put more effort in it and practices the different forms of leadership(Gunderman Maas, 2014). This type leader need to be more dedicated to the continued personal growth and committed to establishing a lasting relationship among organisations. Authenticity in Leadership In todays world of management , authenticity is necessary for various reasons. First it enables people to make a more radical and frequent change in the way that people work. As people strive to improve in the game, it becomes clear that they need to be firm with themselves, this enables people to manage their choices and progress towards managerial goals(Champy, 2009). However, when looking at ways to change the way work is done, a very rigid concept about oneself becomes a major anchor which keeps people from sailing ahead. Also when it comes to the global environment, many people work with people that do not share the different expectations and cultural norms on how they need to behave(Walumbwa, et al., 2008). It can also seem as if people have chosen between what they expect and thus look at what feels to be authentic and what is not. Also, when it comes to the global environment, identities of people is always full of ubiquitous connectivity and the social media. It looks at the ways that we present ourselves in the global business, this does not only look at the leaders as executives but as people working with people who are in need of their experiences and interests. This is very vital in the issue of leadership. In addition, when curating a persona which is out there for all in order to meet the needs of the self. Other characteristics entail being able to aim higher event in situations where they face criticism. An authentic leader should be able to convince oneself that dysfunctional aspects of the nature of leadership often come with the prices of being effective in different ways. This for example a person working in a food company as a production manager received direct reports that gives him the lowest of marks in a 360 review with regard to his emotional intelligence when handling other employees, empowering others and team building(Gardiner, et al., 2005). One of the reasons for this might be the person was hard in accepting criticism. For example, causing and outburst every time they are faced with challenges at work, destabilization effect of his mood changes for the people who are around him. This makes this kind of leader a failure i n authenticity. Characteristic of Authentic Leadership Insight In most cases, people look at insight as a vision, that has its reference to the future. As much as leaders have a vision for the organisation, the need more to effectively perform. in a passage of the bible, there is a discussion about King David and his army. Where the men of Issachar, said they understood the times and knew what it was needed from them for Israel ( 1 chronicles 12.32). this is the brief meaning of insight. In addition, it is important for leaders to have a lot of wisdom in the changing global environment, the also need to be discerning for the present. The should be able to gain clarity, look at complex situation and determine the right course of action(Gardiner, et al., 2005). One such leader was Steve jobs who showed authentic leadership in the recent decades as he returned as the CEO of Apple. During this time the Apple company was in a total administrative mess, however he used his insight to rejuvenate the business and dominate the computer industry. Initiative As a leader in the modern business, it is important be on the front. This means that leaders are not people who sit on the sidelines. They will not be seen to ask other people what they need to do or what they are not willing to do themselves. Instead, a good leader is the one that leads by example(Gardiner, et al., 2005). In this manner, good leaders are distinguished from those who lead by theories and while sitting. Influence A real leader should be one that has the power to influence people with what they have. It is natural for people to always be drawn to values and vision as they usually have the ability to gather a following or be able to take people to one direction. In addition, this influence should be able to create difference(Champy, 2009). These people are usually instrumental in creating a lasting change and real. If this does not happen from them then they cannot be said to be leaders. One leader that was able to create an impact in the society was Martin Luther King Jr. who took over the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery Alabama in 1954. After just about 10 year, he was able to turn the nation to a new philosophy. All through his years he was able to mobilize other organized leaders, activists, rallied more support for his cause and enable the civil rights recognition of people of all races. Up to this moment, King continues to have an impact of peoples lives(Walumbwa, et al., 2008) . Integrity According to the article, most leader are usually not benevolent. A leader is always a leader no matter being a political leader, a business leader or a church leader. They all need to have initiatives, the should influence, they should have an insight and impact(Gardiner, et al., 2005). However, when people look at their legacies and ways of life, they will be able to see that integrity is always an issue. Leaders whos professional lives are not integrated with the highest value, will always have a negative impact in the ways that they conduct their business. Growth of Authentic Leadership The growth of authentic leadership will always entail a shift from good ideas and putting them to various stakeholders. Having leaders that are inexperienced, and especially those who are self-righteous, will often find them process of getting the buy-in as distasteful since it will always be political and artificial as they believe that their work needs to stand on its merit(Ibarra, 2015). According to Ibarra (2015) a lot of managers usually know that their ideas and potential will often go unnoticed especially when they are not doing a better job of selling themselves. In addition, they may not be in a position to do it by themselves. It is important for a leader to keep on building a network that is based on professionalism in what they are able to deliver and how they know. As much as this might not be so smart in the point of building careers, it is able to lift authentic leadership to another level of management. In this manner, authentic leaders should thus be able to draw ins piration from their lives(Walumbwa, et al., 2008). For example, the founder of star buck Howard Schultz was always inspired by the struggles of his fathers poor health that he was able to make Starbucks one of the first American company that provides healthcare options to the part time employees. As an inspired leader, he was also able to used his experience to building a company which was a reflection of his personal value. With it comes to personal growth in authentic leadership, this should be seen on the ground that the leader does not shy off from their own mistakes. They will always work to overcome their shortcomings in every way(Gardiner, et al., 2005). Also when they are facing their weakness and when they refuse to compromise with them, an authentic leader should be one that finds ways that overcome their weaknesses, in the end this makes them as being strong leaders. Conclusion In conclusion, it is always good that an authentic leader is able to depict his or her how style of leadership. However they also need to remember that authentic leadership is about adapting change with regard to the changing circumstances and situations. One should be in a position to delegate issues when necessary and also should not be afraid to change the way that they do things when they are in different situations. Walumbwa, et al., (2008) suggests that it is important for managers to begin developing authentic leadership style by assessing themselves with the above qualities of a an authentic leaders. They qualities are important as they are able to make one understand the practice in their lives, the purpose of leadership, being able to lead in their heart and establish a strong connection with employees. References Champy, J., 2009. Authentic leadership. Leader to Leader, Issue 54, pp. 39-44. Gardiner, W., Avolio, B. Walumba, F., 2005. Authentic leadership theory and practice: origins, effects and development. Elsevier JAI: Oxford. Gunderman, R. Maas, M., 2014. Authentic leadership. Journal of the American College of Radiology : JACR, 11(5), p. 518. Ibarra, H., 2015. The Authenticity Paradox. [Online] Available at: https://hbr.org/2015/01/the-authenticity-paradox [Accessed 2 May 2017]. Walumbwa, F. et al., 2008. Authentic Leadership: Development and Validation of a Theory-Based Measure. Journal of Management, 34(1), pp. 89-126.

Technology Is A Great Thing, It Aids Man In The Exploration Of The Uni

Technology is a great thing, it aids man in the exploration of the universe, and himself. But there are times when technology can be the greatest downfall of man. One such time was when the creation of the nuclear bomb. Which was to be used in the Was in efforts to end it. In 1939, a group of scientists, including Albert Einstein, wrote a letter to President Roosevelt to warn of the Nazi's effort to purify Uranium-235, which would be used in the creation of a bomb of mass-destruction. This prompted the president to create the Manhattan Project, the code-name for a top-secret project which would put the world's most brilliant scientists together to create a bomb. In 1942 General Leslie Grove was chosen to lead the project. He purchased a site at Oak Ridge, Tenn. For facilities to work on extracting Uranium 235. For the next 3 years nearly 200,000 people, working in 40 factories, worked 6 days a week, usually for 18 hour days in order to finish the project. In 1945, President Truman had received some unsettling news, the bombs had been finished. 3 bombs had been produced, and it was time to test them to see if they had been successful in creating a nuclear weapon. The government had chosen a site in New Mexico called the ?Trinity Testing Site? in Alamogordo. On July 16th, They conducted the first Nuclear Bomb testing. They had proved that the bombs were usable, now the had to decide whether or not to drop the bomb. The scientists who created the bomb, started to realize that the had created something that would change the world as they knew it. The began to urge the president not to drop the bomb in Japan, but instead to show Japanese officials what would happen if the bomb was to be dropped on their country. Truman was against this because he had no idea if the other two bombs would work if the were to be dropped. So, Truman had to chose whether to drop the bomb, or show the effects of it. Truman knew that a full-scale invasion of Japan, in order to end the war, was to dangerous because of the possibility for severe American casualties. Truman had weighed the issues and decided to drop the 1st bomb on Hiroshima, Japan. On August 6th 1945, a plane named the Enola Gay, flew over Hiroshima and at 8:15 am one minute after the Little Man was dropped the plane, 2,000 feet above the ground, the 1st casualties of the Nuclear Age were becoming statistics. Within milli-seconds anyone within a mile of the blast was vaporized. Large Buildings and human beings around the city were being destroyed by extremely high temperatures and winds produced from the explosion (The Atom Bomb, Internet). "A bright light filled the plane," wrote Lt. Col. Paul Tibbets, the pilot of the Enola Gay. "We turned back to look at Hiroshima. The city was hidden by that awful cloud...boiling up, mushrooming." For a moment, no one spoke. Then everyone was talking. "Look at that! Look at that! Look at that!" exclaimed the co-pilot, Robert Lewis, pounding on Tibbets's shoulder. Lewis said he could taste atomic fission; it tasted like lead. Then he turned away to write in his journal. "My God," he asked himself, "what have we done It is believed that more than 140,000 people died by the end of the year (Ohba, Benson) One girl, whos opinion was shared by other Japanese, said ?No matter how much I think of it, what a nasty horrible atom bomb! What was the war fought for? Many Were Killed, ?For Peace,' they said, but where is this peace (Osada) The massive effects of the bomb was not enough for the emperor of Japan to sign a peace treaty. So Truman ordered the second bomb, named ?Fat Man? to be dropped on Nagasaki, Japan. The blast produced a blast greater than the one in Hiroshima, but due to the geographic structure of the city, the bomb did less damage. It was less damage, but it still managed to kill an estimated 70,000 people by the end of the year(Ohba, Benson). The second bombing prompted Emperor Hirohito to sign

Dont Ask Dont Tell Repeal

Meiji Restoration essays

Meiji Restoration essays The Meiji Restoration was a revolutionary period during which Japan was transformed from a feudal state into a modern state. The opening of Japan's ports to Western colonial fleets showed the weakness of Tokugawa and triggered nationalist movements. In 1867 pro-imperial daimyo suggested that Tokugawa Yoshinobu should give up his place and acknowledge imperial authority. He agreed to step down, but radicals seized his palace on January 3, 1868 and proclaimed restoration under Emperor Meiji. The period when Meiji was restored Japan was a militarily weak country, primarily agricultural, and had little technological development. In an effort to change and strengthen Japan, the revolutionary leaders launched a series of economical and social reforms. Millions of people were suddenly free to choose their occupation and move without restrictions. The government started building railways and shipping lines, telephone and telegraph systems, shipyards, and many consumer industries. The government also introduced a constitution by creating an elected Parliament called the Diet to win the respect of Westerners and generate a good environment for national growth. Japan changed the entire legal system to make Westerns revise the unequal treaties which were signed in 1850s. In 1894 Westerners agreed to revise the treaties and acknowledge Japan as an equal nation. The constitution ended distinctions between classes and made people concentrate in building a new nation. In addition, the government set up new universities and new schools to teach people the modern technology. Meiji hired western teachers to assist in Japanese schools. Students were sent to Europe and the United States to study modern science and technology. Meiji government created a strong military to fight foreigners and capture new territories. It was very essential to have a strong military to stay protected from foreign invasion and show its power to other nations. Japa...

Rapid Colony Transformation of E -Coli with Plasmid DNA Lab Report

Rapid Colony Transformation of E -Coli with Plasmid DNA - Lab Report Example The paper "Rapid Colony Transformation of E -Coli with Plasmid DNA" analyzes E-Coli transformed by plasmid DNA using a rapid method. The transformation method can be categorized into four stages. The first is Pre-incubation stage. The low temperature gels the cell membrane, thereby stabilizing the distribution of charged phosphates and allowing them a more effective shield from the cat ions. The second stage is Incubation. The DNA is added and the cell suspension is kept at 0Â ºC.the cat ions are thought to neutralize negatively charged phosphates in the DNA and the cell membrane. The third stage is Heat Shock. The cell +DNA suspension is briefly incubated at 42Â ºC and then returned to 0Â ºC. The rapid temperature change creates a heat imbalance on either side of the E-Coli membrane and is supposed to create a wave that sweeps plasmids into the cell. The fourth stage is Recovery. LB broth is added to the DNA/cell suspension and incubated at 37Â ºC before being put on plates with different selected antibiotic resistant markers. Transformed cells recover from the treatment, amplify the transformed plasmid and begin to express the antibiotic resistant strain. Samples of E-coli cells are taken from a nutrient agar plate (LB agar) and suspended in two tubes containing a solution of calcium chloride. Plasmid pAMP is added to one cell suspensionBothe the tubes are then incubated at 0Â ºC for 15 minutes. After this a brief heat shock is administered at 42Â º .the samples are cooled and LB broth is added.

Health care management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Health care management - Essay Example This paper explores how this new role would affect my personal life, and identifies a number of possible ward problems and possible approaches for tacking these problems are suggested. These include expectations from the team that I should do more hands on work, instead of planning; the problem of interpersonal conflicts, e.g. between nursing and administration teams, and complexity compression. One problem case in particular, that of an underperforming nurse colleague, is examined in more detail using the control (ie checking and quality control) management process. The first challenge that will face me upon taking up this responsible position will be the need for me to make personal adjustments to the new role. It is not easy to suddenly become a person who is held responsible for others in a team, and I anticipate both a high workload and an increase in stress caused by the fact that I will encounter new issues that I have not had to deal with before. It will make sense for me to scale down family and free time commitments as far as possible for the first few months so that I can keep focussed on the job. It would be a good idea to plan a specially rewarding holiday for my first leave period a few months down the line. The transition into the nurse manager role is difficult if one attempts it alone, and yet discussing personal worries or problems with members of the ward team would not help them to trust my judgement. It has been suggested (Belcher, 2006) that it is a good idea for new managers to actively seek out a mentor figure who is not in the same immediate area of work, but who knows the organization and the general demands of the role. This author suggests locating someone with good chemistry, clarifying what the mentor is expected to do, and using that mentor to find out all the ins and outs of the larger organization, including shortcuts to the people who hold key information or who have power in particular areas (Belcher, p. 150-151).

Disadvantages of the Present Jury System Research Paper

Disadvantages of the Present Jury System - Research Paper Example The present jury system has also been found to have the limitation in that; some defendants during trail go for the jury so as to delay to the system (Simon, 1995). Delaying the whole process exert pressure on the Crown Prosecution Service so as to cut down the charge with respect to the defendant persuading guilty. It has also been found that, delaying the process because the defendant choosing jury during trial makes the prosecution witness not to attend the trial. This weakens their follow-ups if they do not appear during the trial, thus increasing chances of acquittal (Simon, 1995). Under the present jury system, if the defendants are taken to remand, they enjoy extra time that the convicted prisoners are not given. For this reason, the time the defendants spend on remand is subtracted from any final sentence in prison. This has the implication that the trial will be put off as much as possible so as to maximize the amount of sentence while living under better conditions. This is the long last ends up wasting a lot of time and money (Simon, 1995).   The power that the present jury system has is also a source of several disadvantages that affect the system. Since any power can be abused, makes it easy for juries coming to court to have individual prejudices and biases thus not guaranteeing fair verdict (Abramson, 2008). Moreover, the fact that the present jury system is composed of laypersons; this brings in the issue of effectiveness during the trial process. When jurors are faced with murder cases, there is a likelihood that they are experiencing such a situation for the first time. There might also be no adequate frame of reference thus affecting the final decision (Abramson, 2008).  

History Of Our Fear Of Aging Philosophy Essay

History Of Our Fear Of Aging Philosophy Essay Abstract The fear of aging and death in America has grown into quite the headache. People today seem more concerned with their physical appearance and age than they are with their physical or mental health. Not only is this a factor, but the media, as well as the commercial sales industry, are taking advantage of this fear and using it to their advantage. This fear grips people for many reasons, but the 2 biggest are: 1.) they are afraid of the unknown, and 2.) they are afraid of being alone. Americas Fear of Aging Many people today are convinced that if they can just lift one more weight or just run one more mile, they will never get old. Even if they dont give in and end up getting cosmetic surgery or spend too much money on expensive anti-aging creams that dont work, there comes a day when its too much effort any longer to keep up the fantasy. What began with simply trying to look pretty has become a never-ending battle to be or to find the next fountain of youth in America. If someone has age spots, theres a cream that for that. If you have stretch marks or cellulite, theres a salve or lotion for that. Dark circles under your eyes? Theres a tonic for that as well. Give it time and Apple will develop an app for all your cosmetic woes! Fears and concerns about growing old are being addressed by those who are growing old. They arent content to sit idly by and let death come swooping in on them. Instead they have become more proactive in the fight against the clock (e.g. participating in more physical activities, sharpening their mental abilities via games, puzzles, being more socially interactive with others, etc.). Our Fear of Aging Americans today are in a constant push to keep up with trends. Buy this new car, try this kind of new weight loss shake, etc. Not only do they push you to buy their product, they also bombard you with reasons why their product is so much better than their Brand X competitor. The biggest culprits: The Cosmetic Industry. The message being broadcast by the cosmetic industry is if theres something you that you dont like, well fix it. Bayer (2004) said that from 1997 to 2001, cosmetic procedures increased 311% for women and 256% for men (p. 9). But why are we so afraid of being perceived as old? I have a rule that I can apply to practically anything in life: Everything is just a matter of perception. much like the dichotomy between good and evil. In a standard story or movie, the good guy perceives his actions as being in the good, but the bad guy also sees his actions to be in the good. And each perceives the others actions to be bad. But how they are perceived is determined not only by them, but by outside sources as well (e.g. the readers of the story, the viewers of the movie, etc.). In America, people are more concerned with the perceptions of others rather than of their own. But since when have we let the views of others govern our self-esteem? Growing old shouldnt be viewed as such a bad thing. In some cultures, being old is viewed in an opposite light. There are cultures in which aging is welcomed, as age signifies wisdom. This is usually accompanied by deep respect, honor, and reverence, which ensures that the elderly are well cared for by family members. This is the goal of people in these cultures; to live long enough to get to this place where they can be revered by the younger people for their knowledge and wisdom. In todays society, old people are laughed at and scoffed at by younger people. Old people have become a punch-line for numerous jokes and stereotypes. Rarely are they looked up to for their wisdom; they arent respected for what theyve done in their lives to be able to have the wisdom and knowledge that they do. Younger people laugh at them because they are afraid of getting old just like them, as well as being afraid of looking as old as them. But what drives this fear? The answer is simple: when we get old, we are afraid that we are more than likely going to end up being alone. As we age, our physical appearance drastically changes. Our hair loses its color, our skin loses elasticity which results in wrinkles, we get liver spots, and the list goes on. Its all centered around how we look, and most people think if they look old, no one will want to be with them. Maybe people are afraid of the inner physical changes that take place. As people age their bodies become more worn out, especially if they havent been very physically active or their diet hasnt been the best in the world. And what else accompanies all these aches and pains? Medications that have a dozen or more side-effects, numerous trips to the doctor for this and that ailment, which it-turn gets you MORE medications. Mark Twain once said Life would be infinitely happier if we could only be born at the age of eighty and gradually approach 18 (Drye, 2011.) In other words, we worry about losing our looks, our vitality, our strength, or our sexual energies. If what Mark Twain said were made into reality, we would instead be constantly looking forward to gaining these instead of losing them. The years between eighteen and twenty five are considered to be the best years of anyones life. During these years of early adulthood, humans are the strongest physically and sexually than they will be any other time in their life, and reliving those memories only reminds people of this joy (Berger, 2011.) Our Fear of Death Even worse than fearing growing old is fearing what is almost always associated with growing old: death. A theory by Dr. Sigmund Freud states that peoples fear of death was more of a disguise for some other hidden concern (Encyclopedia of Death and Dying, 2011.) Dr. Freud claimed that the unconscious cannot deal with the passing of time and the concept of life ended cannot register in our brain. With the mind being unable to register our own death, Dr. Freud theorized that everyone is convinced he or she is immortal (Encyclopedia of Death and Dying, 2011.)Â   But what about what happens when we die? Nobody truly knows what will happen or where we will end up, and this stirs peoples fear of the unknown. Will we end up in total annihilation (no afterlife, just non-existence), will we be reincarnated and if so what will we be, or will we go to heaven or hell? No one can really know until death happens to them, and by then its too late. People have always feared the unknown, which has been a severe detriment to humanity throughout history. This has also motivated them to look for answers to whatever it is that they dont know. In 1973, Ernest Beck theorized that the fear of death is real. Not only is the fear real, but it is so intense that the fear of death is the reason for all phobias that exist. Beck noted that people only function day to day because they are able to temporarily deny death. (Encyclopedia of Death and Dying, 2011.) Beck has a very good point, though, because practically all phobias involve death. Someone with Arachnophobia is more than likely afraid that a spider will bite them and theyll die. Someone with Hydrophobia may be afraid of dying from drowning. And someone with Kinemortophobia, even though they have probably watched way too many horror movies/ TV shows, is still afraid of dying at the mercy of a zombie attack. It all comes back to being afraid of death. But no matter which fear someone happens to fear the most, theres one thing that will always remain true: aging and death are inevitable. Theres nothing anyone can do to avoid them and theres nothing that can be done to stop or even slow the progression of either one. So you could ask yourself, If aging and death are going to happen whether I like it or not, should I be afraid all the time? Therapists usually tell people with major phobia issues that in order to conquer their fears, they must first face them. Facing this kind of fear would probably involve more understanding of the reality of the situation than anything else. Conclusion William Alexander Stiling once said Of all things that are feared, the last is death (Lockyer, 1969, p.209.) Aging and death are both facts of life, and theres nothing we can do about it. Changing your appearance in an attempt to look younger may help you hold on to your self-perception of youthfulness, but it wont have any effect on biological progression. The best therapy for this would be to just accept that aging and death will happen. Dont try to fight it; dont try to hide from it. Embrace the fact that theyre inevitable and prepare yourself mentally, spiritually, and physically.

Nuclear Waste Management position at Ontario

As a second year student at the University of Toronto, majoring in Environmental Science, I am excited to be applying to the Ontario Power Generation. This is an excellent opportunity to apply my knowledge and skills while gaining practical work experience and further understanding the science behind it. I believe that I would be a great fit given my background, thirst for experience, and never-ending enthusiasm, and I would appreciate the opportunity to contribute this company. Throughout my schooling, as a science student, I have had a great deal of practice in the raw technical skills needed in data management and handing dangerous materials. Laboratories hold a strict code of conduct for safety procedures, and expect quick and efficient work with little error. This has given me acute attention to detail, even with a time limit. My time spent in laboratories has also forced me to gain good understanding of Microsoft office suite and statistics, as many of the reports require manipulation and interpretation of mass amounts of data. Cooperation is also a necessary skill I have perfected in laboratories, as many are performed in pairs; however I also retain the ability to perform alone effectively, and complete my work independently. Also, as a science student, I have a good background understanding of the concepts behind nuclear waste management. In addition to a chemistry, physics, and the three main principles of concentrate and contain, dilute and disperse, and delay and decay, I also understand cultural perspectives and challenges of this field. Throughout my career I have been heavily involved in the community, which has given me a strong work ethic, and excellent interpersonal skills I own today . In High School, I was a part-time cashier, in a fast-paced environment , and in direct interaction with customers . Through this I developed the professionalism and customer service initiative needed to excel in a service job, as well as acute problem solving skills for everything from computer issues to customer complaints, and an efficient work ethic. Perhaps my favourite, and most rewarding experience, however has been my volunteer time at Habitat for Humanity. It was an opportunity to step outside of my comfort zone , and though the work was difficult at first, I kept with it, and was greatly rewarded . I have since maintained a proactive, hands-on, and enthusiastic attitude in all areas of my life, especially when facing new challenges. Both opportunities have also allowed me to understand, and seek that balance between hard work, and efficiency, while also reaping the benefits of teamwork, and companionship with one’s coworkers. I sincerely believe that my skill set and background would be an asset to Ontario Power Generation, and my enthusiasm and teamwork would fit perfectly in the fabric of this company. Thank you for your time and consideration, and I look forward to meeting you and discussing how I can become a part of the OPG team.

Plot Analysis for “A Rose for Emily”

Plot analysis of â€Å"A Rose For Emily† William Faulkner’s, â€Å"A Rose for Emily† is a story with a southern gothic style. The tragic story is told to readers through an anonymous narrator that speaks on behalf of the town’s people, but is not close to Emily, the protagonist, personally. This narration helps sustain a level of curiosity about Emily since readers cannot gain personal insight into her life and psyche. It is commonly expressed that the two things of certainty in life are death and taxes, death being one of the main themes that runs throughout the story.There is a time when Emily seems to be above human certainty in the way of taxes. This aversion to one certainty seems to amplify the other in her life, because the rest of the story contains nothing but death; the death of people, beauty, ideals, everything that once guarded Emily from the rest of the world. Even though it is in vain, the protagonist’s motivation behind everything sh e does is to make time stand still, thus trying to avoid the other human certainty, death.As a result of the story beginning with Emily’s funeral, readers are introduced to Miss Emily’s struggle with her antagonist, time, through the setting she lives in. Miss Emily represents a bi-gone era, one that she veils her life of seclusion in, refusing to face the passage of time around her. Her house is in a state of decay just like her body, both marking their loss to time. It was a house that, â€Å"had once been white, decorated with cupolas and spires and scrolled balconies†¦set on what had once been our most select street†(91).The house’s description seems to mimic Emily’s life because at one time she is described as a, â€Å"slender figure in white†(93) and it is said that â€Å"None of the young men were quite good enough for Miss Emily†(93). It’s as if the house’s once desirable location imitates Emily’s one time desirability among suitors. This symbolism is used again when the house is described as, â€Å"lifting it’s stubborn and coquettish decay above the cotton wagons and the gasoline pumps†(91). The house is more of an out-of-date nuisance than an object of admiration, as Emily herself was before her death.Faulkner’s use of the word coquette, points to his intention for readers to see the symbolism of Emily’s and the house’s battle with time, because a coquette is a woman who endeavors without sincere affection to gain the admiration of men. Since Emily at one time had the admiration of men, she continues to behave as if time has not taken a toll on her desirable appearance before men, thus making her act as if she is still above their law. The town’s mayor, Colonel Sartoris, promotes this thinking by remitting Emily’s taxes after her father’s death.The colonel spins a tale to explain, saying that the tax remittance is to pay back her father for money he loaned the town. A story no one believes according to the author, except a woman. The author says, â€Å"When the next generation, with its more modern ideas, became mayors and aldermen, this arrangement created some little dissatisfaction†(91). When the new mayor personally writes Emily to inform her she must pay taxes like the rest of the community, the author describes Emily’s reply as representing the forgotten past.The story says the mayor, â€Å"received in reply a note on paper of an archaic shape, in a thin, flowing calligraphy in faded ink, to the effect that she no longer went out at all. The tax notice was also enclosed, without comment†(91). Emily does everything as if no time has passed. As a result of Emily realizing she cannot stop time, she chooses to shut out the passage of time in the world around her, by living a secluded life. The narrator says, â€Å"After her father’s death she went out very little; aft er her sweetheart went away, people hardly saw her at all†(92).It’s at this time that the narrator informs readers about a strange smell emanating from Emily’s house, a smell that the passage of time produces to betray her. Because Emily represents a time where people are limited by the role of class and gender in society, this limiting mind-set is what the towns people use as an excuse for the troubling smell. The author says, â€Å"the only sign of life about the place was the Negro man-a young man then-going in and out with a market basket. â€Å"Just as if a man-any man-could keep a kitchen properly,† the ladies said; so they were not surprised when the smell developed†(92).This same limiting mindset re-emerges when the Aldermen of the town meet to discuss a solution to the rising complaint of the gross smell. When the young man in the group of Aldermen, who represents the rising generation, suggests what he believes to be a simple solution of c onfronting Emily about the smell, he is quickly rebuked. The judge cuts him off by saying, â€Å"Dammit sir,†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"will you accuse a lady to her face of smelling bad† (93)? Similar to Emily, the older men restrict their decisions based on tradition, thus denying the evidence that time produced to bring her to justice.In the end, it is the passage of time that plays the role of Emily’s antagonist. Despite her efforts of seclusion and refusal to change, time has its way with Emily and everything she clings to. One passage refers to a gold chain she wears with the end tucked in her waist; on the end of the chain is a watch. Emily carries her antagonist with her as if she believes its closeness will keep it from sneaking up on her; as if her own stubborn will set beside it, could stop the cursed mechanism from ticking forth its unpleasant reminder.

Battle of Wauhatchie in the Civil War

Battle of Wauhatchie in the Civil War fBattle of Wauhatchie - Conflict Dates: The Battle of Wauhatchie was fought October 28-29, 1863, during the American Civil War (1861-1865).   Armies Commanders: Union Major General Joseph HookerBrigadier General John W. Geary3 divisions Confederate Lieutenant General James Longstreet1 division Battle of Wauhatchie - Background: Following the defeat at the Battle of Chickamauga, the Army of the Cumberland retreated north to Chattanooga.  There Major General William S. Rosecrans and his command were besieged by General Braxton Braggs Army of Tennessee.  With the situation deteriorating, the Union XI and XII Corps were detached from the Army of the Potomac in Virginia and sent west under the leadership of Major General Joseph Hooker.  In addition, Major General Ulysses S. Grant received orders to come east from Vicksburg with part of his army and assume command over all Union troops around Chattanooga.  Overseeing the newly-created Military Division of the Mississippi, Grant relieved Rosecrans and replaced him with Major General George H. Thomas.   Battle of Wauhatchie - Cracker Line: Assessing the situation, Grant implemented a plan devised by Brigadier General William F. Baldy Smith for reopening a supply line to Chattanooga.  Dubbed the Cracker Line, this called for Union supply boats to land cargo at Kelleys Ferry on the Tennessee River.  It would then move east to Wauhatchie Station and up Lookout Valley to Browns Ferry.  From there goods would re-cross the river and move over Moccasin Point to Chattanooga.  To secure this route, Smith would establish a bridgehead at Browns Ferry while Hooker moved overland from Bridgeport to the west (Map).   Though Bragg was unaware of the Union plan, he directed Lieutenant General James Longstreet, whose men held the Confederate left, to occupy Lookout Valley.  This directive was ignored by Longstreet whose men remained on Lookout Mountain to the east.  Before dawn on October 27, Smith successfully secured Browns Ferry with two brigades led by Brigadier Generals William B. Hazen and John B. Turchin.  Alerted to their arrival, Colonel William B. Oates of the 15th Alabama attempted a counterattack but was unable to dislodge the Union troops.  Advancing with three divisions from his command, Hooker reached Lookout Valley on October 28.  Their arrival surprised Bragg and Longstreet who were having a conference on Lookout Mountain.  Ã‚   Battle of Wauhatchie - The Confederate Plan: Reaching Wauhatchie Station on the Nashville Chattanooga Railroad, Hooker detached Brigadier General John W. Gearys division and proceeded north to encamp at Browns Ferry.  Due to a shortage of rolling stock, Gearys division had been reduced by a brigade and was only supported by the four guns of Knaps Battery (Battery E, Pennsylvania Light Artillery).  Recognizing the threat posed by Union forces in the valley, Bragg directed Longstreet to attack.  After assessing the Hookers deployments, Longstreet determined to move against Gearys isolated force at Wauhatchie.  To accomplish this, he ordered Brigadier General Micah Jenkins division to strike after dark.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Moving out, Jenkins sent the brigades of Brigadier Generals Evander Law and Jerome Robertson to occupy high ground south of Browns Ferry.  This force was tasked with preventing Hooker from marching south to aid Geary.  To the south, Brigadier General Henry Bennings brigade of Georgians was directed to hold a bridge over Lookout Creek and act as a reserve force.  For the assault against the Union position at Wauhatchie, Jenkins assigned Colonel John Brattons brigade of South Carolinians.  At Wauhatchie, Geary, concerned about being isolated, posted Knaps Battery on a small knoll and ordered his men to sleep with their weapons at hand.  The 29th Pennsylvania from Colonel George Cobhams brigade provided pickets for the entire division. Battle of Wauhatchie - First Contact: Around 10:30 PM, the lead elements of Brattons brigade engaged the Union pickets.  Approaching Wauhatchie, Bratton ordered the Palmetto Sharpshooters to move east of the railroad embankment in an attempt to flank Gearys line.  The 2nd, 1st, and 5th South Carolinas extended the Confederate line west of the tracks.  These movements took time in the darkness and it was not until 12:30 AM that Bratton commenced his assault.  Slowing the enemy, the pickets from the 29th Pennsylvania bought Geary time to form his lines.  While the 149th and 78th New Yorks from Brigadier General George S. Greenes brigade took a position along the railroad embankment facing east, Cobhams remaining two regiments, the 111th and 109th Pennsylvanias, extended the line west from the tracks (Map).  Ã‚   Battle of Wauhatchie - Fighting in the Dark: Attacking, the 2nd South Carolina quickly sustained heavy losses from both the Union infantry and Knaps Battery.  Hampered by the darkness, both sides were often reduced firing at the muzzle flashes of the enemy.  Finding some success on the right, Bratton attempted to slip the 5th South Carolina around Gearys flank.  This movement was blocked by the arrival of Colonel David Irelands 137th New York.  While pushing this regiment forward, Greene fell wounded when a bullet shattered his jaw.  As a result, Ireland assumed command of the brigade.  Seeking to press his attack against the Union center, Bratton slid the battered 2nd South Carolina to the left and threw forward the 6th South Carolina.   In addition, Colonel Martin Garys Hampton Legion was ordered to the far Confederate right.  This caused the 137th New York to refuse its left to prevent being flanked.  Support for the New Yorkers soon arrived as the 29th Pennsylvania, having re-formed from picket duty, took a position on their left.  As the infantry adjusted to each Confederate thrust, Knaps Battery took heavy casualties.  As the battle progressed both battery commander Captain Charles Atwell and Lieutenant Edward Geary, the generals eldest son, fell dead.  Hearing the fighting to the south, Hooker mobilized the XI Corps divisions of Brigadier Generals Adolph von Steinwehr and Carl Schurz.  Moving out, Colonel Orland Smiths brigade from von Steinwehrs division soon came under fire from Law.   Veering east, Smith began a series of assaults on Law and Robertson.  Drawing in Union troops, this engagement saw the Confederates hold their position on the heights.  Having repulsed Smith several times, Law received erroneous intelligence and ordered both brigades to withdraw.  As they departed, Smiths men attacked again and overran their position.  At Wauhatchie, Gearys men were running low on ammunition as Bratton prepared another assault.  Before this moved forward, Bratton received word that Law had withdrawn and that Union reinforcements were approaching.  Unable to maintain his position in these circumstances, he repositioned the 6th South Carolina and Palmetto Sharpshooters to cover his withdraw and began retreating from the field. Battle of Wauhatchie - Aftermath:  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the fighting at the Battle of Wauhatchie, Union forces sustained 78 killed, 327 wounded, and 15 missing while Confederate losses numbered 34 killed, 305 wounded, and 69 missing.  One of the few Civil War battles fought entirely at night, the engagement saw the Confederates fail to close the Cracker Line to Chattanooga.  Over the coming days, supplies began to flow to the Army of the Cumberland.  Following the battle, a rumor circulated that Union mules had been stampeded during the battle leading the enemy to believe that they were being attacked by cavalry and ultimately their causing their retreat.  Though a stampede may have occurred, it was not the cause of the Confederate withdrawal.  Over the next month, Union strength grew and in late November Grant commenced the Battle of Chattanooga which drove Bragg from the area. Selected Sources Civil War Trust: Battle of WauhatchieCWSAC Battle Summaries: Battle WauhatchieHistory of War: Battle of Wauhatchie

Philosophy And Our Life Essays - Thought, Belief, Humanities

Philosophy And Our Life Essays - Thought, Belief, Humanities Philosophy And Our Life Philosophy Philosophy is an all-important aspect of our lives. It is philosophy that we turn to when have the need to seek out a guiding principle for our lives. Therefore, philosophy holds a prominent place in society and in the world. Basically, everyone is a philosopher, but it takes the creative genius and reasoning of brilliant thinkers to bring about world-shattering concepts. Nevertheless, the common man also ruminates about his life and his unique existence to try to find the meaning of his life. Over a life time, a constitution or a theme is developed to discern the ideas that one can readily accept. Interestingly, the philosophies of men separated by vast chasms of time and space all embrace upon a common theme of life. This theme is so broad as to encompass everyone's ideas and beliefs and allows for future inclusions. When a person finds another who shares the same ideas, then he bonds with him in solace. Yet when a group shares the same ideas, then dangerous factions could erupt. One idea that is not clear between the belligerent parties is that all the ideas are right, none is wrong so long as the belief is strong. Philosophy is here to unify us into common causes, not to pit us against one another. What one believes is sacred and my own beliefs, I cherish dearly. In this aspect, philosophy allows us to live our lives with confidence, because we know that ideas cannot be taken from us. In the United States, we can feel free to express our opinions and beliefs as long as we do not impinge upon other's rights. This is where a common philosophy has been accepted and adopted by a people. This macrocosmic unity of a nation demonstrates the power of philosophy. In another area, philosophy is vital: religion. Religions are perhaps the largest groups of people who share a common philosophy. Their unifor m beliefs cause the members of each religion to philosophize in a common theme in which the religion does not allow any radical deviation. One of philosophy's most important aspects is its flexibility. This flexibility allows the individual to endlessly engender new thoughts and theories. It was this flexibility that encouraged great thinkers to expound their ideas. It is dubious that their ideas can change others', but in each stage of transition and growth there is an opportunity for new philosophies to come in and help us live our lives better. Philosophy grants us the chance to live a fulfilled life, full of actions and thoughts true to ourselves. We find enlightenment in philosophy, from ourselves and others. There is always an inenarrable satisfaction when a new idea comes to us. Such is the excitement in discovery that Ren Descartes even went so far as to proclaim, I think, therefore I am. Philosophy is truly unique in all its ways. Since the very first moment when man recognizes that he is able to think and engender innovative ideas, man has never ceased to think, to ponder, to ruminate. Man considers himself unique for his unparalleled ability to conceive new thoughts, revise old ones, and live in harmony with the present ones. This sort of view typified man's inveterate belief that he is not just a mere animal but rather a being that has been able to transcend his former bestiality on to a higher plateau of reasoning. On this plateau is an endless plain that stretches beyond comprehension. It is on this plain that all of us grope, find new thoughts, reject them, discover our own, add new ones, and finally, settle with a concept true to our constitution. The ubiquitous nature of philosophy demonstrates that all men, of contrasting backgrounds, need and cling on to philosophy. Man cherishes his own philosophy because it is something that is close to his heart and out of reach. He needs a philosophy in order for him to live. The cumilative philosophical thoughts of the ages and the ideas of today mix to form a amalgam of ideas which forms the basis of his philosophy and guides him in all his actions in life.

Finance academic activity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Finance academic activity - Essay Example prices of the stocks, there should be also be subsequent changes in the earnings of the company to mark this change in the dividend payout (Chen, 2005). There should also be a revision in the expectations of the market in regards to future earnings that is in the same direction as the change in anticipated dividends. This can be observed in companies across the globe especially in developed markets such as Europe and North America. In this case the earnings of the company can be termed as the average cumulative abnormal return and there will be various samples that will be used for this test. There was a change in the performance in the company after the announcement of the changes in the dividend policy. It was clear that companies that reported an anticipated increase in their dividends reported a return a positive change in their earnings for that year. On the other hand, companies that reported a decrease in their dividends reported lower earnings in that particular year. This can be due to the fact that there was a motivation for the company stakeholders to increase the business operations of the firm as they believe that they are the ones who will benefit from this. Dividend policy may have a predictive power on the future of businesses and these changes have to be closely monitored. Using the stated methods, there has been no relationship that has been established between the dividends and changes in the earnings. Changes in the dividends were not found to have any information about the future one and two year earnings growth.This was tested in a number of samples to try and see if there was a relationship in the dividends and the first and second year earnings. For predictions of the earning in the 1st year, the coefficients in the changes of the dividend were only significant at the 10% level in only about 10% of the sample population. In the earnings of the second year, there was only a slight improvement in the significant level of the coefficients

U.S. Consumer Wages, Income, Wealth and Savings Research Paper

U.S. Consumer Wages, Income, Wealth and Savings - Research Paper Example Wealth is the value of all assets owned by a person, household or nation net of all liabilities owed at a given point. Wealth can be in the form of real estate, businesses, liquid assets, money market funds, stocks, bonds and other securities. However, having great wealth is not an indication of great intelligence. A person, community or country is said to be wealthy if they posses more assets than liabilities (Wolff2 34). People often believe that it is not possible to accumulate wealth unless your earning is high. But in fact it is possible to create wealth on low income and not to have wealth despite a high income. The following are key ways of accumulating wealth (Marquis 14): Avoiding Debts In order to create more wealth one needs to have a net surplus each month. But when one borrows, he or she essentially uses his or her next month’s income to pay for this month’s expenses. Therefore, in order to get wealthy you must first clear your debts because once you are debt free, you can accumulate wealth. Diversification By putting all your shares in one company or even a single sector, you are likely to lose everything you have accumulated incase something goes wrong in that sector. Diversification makes it possible for individuals to have more than one source of income, and so they can have more wealth. Therefore to become wealthy, one must diversify across all categories of investment. Retirement funds It is very hard to work at an older age and make more wealth. Therefore to continue accumulating more wealth, one can save for his or her old age. Another ways of saving for pension is to open an individual retirement or a personal pension account. These may vary in rule but may come in tax breaks which will be a valuable boost for the funds. Emergency saving One should build up emergency savings to cover for any emergencies that may crop up in future. Even th e most prosperous people can hit a bad spell of bad luck such as illness or loss of a job and become in need of money. Therefore, to prepare for these cases one should aside some money that he or she can easily access. Monitoring your investments By monitoring your investments you are in a better place to recognize any losses that are likely to arise from the business you are engaged in. People who lose money that they have invested are those who do not monitor their investments but instead adopt an unthinkingly attitude to their portfolios. Consumer Wages and Income Income is the term that is used to describe the flow of money over a specific period and it is in the form of rates. Income is what people get through work, social welfare and retirement benefits. The United States Bureau of Census defines income as what an individual receives â€Å"on a regular basis before payments for personal income taxes, social security, union dues and medicare deductions†. Some of the fact ors affecting income levels in the US include: profession, education, wealth and race (Ryu and Slottje 67). Most Americans derive their incomes from their jobs. Professional earnings are normally determined by the law of supply and demand. Some professional specialties are normally in high demand but in low supply, thus making their income levels to be high. The complexity of a certain profession also determines the income for an individual. For instance, people who are involved in high-level complex Over the last three years, consumer price wages have had to deal with the issue of inflation, which

Human resourse planning for Leicester city hotel Essay

Human resourse planning for Leicester city hotel - Essay Example With this need can also come the task of finding qualified workers, and dealing with the unfortunate business consequence of having issues with keeping workers on staff for whatever reason or another. With the case of Leicester City Hotel, an accurate human resource accounting will be needed in order to make the projected expansion of the hotel not only a success in the beginning stages, but secure it in order to have the continued success of the venture going into the future. In order to begin the task of planning for the future human resource needs which would inevitably come with the hotel's expansion; first and foremost what should be analyzed is the current state of the business in all forms. The Assignment and Case Study handout by Julie McCann provides a brief background of the hotel as well as its projected expansion and how much will change. Also the problems which are foreseen to arise in not only finding, but also maintaining a staff of qualified professionals who will not only make the expansion a success, but will stay on. This particular hotel, as McCann (2005 pg. 1) explains in her case study, is located in a city of moderate size, and deals with a clientele of business people during the week. During both the summer and holidays times deals with those individuals or families who are away form home on holiday. It is in this section where the author begins to assess the needs, which come up for the hotel during this time, as well as other things. The demand put on a companies service(s) is an essential part in calculating the necessary amount of staff needed for the faster-paced, higher demand times, and what kind of cut backs if any would need to occur or do occur during times of less demand. Overall, companies demand for staff goes up when demand for services goes up, and can also head downward when the demand for services begins to dwindle. In a sense it fits in with the overriding idea of the supply and demand principle. In viewing the expansion of the Hotel, as well as the impending surge in people who will come as a result, it is almost assured that a need for more staff will surely arise. What this will result in is causing a closer look to be taken when it comes to solidifying the chances of a qualified, reliable staff staying with the hotel for a longer period of time. Providing staff for any kind of establishment can be very time consuming, but needs to be done in such a way that the right amount of staff is brought on board. This in return can help make sure that whatever the needs the business has are being met in the time in which they need to be met. When you are running a business that has to operate during set business hours or is set in a specific location, it can often times prove to be challenging in finding staff which can fit in with this kind of set situation. Observing the forthcoming expansion of the hotel which, for all purposes, would ultimately result in an inevitable increase in demand for services. Any kind of inability on the part of the hiring staff in finding workers to fulfill such needs could prove to be a problem for the company in continuing to fulfill such obligations which come with any kind of expansion. Continuing from the previous paragraph, McCann (2005 pg. 1) alludes to the issue of securing quality staff, and what the hotel sees as a lack of qualified potential staff candidates coming out of such local resources as the colleges and universities. In order to best combat this problem, McCann tells the

The Century of the Self Essay Example for Free

The Century of the Self Essay The Century of the Self is a British documentary series in four episodes diffused by BBC four in 2002 and art house cinemas in the US. This documentary was written, realized, produced and directed by Kevin Adam Curtis, an English filmmaker, born in 1955. His work is more of a journalistic work than a director work; indeed his works are based on sociology, philosophy and political history. Adam Curtis won various awards like Golden Gate Persistence of Vision Award at the San Francisco International Film Festival in 2005 or the Alan Clarke Award for Outstanding Contribution to Television at the British Academy Television Awards but The Century of the Self is best-known work. The Century of the Self is a documentary talking about the untold and sometimes controversial story of the development of mass consumer society in Britain and the United States. It shows the evolution of the Western individual, traditional rights to the individual consumer, how that created consumer-king, by whom and for whose interests? This film examines how Freud’s theories of the unconscious shaped the development of PR and advertising; and why psychoanalysis may still appear today as a critical theory of consumerism and social conformity. The word  « consumerism  » can be defined in different ways: ? Refers to all doctrines, actions and organizations dedicated to the defense of the interests of consumers. The most common form of consumerism is the consumer association. His actions cover the areas of protection, information, education and the rights of consumers. Refers to an economic ideology. This is a consumer of goods and services that mutate according to the lifestyle of our society. This is a subtle and insidious notion that we then speak of consumer society. Consumerism is, as such, slammed since the late twentieth century, either by the environmental movement or anti- ads . The first episode of the series is devoted to the relationship between Freud and his American nephew, Edward Bernay. Bernay invented the public relations profession in the 1920s and was the first person to use Freuds ideas to anipulate the masses. He showed American corporations how to make people want things they did not need by linking mass production of consumer goods to their inner desires. Bernay was one of the principal architects of persuasive techniques in mass consumption, using all the tricks of legerdemain (â€Å"every trick in the book ), from celebrity endorsement and public relations blows most outrageous, until the autoeroticism. His most famous coup was breaking the taboo of smoking for women by persuading them that smoking was a symbol of independence and freedom. Bernay was convinced that it was more than just a way to sell more consumer goods. It was a new political idea to control the masses. Satisfying unaware that his uncle had identified irrational desires, people could be made happy and thus docile. To conclude I think the century of the self is the most profound documentary I’ve ever seen and it’s unique because of its ability to show how our society became the way it is today, what emerges is nothing less than a history of 20th-century social control. The Century of The Self explains not alone why the country is the way it is, but why you are the way you are.

Hippocrates, The Father Of Medicine :: essays research papers

Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hippocrates, greatest physician of antiquity, is regarded as the father of medicine. Born on the island of Kos, Greece in the year 460 b.c., says the earliest biography written by Soranus of Ephesus in the a third century a.d. Although a native of Kos he was forced to leave the island as the result of a fire for which he was blamed. He traveled to many other islands to practice medicine. Most of the cases in the two books of Epidemics considered to be genuine are located at Thasos, a small island in the North Aegean Sea, and at Abdera, a town on the adjacent mainland; but there are also references to Cyzicus, on the south coast of the Sea of Marmara, and to Larisa and Meliboea in Thessaly. He died, according to tradition, in Larissa, Greece; little else is known about him. His name is associated wioth the Hippocratic Oath, though he probably is not the author of the document. In fact, of the approximately 70 works ascribed to him in the Hippocratic Collection, Hippocrates may actually have written about six of them. The Hippocratic Collection probably is the remnant of the medical library of the famous Kos school of medicine. His teachings, sense of detachment, and ability to make direct, clinical observations probably influenced the other authors of these works and had much to do with freeing ancient medicine from superstition.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Among the more significant works of the Hippocratic Collection is Airs, Waters, and Places, which, instead of ascribing diseases to divine origin, disusses their environmental causes. It proposes that considerations such as a town's weather drinking water, and site along the paths of favorable winds can help a physician ascertain the general health of citizens. Three other works- Prognostic, Coan Prognosis, and Aphorisms -advanced the then- revbolutionary idea that, by observing enough cases, a physician can predict the course of a disease.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The idea of preventative medicine, first concieved in Regimen and Regimen in Acute Diseases, sterss not only diet but also the patient's general

Math: Mathematics and Nurses

Math and Nursing February 9, 2013 Math and Nursing * My field of study in nursing. Nurses play a vital role in helping doctors care for patients in a variety of settings. In the field of nursing, mathematics is a crucial part of care giving. * Nurses have to use a variety of math concepts on their job everyday. Nurses must have a great knowledge of math to ensure that patients get the correct amount of medication, food and proper care. * The role a nurse plays in healthcare is vital and there is no room for mistakes when it comes to knowing and using math skills.It could be the difference between life and death. * Nurses have to be familiar with statistics when needing to know the side effects of medications and to counsel patients when giving a diagnosis. It is helpful to know statistics of diseases and what a persons outcome may be. * On a daily basis, nurses use algebra when reading charts, calculating medication doses, and reading lab results. * The metric system is most commonly used in the field of nursing. Nurses must be able to convert the metric system to Imperial and U. S. measurements. (Glydon, 2012). A nurse must be able to translate a doctor’s orders given in g, mcg, kg or min. He or she also must calculate these measurements into milligrams per hour to dispense. These measurements are used to test blood, urine, take vital signs and record intake and output of fluids. * For example: Dilantin,  0. 1 g, is ordered to be given through a tube. Dilantin is available as  30 mg  /  5 mL. How much would I, the nurse, give the patient? Using this formula below for calculating volume, I found that I would give the patient 16. 7 mL. Ordered| Have| x  Volume| =   Y (Liquid)| I would need to convert 0. 1 g to mg 0. 1 g x 1,000 = 100 mg 100 mg| 30 mg| | x  5 mL| = 16. 7 mL (Haigh, 2011). | * Nurses use drug calculations when they already know the strength of the medication that the patient needs. Example: If the doctor orders 975 mg of Tylen ol and I have 325 mg tablets, how many will I give the patient? I know that 325 mg = 1 tablet, and I need 975 mg in an unknown number of tablets. I would use an algebra formula such as this one to find how many tablets I would give the patient. 325 mg: 1 tab = 975 mg: x tab 25 mg †¢ x tab = 1 tab †¢ 975 mg 325x = 975 x = 3 I would give the patient 3 tablets. (How to calculate, 2002). In conclusion, the role that math plays in the field of nursing is crucial. Without knowing specific types of math, nurses would not be able to perform essential roles in helping doctors care for patients. Memorizing and using these formulas, equations, and conversions are vital in providing the most responsible health care possible. References Glydon, Natasha. †Medicine and Math†. www. MathCentral. com. N. p. 2012. Retrieved February 1, 2013.Haigh, Steve. â€Å"Helping nursing students prepare for exams†. www. Dosagehelp. com. N. p. Retrieved Jan 25, 2013. â€Å"How to cal culate drug doses†. N. a. www. nursingtimes. net. N. p. Sept. 2002. Retrieved February 1, 2013. Retrieved from: http://www. bing. com/images/search? q=nurse+measuring+meds&qs=n&form=QBIR&pq=nurse+measuring+meds&sc=0-11&sp=-1&sk=. 2009 (image reference) Retrieved from: http://ts3. mm. bing. net/th? id=H. 4513783909452038&pid=1. 7&w=100&h=100&c=7&rs=1. 2011 (image reference)

7-Eleven Store Experiment

Has one ever pondered the possible interest in the typical bustle and commotion of a public venue or its perceivable feel left impressed upon the customers? To truly acquire a fascination of a place or gather a perception of the environment, observation and experience are vital. For a short period of approximately thirty minutes, I observed my former employer, 7-Eleven, in the town of Old Bethpage. I even experienced the point of view of the customer by purchasing a variety of beverages and hot food. Based upon my half an hour spent at the store, I recognized a diverse culture of customers, abnormal activity, and a warm, welcoming ambiance.As my friend and I approached the 7-Eleven store in my silver two-door Honda Civic, I noticed a couple of observations. For example, the retailer was in the process of receiving a vitamin water delivery from two African American males. Also, as this process was underway, the rest of the store was buzzing with business and chatter. The Plainview Wat er District employees, decked out in blue and white shirts with bright yellow safety vests draped over their clothes, had just entered briefly and all the white males exited with each his own large coffee. While realizing the environment outside the venue, I chose a parking spot nearest the corner exit on the East side. My friend Anthony and I decided to purchase some refreshments and feel out the inside of 7-Eleven before surveying for the full time allotted.Amidst entering the building, one couldn't help but feel comfortable and at home. The employees greeted us instantaneously by means of wide smiles and enthusiasm in helping others. One tall worker named Sam persuaded me to try a flavored and even discounted the beverage when I paid. The coffee smelled of flavorful aromas. The aromas that come with fresh, smoldering coffee beans. I could smell hazelnut, french vanilla, and pumpkin spice. After fixing myself a delicious, mouth-watering pumpkin spice coffee with whipped cream and caramel, I also bought tasty, delectable, greasy wings and an Arizona iced tea. Anthony purchased an Arizona iced tea as well along with a fresh pack of Newport cigarettes. We then bid farewell to the employees, manager, and the owner too, and exited the retailer to the old familiar

Profile of Rae Carruth

Profile of Rae Carruth His Early Years Rae Carruth was born in January 1974, in Sacramento, California. As a child and into his teens, he seemed to have a focus; he wanted to be a professional football player. He was a high school All-American and popular with his classmates. Academically he struggled, but eventually he won a sports scholarship to college. His Football Career: Carruth was recruited as a wide receiver at the University of Colorado in 1992. While there, he maintained his point average and had no disciplinary issues. In 1997, the Carolina Panthers selected Carruth in their first-round draft pick. At age 23, he signed a four-year contract for $3.7 million as a starting wide receiver. In 1998, with just one season under his belt, he broke his foot. In 1999, he sprained his ankle and there were rumors that he was becoming a liability to the Panthers. His Lifestyle: Rae Carruth dated many women. Financially, his commitments began to surpass his monthly income. He lost a paternity suit in 1997 and was committed to child support payments of $3,500 a month. He also made bad investments. Money was getting tight and with his injuries, his future concerned him. It was during this time that he learned 24-year old Cherica Adams was pregnant with his child. Their relationship was described as casual and Carruth never stopped dating other women. Cherica Adams: Cherica Adams grew up in Kings Mountain, North Carolina eventually relocating to Charlotte. There she attended college for two years then became an exotic dancer. She met Carruth and the two began dating casually. When she became pregnant, Carruth asked her to have an abortion, but she refused. Her family said she was excited about having a baby, choosing the name Chancellor for her unborn son. She told friends, that after Carruth hurt his ankle, he became distant. The Crime: On Nov. 15, 1999, Adams and Carruth met for a date. This was only their second date since Adams informed Carruth of her pregnancy. They attended a 9:45 p.m. movie at the Regal Cinema in South Charlotte. When the movie was over, they left in separate cars and Adams followed behind Carruth. Within minutes of leaving the cinema, a car drove up along side Adams and one of the occupants began firing his gun directly at her. She was struck with four bullets into her back, damaging vital organs. The 911 Call: Struggling in pain, Cherica dialed 9-1-1. She told the dispatcher what happened and that she felt Carruth was involved in the shootings. With tears from pain, she explained that she was seven months pregnant with Carruth’s child. By the time police arrived, no suspects were to be found and Adams was rushed to the Carolina’s Medical Center. She went into surgery immediately and the doctors were able to save her baby boy, Chancellor Lee, even though he was 10-weeks premature. Dying Declaration: Adams was hanging onto life and somehow found the strength to write out notes based on her recollection of the events that took place during the shooting. In those notes, she indicated that Carruth had blocked her car so she could not escape the deadly bullets. She wrote that Carruth was there during the attack. Based on her notes and other evidence, the police arrested Carruth for conspiring to commit first-degree murder, attempted murder, and shooting into an occupied vehicle. The Charges Change to Murder: Also arrested for involvement in the crime was Van Brett Watkins, a habitual criminal; Michael Kennedy, who was believed to be the driver of the car; and Stanley Abraham, who was in the passenger seat of the car during the shootings. Carruth was the only one of the four who posted a $3 million bond with the agreement that if Adams or the baby died he would turn himself back in to the police. On December 14, Adams died from of her injuries. The charges against the four changed to murder. Carruth Takes Off: When Carruth found out that Adams died, he decided to flee instead of turning himself in, as promised. FBI agents found him in the trunk of a friends car in Wildersville, TN. and placed him back into custody. Up to this point, the Panthers had Carruth on paid leave, but once he became a fugitive, they severed all ties with him. The Trial: The trial took 27 days with testimony from 72 witnesses. The prosecutors argued that Carruth was the one who arranged to have Adams killed because he did not want to pay child support. The defense argued that the shooting was a result of a drug deal that Carruth was supposed to finance, but backed out of, at the last minute. Prosecution turned to the handwritten notes of Adams, that described how Carruth blocked her car so she could not escape from the gunshots. Phone records showed calls made from Carruth to co-defendent, Kennedy, around the time of the shooting. Michael Kennedy refused immunity for his testimony against Carruth. During his testimony, he said that Carruth wanted Adams dead so he did not have to pay child support. He also testified that Carruth was at the scene, blocking Adams car. Watkins, the man accused of shooting the gun, accepted a plea bargain to testify against Carruth in exchange for life instead of the death sentence. The prosecutor did not call him to the stand because of a statement he gave to a sheriff’s deputy that Carruth had nothing to do with the murder. He said Carruth backed out on a drug deal and they followed him to talk to him about it. He said they pulled up to Adams car to find out where Carruth was headed, and Adams made an obscene gesture to them. Watkins said he lost it and just started shooting. The defense decided to call Watkins to the stand, but Watkins denied ever saying anything about it being a drug deal, sticking to his plea agreement. Ex-girlfriend, Candace Smith, testified that Carruth admitted to her that he was involved in the shooting but he didnt pull the trigger. Over 25 people testified on Carruths behalf. Carruth never took the stand. Rae Carruth was found guilty of conspiracy to commit murder, shooting into an occupied vehicle and using an instrument to destroy an unborn child and was sentenced to 18-24 years in prison. Source:Court TVRae Carruth News - The New York Times

A Brief Look at Italian History

A Brief Look at Italian History The history of Italy is characterized by two periods of unity- the Roman Empire (27 BCE–476 CE) and the modern democratic republic formed after the end of World War II. Between those two periods may have been a millennium and a half of division and disruption, but that disruption saw one of the worlds great flowering of art, the Renaissance (circa 1400–1600 CE). Italy, sitting in southwestern Europe, is comprised largely of a boot-shaped peninsula that extends out into the Mediterranean, as well as a region on the core landmass of the continent. It is bordered by Switzerland and Austria to the north, Slovenia and the Adriatic Sea to the east, France and the Tyrrhenian Sea to the west, and the Ionian Sea and the Mediterranean to the south. Italy also includes the islands of Sicily and Sardinia. Roman Empire Between the sixth to third centuries BCE, the Italian city of Rome conquered Peninsular Italy; over the next few centuries, this empire spread to dominate the Mediterranean and Western Europe. The Roman Empire would go on to define much of Europes history, leaving a mark on culture and society that outlasted the military and political machinations of its leadership. After the Italian part of the Roman Empire declined and â€Å"fell† in the fifth century (an event no one at the time realized was so significant), Italy was the target of several invasions. The previously united region broke apart into several smaller bodies, including the Papal States, governed by the Catholic Pope. Renaissance and the Kingdom of Italy By the eighth and ninth centuries, a number of powerful and trading-oriented city-states emerged, including Florence, Venice, and Genoa; these were the forces that incubated the Renaissance. Italy and its smaller states also went through stages of foreign domination. These smaller states were the fertile grounds of the Renaissance, which changed Europe massively once more and owed a lot to the competing states trying to outspend each other on glorious art and architecture. Unification and independence movements throughout Italy developed ever stronger voices in the 19th century after Napoleon created the short-lived Kingdom of Italy. A war between Austria and France in 1859 allowed several small states to merge with Piedmont; a tipping point had been reached and the Kingdom of Italy was formed in 1861, growing by 1870- when the Papal States joined- to cover almost all of what we now call Italy. Mussolini and Modern Italy The Kingdom of Italy was subverted when Mussolini took power as a fascist dictator, and although he was initially skeptical of German dictator Adolf Hitler, Mussolini took Italy into World War II rather than risk losing out on what he perceived as a land grab. That choice caused his downfall. Modern Italy is now a democratic republic and has been since the modern constitution came into effect in 1948. This followed a referendum in 1946, which voted to abolish the previous monarchy by 12.7 million to 10.7 million votes. Key Rulers Julius Caesar c. 100 BCE–44 BCE A great general and statesman, Julius Caesar won a civil war to become both sole ruler of the extensive Roman domains and dictator for life, setting in motion a process of transformation that led to the creation of the Roman Empire. He was assassinated by enemies and is arguably the most famous ancient Roman. Giuseppe Garibaldi 1807–1882 After exile in South America, forced upon him because of his role in an attempted republican revolution, Guiseppi Garibaldi commanded forces in several Italian conflicts of the 19th century. He played an important role in Italian unification when he and his volunteer army of â€Å"Redshirts† captured Sicily and Naples and allowed them to join the Kingdom of Italy. Although Garibaldi fell out with the new king, in 1862, he was offered a command in the U.S. Civil War by President Abraham Lincoln. That never occurred because Lincoln wouldnt agree to abolish slavery at that early date. Benito Mussolini 1883–1945 Mussolini became the youngest-ever prime minister of Italy in 1922, using his fascist organization of â€Å"Blackshirts† to propel him to power. He transformed the office into a dictatorship and allied with Hitler’s Germany, but was forced to flee when World War II turned Italy against him. He was captured and executed.

How Income Inequality Affects Minority Workers

How Income Inequality Affects Minority Workers It’s no secret that white households in the United States take in significantly more income than black and Latino households do, fueling racial inequality. What’s to blame for this discrepancy? It’s not just that whites work in higher paying jobs than their minority counterparts do. Even when whites and minorities both work in the same field- management, for instance- these income gaps don’t disappear. Women and people of color continue to bring home less than white men do because of the pervasiveness of income inequality. A vast amount of research indicates that minority workers are literally being shortchanged in their paychecks. The Effect of the Great Recession The Great Recession of 2007 had an adverse effect on all American workers. For African  American and Hispanic laborers in particular, the recession proved devastating. The racial wealth gap that existed before the economic downturn only widened. In a study called â€Å"State of Communities of Color in the U.S. Economy,† the Center for American Progress (CAP) pinpointed just how much minority employees suffered during the recession. The study found that blacks and Latinos brought in on average $674 and $549, respectively, per week. Meanwhile, whites earned $744 per week, and Asians earned $866 per week during the fourth quarter of 2011. Contributing to this pay gap is that higher numbers of African Americans and Hispanics than whites and Asians worked in jobs that paid minimum wage or less. The amount of black minimum wage workers rose by 16.6 percent from 2009 to 2011, and the number of Latino minimum wage workers rose by 15.8 percent, CAP found. On the other hand, the number of white minimum wage workers rose by just 5.2 percent. The amount of Asian minimum wage workers actually dropped by 15.4 percent. Occupational Segregation In February 2011, the Economic Policy Institute released a paper about racial disparities in income called â€Å"Whiter Jobs, Higher Wages.† The paper suggests that occupational segregation contributes to racial gaps in the pay scale. EPI found that â€Å"in occupations where black men are underrepresented, the average annual salary is $50,533; in occupations where black men are overrepresented, the average annual salary is $37,005, more than $13,000 less.† Black men are extremely underrepresented in â€Å"construction, extraction, and maintenance† jobs but overrepresented in the service sector. Turns out the former employment sector pays quite a bit more than the latter service sector. Disparities Remain When All Else Is Equal Even when African Americans work in prestigious fields, they earn less than whites. Black Enterprise magazine conducted a study which found that blacks with degrees in computer networking and telecommunications will likely earn $54,000, while their white peers can expect to take home $56,000. The gap widens among architects. African American architects average a salary of $55,000, but white architects average $65,000. African Americans with degrees in management information systems and statistics are especially shortchanged. While they typically earn $56,000, whites in the field earn $12,000 more. How Women of Color Are Shortchanged Because they suffer from both racial and gender barriers, women of color experience more income inequality than others. When President Barack Obama declared April 17, 2012, â€Å"National Equal Pay Day,† he discussed the wage discrimination that minority female workers specifically face. He remarked, â€Å"In 2010- 47 years after President John F. Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act of 1963- women who worked full-time earned only 77 percent of what their male counterparts did. The pay gap was even greater for African American and Latina women, with African American women earning 64 cents and Latina women earning 56 cents for every dollar earned by a Caucasian man.† Given that more women of color head households than white women do, these discrepancies in pay are truly worrisome. President Obama said that equal pay is not only a basic right but also a necessity for women who serve as the primary breadwinners in their homes. It’s not just women of color who suffer from wage discrimination, of course. The Economic Policy Institute found that in 2008, black men earned just 71 percent of what Caucasian men earned. While black men earned on average $14.90 per hour, whites earned $20.84 per hour.

Fear and trembling by Soren Kierkegaard Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Fear and trembling by Soren Kierkegaard - Essay Example In his argument, he shows that objectivity falsehood can be revealed by lack of individual obligation. Fear and trembling, written by Soren Kierkegaard provides a description of two people: knight of faith and knight of infinite resignation. According to him, knight of infinite resignation refers to an individual that has had to surrender something they dearly treasure. Among such things are loved ones or a calling that can happen due to unavoidable circumstances in the current world. An Individual in the knight of infinite resignation has to reassign to stated facts and await his death as he lies with the circumstance that renders him impossible to achieve the desired object. Never the less, the individual has hope in the afterlife and still holds on without giving up. He remains hopeful that his aspirations of the commitments that are supposed to define his life will be granted in the afterlife. In his argument in knight of faith, Kierkegaard goes beyond his description of faith pe rsonalities in knight of infinite resignation. Both interpretations of faith ensure that the prospected individual has to surrender a valuable item that they treasure and is essential in providing a meaning in their lives. However, their difference is that the knight of faith has the belief that they will posses again all that they treasured and lost, an aspect identified as the absurd’s strength. He has the trust that regaining his treasured items will not have to happen in the afterlife but in the temporality life of the finite world. On the other hand, Concluding Unscientific Postscript conceives correspondence in objects and thoughts in both transitive and symmetrical ways. Kierkegaard argues that true objects could correspond to these ideas. In depth, he explains the manner in which objective truth differs from subjective truth. Explaining that objective truth is an outer truth and subjective truth an inner truth, he shows the entire writing as a philosophical method of reasoning that has the aim of gaining truth. Although Kierkegaard elaborates on faith, his interpretation in these two writings is dissimilar. Whereas Knight of faith and knight of infinite resignation provides an account of faith in requisites of conviction in the absurd, concluding unscientific postscript proves that faith is the contradiction amid vast passion of individuals’ inwardness and the purpose uncertainty. He identifies the former aspects as the only two steps that used in the development of real faith, but states in the latter that truth is all about subjectivity. Concluding unscientific postscript is explained in a major contrast of objectivity and subjectivity. Objectivity entails science, history, speculative philosophy, and they lack any relationship with the knower’s existence. Subjectivity is not inclusive of any worldly perceptions, but involves occurrences and introspections that have a single relationship with the Creator. On the other hand, knigh t of faith and the knight of infinite resignation show major aspects of freedom related to individualism in major choices of life. Kierkegaard uses the story of a lad falling and staying in love with a princess despite knowing that his expectations are impossible in showing some choices that different people make. The knight of faith presents faith in the form of a paradox that explains the difficulties involved in reconciling with logic. This is explained using the knight of faith where logic does not appear in the manner he trusts that he will gain his commitment in the present world. However, he still holds on to his belief complying with the aspect named above: the aspect of strength of the absurd. This is considered paradoxical