Life Is What You Make It Essay

Playâ€Å" LIFE â€Å" A marvellous journey, a joyous song; smells of roses but also pricking thorns. A fairy tale or an interesting story long; yes this is life, take it, as it comes along. For a moment one is on success hunches; next day may be in disaster trenches. Reaping today the crops of joy, tomorrow the land may be barren and dry. Surrounded now by madding crowd; big gang of people but don’t feel proud. Later he may be a mourning loner; with none to love in the life fair. Endowed with success, do not go too high; flip of coin and good luck may defy. Also face the challenges with a smile; as even the darkest clouds will pass by. Life is continuity,no buttons to pause; a school but unknown is level of class. It cons you with the problems; but hidden in it are all the keys and solution. No absolutes or formulae for it are known; change is what every day shown. Stocked with loads of energy piecemeal; that fills it with enthusiasm and zeal. It has a few painful separations; but also some strengthening bonds of relation. It has myriad colours and emotions; sorrow and joy in equal sessions. SO†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Share, care and love your dears; no point in clinging on to your fears. For trifling grudges it is too short; do not let the failures you to thwart. Never hurt others, choices might distract; just sincerely follow your heart. Even amidst the agony never fret; do the best with what you get. Do not lose hope, keep learning new skill; march forward, life is a total thrill. Live without inhibition; as life is about surprises and wonderment. Instead of logic trust your intuition; have daily goals be it health or relation. Commit mistakes, you have every right; face it courageously with all the might. Do not envy but live uncluttered; fall in love anytime u want with whatever. First learn to enjoy and use the present; life will be then much more pleasant. So just a small adage to say; life is nothing but a stage play. Live every moment as it unfolds; each day is a new chapter to be told. Inevitable, lively and unpredictable; this trek of life is really adventurous. Nothing ventured, nothing gained is what they say; so go ahead and have your share of play†¦

The Relationship Between Religion and Morality

Morality (sometimes called â€Å"true morality† or â€Å"high morality†) should be distinguished from those rules which are simply those which are considered necessary for the efficient running of a society. Such rules of a society are enshrined in law, custom and convention; and are supported and enforced by society through the legal system and public opinion. These rules are usually obeyed because of self-interest, a kind of â€Å"social contract† in which, for example, we agree not to steal from anyone else in the society if they agree not to steal from us. In very early societies these social rules were supported by religion, and presented as behaviour which the gods insisted humans obeyed. It is arguable that some (ie numbers 5-9) of the Ten Commandments (13th Century BCE) are just such social rules. However such a system of social rules may break down, particularly in a secular or pluralistic society. For example some people may consider that the society in which they live is unfair, and only benefits certain groups in it; or the legal system may be too inefficient to prevent other people stealing. In such situations individuals may think it is no longer beneficial for them to continue to agree to the social contract, and then there would be no compelling reason why they should continue to obey society's laws. What we consider to be true morality is different from social rules in two important respects: 1. It is based on real concern for others as human beings of equal value to ourselves 2. Our motivation for behaving morally is that such behaviour is â€Å"right† and we feel we â€Å"ought† to do it, even when it is inconvenient to ourselves. Is Morality dependent upon Religion? The evidence to support this view is: * All religions insist upon a moral code as a central part of the religious life. * Even non-religious people when discussing where ethical values came from will refer to religious sources, such as the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20. 2-17), or the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5. 3- 7.27). * When people (eg newspaper reporters) require an expert opinion on moral issues they will ask religious leaders. * People expect higher standards of moral behaviour from religious people (a story of an adulterous vicar is more likely to appear in the newspapers that a similar tale about a bank manager – unless, of course, the latter is a churchwarden!). * Even in our largely secular society, â€Å"high† morality is often referred to as â€Å"having Christian values†. * When people talk of someone being â€Å"a good Christian† they are usually referring to their moral behaviour (ie how they treat others) and not to their doctrinal orthodoxy (ie whether they hold the traditional Christian beliefs). * True morality sprung up within religion. Arguably the first clear and unequivocal expression of true morality was the insistence by the Israelite prophet Amos in the 8th Century BCE that Yahweh (God) required honesty, truth and justice among his people more than religious observances (sacrifices, etc): â€Å"Even though you offer me [Yahweh] your burnt offerings†¦I will not accept them;†¦but let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream† (Amos 5.22-4). * No society developed morality without having developed religion first, and all morality was originally proclaimed in the name of religion. It could be asserted, therefore, that morality is a product of religion, and true morality can only derive from religion. * Conscience can be interpreted as the voice of God telling us what is right and wrong. * It can be argued that even when societies lose their interest in practising a religion, they still maintain the moral values which that religion originally instilled into the society. Thus it can be claimed that in Britain today, where about 1 person in 30 is a practising Christian, the moral values which the society proclaims, believes in and tries to live by are Christian moral values (secularised). * It can be claimed that people will not chose to be moral unless encouraged to do so by religion. Is Morality independent from Religion? The evidence to support this view is: * Religions existed for many thousands of years before they developed a real morality. This suggests that morality is not an essential part of religion. * Atheists and agnostics, who do not believe in or follow any religion, can still live truly moral lives, with a selfless compassion for other humans. * Whole societies (eg China and the former Soviet States) can be officially atheistic, and there is no evidence that such countries or governments are necessarily more wicked than ones which claim to be religious states. * The origin of moral values can be explained in terms of Evolutionary Ethics (ie as societies develop and become more complex and sophisticated so social rules become more demanding, evolving into true morality). * Conscience can be explained in other ways (eg Sigmund Freud's concept of the internalisation of parental norms). * Agriculture, families, medicine and learning all developed within a religious context, as did morality. They have now all entered the secular domain, and are considered independent of religion, so the fact that morality developed in a religious context does not mean that it is necessarily dependent upon religion. * Plato posited the â€Å"Euthyphro Dilemma† which raised the question that good must be independent of God, or there would be no way of knowing if God's commands were actually good or not. Can we come to some kind of conclusion? How you evaluate the above evidence, and the conclusion you come to about where the balance of the evidence lies is something you have to do for yourself; but you must do it honestly, thoughtfully and intelligently. You may like to consider the following thoughts: * All people have some kind of beliefs concerning the nature of humanity, what is of real importance and value, and what one should do with ones life. * Religious people will refer to these beliefs as their religion, and associate with groups of like-minded people who share the same religion. Atheists and agnostics will tend to refer to their beliefs as their philosophy of life, and may consider them a more individual matter. * These beliefs (whatever we call them) affect our behaviour, and we legitimately judge a person's philosophy of life by how it affects their moral decisions and actions. * So ones beliefs determine ones morality.

Central Teachings Essay Example for Free (#2)

Central Teachings Essay The central teachings of Islam are oneness of God and of humanity; prophethood and the compass of Islam; human relationship to the divine; belief in the unseen life; and belief in the Last Judgment (Fisher, 2005). Oneness of God and of humanity Islam teaches that there is only one God. This is why the first words spoken to a Muslim infant are the words of the Shahadah – â€Å"la ilaha ill-Allah Muhammad-un Rasulu-llah† (â€Å"There is no god but God, and Muhammad is the Messenger of God†). According to Muslims, God may be called by many names, but all the attributes assigned to those different names only make up the totality of the One God who created the universe. They contend that there must be absolute unity among all men of all races because they were all created by only one God and should therefore be brothers under the same God. Stretching this argument further, Islam maintains that no one race should be considered the chosen race, nor be considered superior than other races. Islam teaches that the individual should be one with God, therefore his or her thoughts and deeds should always be inspired by God. This oneness of God and of humanity was very emphatically expressed by Abu Hashim Madami, an Indian Sufi sage, when he said that â€Å"There is only one thing to be gained in life, and that is to remember God with each breath; and there is only one loss in life, and that is the breath drawn without the remembrance of God† (Fisher. 2005). Prophethood and the compass of Islam All the prophets from Abraham to Jesus Christ are honored, but they maintain that Muhammad was the last prophet sent by God with the final message. This means, therefore, that the Qur’an sums up all the messages from God so Islam should include all religions, including Christianity and Judaism which also trace their roots to Abraham (Fisher, 2005). Muslims believe that although God sent many messengers namely: â€Å"Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, Jesus and Muhammad,† the message He revealed to Muhammad was the final message intended for all of mankind (Robinson, 2007). Human relationship to the divine They believe that God created the universe for a specific purpose or purposes. To achieve His purpose/s, He set down particular laws to govern the actions of everybody. For this reason, Islam maintains that man could live in peace and prosperity only if he recognizes the laws which were set by God and faithfully abide by them. The set of laws of Islam is called the Sharia Law which has been derived from the Qur’an and the Sunna, which has been considered as the Islamic â€Å"custom or practice; particularly that associated with the exemplary life of the Prophet Muhammad, comprising his deeds and utterances as recorded in the hadith† (Robinson, 2007). Belief in the unseen life They accept the existence of the unseen life such as angels. Specifically, they believe in Gabriel, whom they have credited with bringing down the messages of God to humanity. Muhammad, for one, related that the revelations were sometimes brought to him by an angel in human form who would recite the Qur’anic passages to him. They likewise believe that Satan exists just as they believe that there are saints. Belief in the Last Judgment For them, the Last Judgment means that dead Muslims are allowed some rest before being raised from the grave for the final reckoning, after which the sinners and the unbelievers are sent to hell (Fisher. 2005). Those who lived their lives on earth believing in Allah and his prophets and messengers would enter paradise while â€Å"Agnostics, Atheists, Polytheists, and followers of non-Abrahamic religions† would be rejected. Entry into Paradise, according to Muslims, would likewise be denied to all those whose lives were dominated by â€Å"evil deeds† (Robinson, 2007). Central Teachings. (2017, May 29).

Research Methods in Health Science A Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Research Methods in Health Science A - Essay Example However, when the area of research is more abstract i.e. involves looking at trends or measuring human perceptions and beliefs on a particular aspect that might be vital for health issues, a qualitative approach is the only method available which can lead to any conclusive inference. Statistical tools have been developed which allow classification, tabulation and grouping of even qualitative data into comprehensible forms which can lead to entirely valid inferences. Qualitative research involves comprehension of complex factors contributing to a particular phenomenon and numerous factors have to be identified, standardized and transformed into some measurable form before they can be evaluated to gain insight into the particular aspect being researched. Although considered unscientific by skeptics, as it lacks the experimental and observational approach followed in quantitative research which believes in the evidence generated by repeatable experiments yielding consistent data in biom edical sciences, it has gained belief in scientific circles during the last few decades due to the complex human, social, cultural and other factors influencing health in its entirety (Pope & Mays, 2006). Normal health or success of a particular medical procedure cannot be ruthlessly related to the success of a particular mode or procedure of therapy by its proven 100% success rate suggested by quantitative experimental data. Myriad factors, such as the psychological state of the patient, the manner in which the healthcare providers interact with the patient, family, economic and social standing of the patient and multiple other factors might be contributing in a significant manner. Such factors can only and only be evaluated by qualitative research. In order to evaluate the influence of such abstract factors, the right question has to be framed before any research strategy can be developed. It has to be assured that the research is conducted employing a design which can generate re sults which can be generalized within and without the applicable population. A prime example of a phenomenological qualitative study is the one recently conducted in Sweden, wherein the authors’ have tried to role of prenatal education from the perspective of the male parent regarding their role as primary caregivers immediately following birth (Erlandsson & Haggstrom-Nordin, 2010). Either parent’s opinion, irrespective of the sex is a complex collection of cultural background, personal education, experience and aptitude, which are difficult to evaluate using quantitative methodology as such things are not measurable. As the study has been conducted in an exclusive country i.e. Sweden, it can be assumed that the cultural background is free of any particular bias. The authors’ have sought to identify the concepts within the fathers’ minds about the topics covered in prenatal education especially after firsthand experience after childbirth and the difficult ies encountered thereafter. The framing of the research question by the authors’

Appointment of Supreme Court Judges Literature review

Appointment of Supreme Court Judges - Literature review Example Of course, the qualification, experience, and decision-making capabilities are also analyzed and form an integral part of the appointment process. Almost everyone would maintain that the appointment of Supreme Court Judges should not be made using the above criteria as this violates the principles of independence. A Supreme Court is the highest judicial bench in the country and as such, the decisions should be taken on merit; without prejudice to any person, belief, or religion; and after careful analysis of all evidence. However, if the appointments are made based on personal preferences, the decisions may be skewed towards the state and according to the desires of the President's office. This creates the controversy that the Supreme Court is not as independent as one would like it to be. '''The biggest damn fool mistake I ever made,'' Dwight D. Eisenhower said of his appointment of Chief Justice Earl Warren, who discomfited him with the Brown v. Board of Education ruling ordering desegregation of public schools, and other liberal opinions. Harry S. Truman was even more scathing about Justice Tom C. Clark, a Truman appointee who voted  Ã‚  against his 1952 seizure of the steel industry to avert a strike.’ (Purdum 2005).

To improve customer satisfaction through customer journey experience Research Paper

To improve customer satisfaction through customer journey experience in retail banking of a local bank - Research Paper Example The project would review the impact of these two concepts on customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. Service quality is a central element to the success of businesses. This is because quality is often inherent in the nature and structure of the level of satisfaction that customers attain in accessing services (Parker, 2010). This implies that the success and failure of a given company depends on how well they meet service quality requirements and expectations. Service quality makes customers satisfied. This provides a strong case for customers to remain loyal to a company and its brands (Sigala, 2008). Customer relationship management is therefore a tool for the creation of a strong connection and bond with its customers. This relationship is steeped in service quality and it leads to customer loyalty. According to Sigala (2008), customer relationship management is essential for the survival of businesses. Customer relationship management enables a company to build a long term link with its customers and convert them to returning clients. Another research states that it costs up to seven times more to attract a new client than to convert an existing customer to a returning customers (Parker, 2010). This means that customer relationship management is important and vital in cutting down costs and at the same time, promoting a firms operations. Customer relationship management provides a structured means through which maintains a link with its customer. This helps the company to optimize its relationship with the customers and use the best systems to continue to remain in touch with the customers. Another school of thought presented by OReilly and Paper, 2012) is that customer relationship management providers an avenue for the maintenance of a satisfactory quality level. Customer relationship management enables a business to operate to meet the best

HIV in Nursing Issue according to Different Research Works Annotated Bibliography

HIV in Nursing Issue according to Different Research Works - Annotated Bibliography Example Even if the study of Taher and Abdelhai (2011) refers to a specific part of the population, the nurses, it could be effectively used for controlling the expansion of HIV in various social and professional groups. The research conducted by Taher and Abdelhai (2011) was divided into three phases: in the first phase, the two nursing groups were asked to complete a questionnaire (p.145). During the ‘health education intervention’ (p.145) that followed, nurses were given material related to HIV. After the completion of the above program, nurses were asked to complete another questionnaire (p.145). The comparison of the pre-session and after-session questionnaires helped the researchers to identify the role of IEC programs in controlling the expansion of HIV among nurses. It was proved that the intervention led to the increase of awareness of nurses in regard to HIV. An important increase of the general knowledge score was reported: From 7.29 before the intervention to 8.01 after the intervention (p.146). Also, undergraduates seemed to be more benefited by the intervention than the postgraduate nurses (p.146). The IEC programs can be effective in controlling the expansion of HIV within various social groups. The perceptions of nurses on caring and communicating with people that suffer from HIV can influence the performance of nurses in regard to the above activities. It is probably for this reason that Stavropoulou et al. (2011) have decided to focus on the particular subject. A key issue, also explored in the study mentioned above, is a potential effect on education on caring for people with HIV. The research has been conducted through a questionnaire. The questionnaire was distributed to nurses of the Technological Educational Institution of Crete, Greece. In total, 100 questionnaires were completed (p.291). A high percentage of the participants, about 40%, stated concerns for caring people with HIV (p.291).  

Globalization has generated more problems than benefits for society Research Paper

Globalization has generated more problems than benefits for society - Research Paper Example However, in this process, the world is losing many of its cultures (Thirlwall & Penelope, pp. 320-322, 2008). Quite understandably, countries with greater economic power are destroying and suppressing other cultures. Furthermore, with the development and progress, that globalization has given to the world; people are increasingly becoming ignorant of the social, moral, and ethical values, which once were the important part of our lives. After this brief introduction, the rest of the paper will try to explore the side effects, disadvantages, or harms of globalization. Discussion Proponents of globalization believe that globalization has given great development and progress to the world including the improvement in the quality of the lives of people and their incomes. However, the truth is that much of this development has been irregular, biased, or skewed. There are still many parts in the world, which are deprived of the basic needs and resources. More than 80 percent of the worldâ⠂¬â„¢s resources rest with the 20 percent of people in the world. If globalization has done anything, that would be the unequal distribution of wealth and increasing the gap between rich and poor (Eriksen, pp. 27-28, 2007). Furthermore, also important here is to note the fact that the costs which the world has paid for this economic development are huge. More than 80 percent of the world’s forests are no longer there. We have lost billions of animals and plant species. The humans have destroyed the ozone, triggered global warming and all these continue. When we leave this planet for our children, it would be much worse than what we had received from our parents and globalization is to blame for this (Scholte, pp. 158-159, 2008). With globalization and increasing disparities of income, there are chances that these may lead to more and more military conflicts in the world. In fact, they have already led the world into many wars. With the rise of eastern and Asian countries such as China, Japan, Malaysia, India and others, the west is feeling the heat for the competition of the world’s resources. There are all the chances that this competition may lead to conflicts and tensions between countries (Steger, pp. 146, 2009). It is also important to note that globalization is quickly forcing us towards the end of individuality. With one global village and suppression of local cultures, we are moving towards the world where there would be only one color left in the world. Standardization has become the order of the day. Despite the fact that globalization started with creativity and innovation but it appears that now it leading us to stagnation of creativity and ideas (Thirlwall & Penelope, pp. 320-322, 2008). One of the biggest blows that the world received due to globalization was in the form of the recent financial crisis. This financial crisis started in the United States due to mishaps in the accounting practices of a few banks and financial instituti ons, bursting of the housing bubble, unrealistic credit policies, bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers, liquidity crisis and other reasons, but it affected almost every country in the world. This is because of the fact that with exports, imports, stock exchanges, foreign direct investments, bonds and

The Clinical Practice Council Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Clinical Practice Council - Essay Example The Clinical Practice Council In keeping with the present increasing development in the healthcare service of the modern healthcare institutions, it becomes more essential to develop the operations as well as to exploit advanced methods to provide an ultimate satisfaction to each patient. With regard to the responsibilities and services of these two groups, this paper intends to briefly describe the main groups’ functions and the roles of their leaders. Moreover, the paper will also focus on describing decision making process and identifying roles and responsibilities that are observed among the members of each group. In addition, the different roles of each individual member in each group have also been highlighted within the discussion. Purpose of Each Group The Clinical Practice Council focuses on providing evidence-based practice in clinical nursing activities in order to implement an advanced nursing practice for each client within the organization. The support group considerably engages to maintain an advanced clinical nursing practice as well as reliable patient care programs in keeping with American Nurses Association Scope and Standards of Practice. In contrast, A.A. is a relatively small support group which focuses on practising various effective ways preventing alcohol addiction. The group is a worldwide fellowship of men and women which is structured with around 25 members. ... The leader of this group has to make an effective decision of developing policies through depending upon the appropriate recommendations from the members of the group (Queensland Govt., 2012). In this context, the leader of the group provides a topic for discussion with the members and identifies the appropriate solutions of the raised issues. In the similar context, the role of the leader in A.A is to focus on the presentation of the members communicating in order to motivate and renounce alcohol addiction. In order to motivate the members, the leader of this group guides an effective method of communicating by encouraging the participants to talk freely and in an orderly way. The leaders also listen carefully to the problems of the participants and come up with proper solution and motivation for encouraging the participants to carry on their fights against alcohol addiction. Decision Making Process of Each Group The decision making process can be considered as one of the major step s for the leader in order to direct his/her team towards an effective and efficient way to achieve the goals and the objectives of the team. Moreover, the decision making process is also a crucial step for an organization in terms of identifying appropriate initiatives for the organization and enhancing performance of the team members in order to effectively achieve competitive advantage with the organizational offerings (Edwards & Elwyn, 2009). According to the observation of the case, it can be stated that the leaders of both the groups are significantly contributing by providing an effective support in order to enhance their performance to offer healthcare services to the patients. In the

Environment degradation Essay Example for Free

Environment degradation Essay This is the deterioration of the environment through depletion of resources for instance water, soil and even air. In environmental degradation, the ecosystem is destroyed and wildlife undergoes extinction. There are many forms of environmental degradation that are of negative impact to agriculture. For instance, when habitats are destroyed, biodiversity is lost and natural resources are depleted. The environment is most affected as organisms which give it life are no more (Schertenleib, Forster Belevi, n. d). The earthworms that enrich soil fertility are killed by soil pollution. This means that if earthworms are all eliminated, the soil will not be fertile. The degradation of the environment can occur naturally, or through human processes which includes different kinds of pollution. Areas of concern in the same concept are loss of rain forests, air pollutions and the ozone depletion. The marine environment is also affected. These kinds of pollutions are known to occur all over the world and the blame is on the people themselves for the activities they carry out. This has poisoned the planet’s oceans and even the remote areas. Major disasters like oil spills have ruined the local environment. All these hazards can be curbed by individuals by stopping the constant pollution of the environment. To some extents, different organizations have been formed to help rehabilitate locations that have been affected. One way to do this is urban agriculture. With urban agriculture, the environment can be conserved since the wastes from industries can be converted to be fertilizers in the farms around the cities. Statistical facts It is estimated that 50% of the world’s populations live in cities (UNFPA, 2007). In the cities, most populations settle there for various reasons such as studies and seeking for employment. As economic pressures mount, the urban population engages in urban agriculture as labor is available with large population in urban centers. The growing of crops and rearing of animals in the urban areas has become common. About 800 million people are involved in urban agriculture world wide and this has contributed to the feeding urban residents (Schertenleib, Forster Belevi, n. d). It is definite that with food production or rather the general production of farm outputs, the city residents can get a plenty supply of food in their respective areas of residence. With large populations in the cities and with plenty food products from urban agriculture, there will not be any instance of food deficiency. Urban residents with low income spend between 40 percent and 60 percent of their income on food every year (RUAF, n. d). The only remedy to this is that these low income residents can start practicing urban agriculture to supplement the expenditures on food. If they participate in urban agriculture, they will be able to save up to 60% of their incomes at the end of each year (Neondo, 2003). The money they would have spent on buying food can be saved and used to develop other areas of the economy. This means a lot of to the growth of the economy of the particular country. It is expected that by 2015, about 26 cities in the world will have a population of 10 million or even more (FAO, n. d). To be able to manage these populations, countries are obliged to concentrate in urban agriculture because they have little choices left. It is therefore encouraged for urban dwellers to practice heavily on urban agriculture, with an objective of keeping the country away from food shortage come 2015(FAO, n. d). 2. The spectrum of urban agriculture and the function of relevant organizations Urban agriculture has some aspects that distinguish it from rural agriculture. One of them is the fact that it is integrated into the urban economic and ecological system. It is evident that urban agriculture is embedded in the urban ecosystem of which it interacts with. Such linkages involve using urban residents as laborers and the use of typical urban resources for instance organic waste as compost and urban waste water for irrigation. In urban agriculture, there is a direct link with urban consumers and direct positive and negative impacts on urban ecology (Amin, 2002). Urban agriculture is also characterized by being part of the urban food system and competing for urban land with other urban functions. It is also influenced by other urban policies and plans. Some of the organizations that influence urban agriculture both directly and indirectly are Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Community Food Security Coalition (CFSC), Urban and Peri-urban Agriculture (UPA), and the Resource Centers on Urban Agriculture and Food Security (RUAF Foundation)

Innovation in E-commerce: Operation and Logistics

Innovation in E-commerce: Operation and Logistics Innovation in E-commerce with New Trial Service Rohit Meena Introduction An e-commerce is the facility or service, which provide customers the service to buy products online on the Internet. Today In India and other countries e-commerce is being used for getting products online easier and faster. In the 21th century e-commerce comes with the new revolutionary concept-people can get their products online from many brands. Purchasing and selling of products has become very easier due to e-commerce. Communication from one seller to other seller provides different product and varieties in the market. One of the biggest challenges faced by the e-commerce industry is that most of the people are often unsure of their sizes and how their online purchase clothes will fit in real life. I’m trying to solve this problem by providing actual physical trial service for people trying to buy apparel online. This service helps customers to make purchasing decisions. Many people can get confused about their sizes or color choice and they prefer to buy products in the store. Trial Concept is a strategy of marketing which increases consumer satisfaction for online shopping. When consumer orders their product from the online site and gets size problem or other product visualization problem, this type of problem decreases the online sales because people do not want to buy again those stuff which comes with size problems. Trial Concept will make high demand in the market because it comes with the market demand calculation according to the trial demand. Basically, it will also help to consumer for getting their product to be available in the store. High demand of products in the market creates unavailability of products. Product quality and sizing problems will be solved by the trial option. In the future this feature will increase retail sales. The trial system will encourage people who have never shopped online before to try out online shopping by removing the restriction of size and fit confusion. Secondary Literature In the 21th Century People more and more are shopping online. Studies have shown that e-commerce sales grew 15 percent in 2012, which is several times more than average retail industrys spending growth. 80 percent of the sales in this industry are still taking place within the four walls. Even though a majority of apparel shoppers visit the retailers website, research the product online, or read reviews before making purchase, only a few actually buy the product online. Most people who do buy clothes online are likely to buy an item only after they have already tried it on in a store or seen someone else wear it before. This is especially true among women. Not knowing the quality of the product and having to wait for the product to arrive may affect the shoppers decision to buy clothes online, but the biggest problem I see preventing a shopper from buying clothes online is not being able to visualize how the product will look on her/him body. If the retailers can address this issue, the concerns like the quality of the product and the shipping time can easily be fixed. I agree that people want to feel, see, and try the product before they buy; and e-commerce sites can not provide that real experience of touching the product, but with improved technology and larger, better quality pictures, shoppers can get a pretty good idea of the quality. Plus the free shipping and free returns already being offered by many e-commerce retailers will give shoppers the option to experience the products without leaving their house. Retailers could not be able to solve fit issues on the Internet. Fit issues are the main reasons of customers that create d o not feel excited about buying clothes online. E-commerce retailers can attract people if they can address their practical issues that are keeping many probable customers from shopping for clothes. Advanced digital technologies like the virtual fitting room software that provide the shopper better fit experience than the two dimensional pictures. But not every retailer can afford those expensive technology and not every shopper is willing to spend the time it takes for them to upload the picture (or whatever else is required to let the software know their bodys dimensions or size) and drag/select each product they want to try on and wait for the results. It is easier and time saving for the shopper to just clicks the size she/he wants to see on picture and get done. It may not give her/him the enhanced experience of three-dimensional virtual fitting, but it will give her/him a pretty good idea of how she/he can expect to look on those products. But a virtual fitting room is the lack of uniformity in apparel sizing. It is the biggest problem of the apparel industry right now. Each manufacturer has its own sizing standard. And, within each manufacturer, there are size variation d epending on the fabric, style, and so many other factors. It is simply impossible for those software to accommodate all manufacturers sizing standards, which means majority of new and smaller brands can not be represented. To conclude, with help of general sizing guides posted by the retailers on their e-commerce site, the shopper may know what size of any particular item she/he should buy; but she/he can not visualize the product on her/him body if the model is not representative of her/him size. Fabrics behave differently depending on how they are woven, knitted, treated and finished. That means the products stretch ability; molding and yielding property varies depending on many factors. The same shirt can look totally different on women or men of different sizes. Women or men want to see if the product is going to fir or not. Therefore, many people prefer to try the item on their body before they buy it. Working of the concept The process of trial service includes all shops of specific brand. This trial feature distributes the goods from one place to other place according to the consumer demand or request when a consumer browses his/her product online. It will work faster compare to taking trial or finding shops of product. Trial service modifies the design of transportation for better service. When consumer rejects their product on the store, the retailer will sell the product; but in many situations consumers demand are different so trial service has to connect with all stores or warehouses. Cost factor for the transfer of goods matter a lot for the product cost. I am not sure that this idea will be accepted by every industry because many times it will not be possible to deliver every goods on the location, but my concept connects store to store. If consumer bought some product and he won’t be able to get this product within the deliver time, my service will deliver goods to the nearest the store. Consumers time will be saved by this feature: the consumer will get his/her product from the nearest store. Explanation of the concept Trial Concept clears many issues for the online shopping. Some times retailers complain that customers come in their shop for only trying clothes and retailers cannot charge for trying clothes in their shops so the idea of trial shopping solved the retailer’s problem. My concept for the online shopping related to customer satisfaction secures more online shopping. This idea will work with the official site of brands and chains. Users can easily go online and shop for items. If people want to see or check that product will fit or not, trial option works as a feature. This option takes four sizes and color of the product or consumer can order multiple choices at the one time but the multiple choice products will be limited. A consumer will be able to give five products for the trial at the one time. Some time retailers may not have stock all collection in the store so consumer faces problem for their choice product so the trial option will only provide the product available in t he store. If consumer wants that product to get home delivered because at the trial time consumer wasn’t able to purchase that product, he can do so. Consumer will get only one-day time period for the trial and trial-purchase. Trial date and time will be sent by the customer care department to customers cell or email. Basically this idea gives opportunity to customer if he/she is not getting product on store in some areas. Communication of the one store to other store from the storage warehouse makes transfer of goods easier but the trial facility create some changes in the transfer of goods because suppose in one area there are two-three shops which do not have stock of high demand goods. Trial system will calculate the product demand from the consumers according to the same product’s trial demand. So the trial system will help to the company for the area’s product demand. Example: in Lucknow, winter season is going on so people definitely buy cold clothes in t he winter weather. If there are five shops of Tommy Hilfiger in the city and they have limited stock of sweaters. But the city people demand of Tommy products is high so the trial system will calculate the demand and provide stocks to these city shops. Trial system maintains the transportation cost because every week stores get their products from the warehouse anyway, so the trial will send by the warehouse. Conclusion E-commerce platform has increased every year with new techniques of customer service. It’s necessary to catch consumer attraction for online shopping. In this competitive market every company should provide the latest techniques for high sales growth. The supply chain system should cover high demand or supply facility in minimum time. Customer survey for e-commerce can show that how online shopping can recover the unsatisfied customer with the newer services. Online issues related to payment, product specification, unavailability of the product, etc. create many unsatisfied customers. Trial service will be able to get more satisfaction and give advantage to online shoppers with regard to ordering high price products with the secure belief.

Remember Me :: essays papers

Remember Me Throughout life you will meet many different people. Some of them you will forget in a matter of minutes. Others you might think about every now and then, wondering how life is treating them. Then there are the people that touch you in some way. Maybe just because they smile at you everyday, maybe they are there for you at times when no one else is, or maybe they did something special for you that was greatly appreciated. Whatever the reason, there are always people out there that you will remember. I am an ordinary seventeen year old girl. I have posters of cute guys hanging on my bedroom walls and my favorite stuffed animals rest on my bed. My closet is full of clothes, half of which I don’t wear, but it’s full just the same. I have a house, a car, more friends than I ever asked for, and a good life. However, all of these things do not make me. I am a thoughtful teenager, striving so hard to grow up and yet, still so full of dreams. My biggest dream of all is to be remembered. I want to touch people in such a way that they will never forget who I am. I want them to tell their grandchildren stories about me and for them to tell their grandchildren and so on. That way, I’ll still be alive years after I actually die. However, this will be very difficult. I don’t know where to start in my quest for being remembered. Everyday I wake up, take a shower, get dressed, brush my teeth, and do whatever I have planned for the day. That’s certainly nothing to be remembered for, but it is only how I begin my day. If I go to school, I get in my little black Tracker and drive up 741 to the parking lot. I pull into spot 41, get out, throw my bag over my shoulder, and go into the building. It’s a rare occasion that there isn’t a smile on my face throughout the day. I go to my friends and ask them how they’re doing. I know they can count on me to sincerely listen. I’ve worked hard for many years to become a good listener. If I go to work, I maintain a smile as well.

Female Genital Mutilation Essay -- essays research papers fc

Female Genital Mutilation: Barbaric Custom or Cultural Rite â€Å"I was shaking out of my skin with fear. I sat at Netsent’s head so she couldn’t cry out. The circumciser began to cut with a razor blade. She cut everything: the clitoris, the inner and outer labia. There was so much blood!† This is an excerpt from an article that appeared in Marie Claire in April 2003. The speaker is a girl by the name of Genet Girma, an Ethiopian, describing the conditions under which her sister Netsent was forced to have her genitalia removed. Each year, two million girls undergo the devastating and disfiguring practice of genital cutting (Goodwin 157). Genital cutting, widely known as Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), is the practice of cutting away parts of the external female genitalia. Although many people may see FGM as barbaric and dangerous, most of those who practice it see FGM as a religious rite and as a deeply rooted cultural practice. The three broad categories of FGM are clitoridectomy, excision and infibulation. The mildest form of FGM, clitoridectomy, is the removal of all or part of the clitoris. Excision includes the removal of the clitoris and the cutting of the labia minora. The most extreme form of FGM is infibulation, the removal of the clitoris, labia minora, and the stitching together of the labia majora. Infibulation leaves just a small opening in the vagina for the passage of urine and menstrual fluid, and requires binding together of the legs until stitches adhere. Often the removal of the stitches is part of a wedding night ritual (Taylor 31). If the terrifying nature of the procedure were not enough, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reports that FGM is â€Å"normally performed by traditional practitioners with crude instruments, such as knives, razor blades and broken glass, usually without anesthetics.† The invasive characteristics of FGM and the unsanitary conditions under which it is usually performed can have serious consequences. Pediatric Nursing writes â€Å"FGM may cause numerous physical complications, including hemorrhage and severe pain, which can cause shock, even death.† It also writes â€Å"FGM may create long-term complications resulting from scarring and interference with the drainage of urine and menstrual blood, such as chronic pelvic infections, which may cause pelvic and back pain, dysmenorrhea, infertility, chronic urinary tract infe... ...ce (Ahmad). As WHO has stated, â€Å"We have to realize that female genital mutilation is a deeply-rooted traditional practice. As such, it can only be abolished completely when attitudes have been changed† (Taylor 31). As this statement suggests, there has to be a line drawn in the sand when discussing the practice of FGM. On one side, there are Western idealists who believe that FGM is barbaric and should be abolished, with their own hands if necessary. On the other side, there are the people who believe FGM is a tradition and a cultural rite, one that should be continued for centuries to come. And somewhere in the middle there are those that believe that change must come, but must come only when the countries involved are ready. Change cannot be put upon them. Works Cited Ahmad, Imad-ad-Dean. â€Å"Female Genital Mutilation: An Islamic Perspective.† Minaret. 1 May 2003 . English, Veronica. â€Å"Female Genital Mutilation.† Journal of Medical Ethics 27.3 (2001): 203-205. Goodwin, Jan. â€Å"I Said No to Female Genital Mutilation.† Marie Claire 10.4 (2003): 157-159. Taylor, Vivienne. â€Å"Female Genital Mutilation: Cultural Practice or Child Abuse?† Pediatric Nursing 15.1 (2003): 31-34.

Identifying At-Risk Students Before Its Too Late Essay -- Student Wit

One of the most difficult times for a child is when he or she moves from one school to another. They must become accustomed to a new group of peers, teachers and school community. There is a feeling of isolation and loneliness that these children must deal with. In most cases, it is a matter of a few short weeks before the student is at ease. However, for an immigrant, this process and the challenges faced are much more extreme and difficult to overcome. When an English Language Learner (ELL) enters the new school system, they are exposed to a cultural slurry of their new land (Gunderson, 2000). This includes new foods, customs, language, ethnicities, hobbies, religions and everything else that makes Canada a proud and diverse nation. Ideally, children should experience a balanced educational environment where they learn English, while their first language and culture are maintained and reinforced. Unfortunately, this is rarely the case. A high number of ELL students are immersed in the conflict of loss (Gunderson, 2000). As a result, they feel everything that makes them who they are is slipping away and being replaced by an alien culture. They yearn for faces they recognize, foods they know and the sounds of home. The Case Study chosen shows signs of the aforementioned conflict but also signs of a learning disability. This paper will include a Response to Intervention (RTI) approach and further help to assist Amala succeed in her education and new life in Canada. RTI is a multi-tiered service delivery model that is used to identify at-risk learners early and to provide instruction in general education first, followed by targeted intervention as needed (Echevarria, 2013). Amala, a 15 year old Indian girl,... ...aps she does not approve of this marriage or perhaps her biological Father remains in India? These are questions that must be asked when looking at Amala's case. They could all affect her attitude in school and be very large obstacles in her learning. It is important to go down every avenue, to be sure Amala is being supported the correct way. Works Cited Bibiography 1. British Columbia Ministry of Education, English as a Second Language Learners: A Guide for Classroom Teachers (1999), ESL Students with Special Needs, pp. 22-23, http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/esl/ 2. Echevarria, Jana, MaryEllen Vogt, and Deborah Short. Making content comprehensible for English learners: the SIOP model. 3rd ed. Boston: Pearson/Allyn and Bacon, 2013. Print. 3. Gunderson, L. (2000). Voices of the Teenage Diasporas. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 43(8), 692-706. Identifying At-Risk Students Before It's Too Late Essay -- Student Wit One of the most difficult times for a child is when he or she moves from one school to another. They must become accustomed to a new group of peers, teachers and school community. There is a feeling of isolation and loneliness that these children must deal with. In most cases, it is a matter of a few short weeks before the student is at ease. However, for an immigrant, this process and the challenges faced are much more extreme and difficult to overcome. When an English Language Learner (ELL) enters the new school system, they are exposed to a cultural slurry of their new land (Gunderson, 2000). This includes new foods, customs, language, ethnicities, hobbies, religions and everything else that makes Canada a proud and diverse nation. Ideally, children should experience a balanced educational environment where they learn English, while their first language and culture are maintained and reinforced. Unfortunately, this is rarely the case. A high number of ELL students are immersed in the conflict of loss (Gunderson, 2000). As a result, they feel everything that makes them who they are is slipping away and being replaced by an alien culture. They yearn for faces they recognize, foods they know and the sounds of home. The Case Study chosen shows signs of the aforementioned conflict but also signs of a learning disability. This paper will include a Response to Intervention (RTI) approach and further help to assist Amala succeed in her education and new life in Canada. RTI is a multi-tiered service delivery model that is used to identify at-risk learners early and to provide instruction in general education first, followed by targeted intervention as needed (Echevarria, 2013). Amala, a 15 year old Indian girl,... ...aps she does not approve of this marriage or perhaps her biological Father remains in India? These are questions that must be asked when looking at Amala's case. They could all affect her attitude in school and be very large obstacles in her learning. It is important to go down every avenue, to be sure Amala is being supported the correct way. Works Cited Bibiography 1. British Columbia Ministry of Education, English as a Second Language Learners: A Guide for Classroom Teachers (1999), ESL Students with Special Needs, pp. 22-23, http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/esl/ 2. Echevarria, Jana, MaryEllen Vogt, and Deborah Short. Making content comprehensible for English learners: the SIOP model. 3rd ed. Boston: Pearson/Allyn and Bacon, 2013. Print. 3. Gunderson, L. (2000). Voices of the Teenage Diasporas. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 43(8), 692-706.

Managing AIDS

Introduction In the situation with Frank Deloisio, a middle manager who had AIDS, Jean Langone Smith had one of the greatest tests of her career. She was encountered a case of the type which so many managers can come across, as one in every 250 Americans has been diagnosed with the plague of the twentieth century, yet the situation is so delicate that few books can help a person in managing position to sort out the ethical issues that relate to it. Managing AIDS: Issues To Confront In a sense, managing a person diagnosed with AIDS is similar to managing any other person who has been diagnosed with a different terminal illness like cancer or tuberculosis in the final stages. However, AIDS is a special social phenomenon due to the stigma associated with this contagious disease. It has come to symbolize the bohemian lifestyle of the homosexuals and prostitutes, and many people feel that a person is to blame for having incurred such a condition. Besides, despite the medical professionals’ assurances, there are still fears that a person with this condition may infect somebody in the environment, which makes the removal of such a person from the group desirable for some. One more issue that was associated with AIDS in Frank’s case was his frequent absences. He in some ways had to use Jean and others to be able to pay for his disease. The employees at DEC had to put in extra time and carry the extra workload to compensate for his frequent treatments. Besides, people were not even informed about the reason of his absences, and thus had a reason to believe that he was merely using them to take time off work to attend to his personal matters. Utilitarian Perspective If Jean had viewed the happenings from a utilitarian perspective, she would merely be concerned with the consequences of her decisions, and in evaluating those consequences, her primary focus would be the amount of happiness or unhappiness of the people that would result from it. Thus, dismissal of Frank Deloisio seems a plausible option. If he had been fired for his illness, the company would have to replace him with a different person who would most likely be able to handle the responsibilities, devoting more time to them. Then all the employees would be happy, as they would be relieved of their extra responsibility. As for Frank, he would be less important, as his troubles are those of a single person. Deontological Perspective From a deontological view, it is necessary to do what is right regardless of the consequences. The view taken and the practical steps depend on the stance adopted towards what is right or wrong. Thus, if the right thing is standing by the sick person, then the right thing is to help Frank in his predicament, sharing his responsibilities. One could say that a sick person is not able to care for oneself, and thus it is correct from the ethical standpoint to share the benefits available to other people to help the sick one. On the other hand, if one adopts the view that the ultimate good is efficiency, then Frank’s dismissal is a viable option as he is clearly in the way of the company’s success. His replacement with a different person would contribute to the efficient functioning of the company as a whole. Fairness to AIDS-Infected Person Fairness means dealing with people honestly and in accordance with principles. In this sense, the manager’s obligation consists in dealing with employees fairly, without bias or prejudice. Thus, a person suffering from AIDS should be dealt with in the same manner as any other person who is suffering from a serious health disorder. This also means that the manager should induce all the employees to treat the one infected with AIDS in the same manner. Thinking about Rights Maintaining the rights of a person requires the adherence to a certain set of principles. For instance, the sick person has the right to confidentiality, and this is what Jean has been trying to do for Frank. Besides, Frank was also entitled to company’s medical insurance, and the full coverage of the costs associated with his illness. Regarding a case from this perspective involves the maintenance of a number of basic principles, but there is always the danger that something might fall through the cracks. For instance, if the person is not entitled to a change in job responsibilities, this will not be pursued by the manager as it is not part of the sick employee’s specified rights. How Jean Did Jean, although unprepared to deal with a situation like that, lived up to the challenge of solving organizational problems in her department. She was not reached by the AIDS programs to the extent that she could derive her knowledge of what she could do from that source, and thus she was acting based on her own ethical judgement. Jean went far beyond what was necessary according to the formalities at the company. She assisted Frank in adjusting his responsibilities to suit his current health conditions, and even had an idea to coin a new position designed for him where he could emphasize his technical skills, without putting pressure on him that he could not handle. When his health deteriorated, she relaxed his responsibilities even further. This raised her authority with the personnel, allowing people at the company to see that she was ready to go beyond what was prescribed by the rules to accommodate her employees. In a way, her own ethical perspective was changed: if previously she looked at the people as professionals, restricting her relationship with them as a purely business one, now she could show that she was ready to see them as unique individuals that are important not only as cogs in the machine. Perhaps the clear-cut nature of the case that involved helping a sick person helped Jean to make a leap from a strict and formal manager to a life-and-blood personality. If Jean had been confronted with a more ethically ambiguous case like accommodating the frustration of person in the middle of a divorce, she would be more tempted to think along the lines, â€Å"They have to cope with their problems on their own†. Facing a situation of someone hopelessly ill changed her behaviour and views. Conclusion Jean did well as she preserved the rights of a sick person, acted fairly, and was good at maintaining the basic principle of helping a sick person. Jean’s actions were also right from the utilitarian perspective in a sense. Supporting an employee in need helped her to uphold her image in the eyes of others, as well as the image of the company. The employees at DEC were able to draw the conclusion that if they fall ill with AIDS, they can probably expect the same sensitive and insightful treatment. This idea is going to boost their morale in the long run, and increase their loyalty for the company. The case made headlines, which is going to serve as positive publicity for DEC, elevating the corporate image. It is perhaps unfair to suspect Jean of such a motivation being her primary driver, but this serves to show that her actions gain support from both deontological and utilitarian perspective.

Location Decisions Essay

Deciding on the best location for a new business or relocating an existing one is often crucial to its success. Location decisions choosing new sites for expansion or relocation of the business are some of the most important decisions made by management teams. Selecting the best site will have a significant effect on many departments of the business and, ultimately, on the profitability and chances of success of the whole firm. Location decisions have three key characteristics: They are strategic in nature as they are long term and have an impact on the whole business. †¢They are difficult to reverse if an error of judgment is made due to the costs of relocation. †¢They are taken at the highest management levels and are not delegated to subordinates. An ‘optimal’ location decision is one that selects the best site for expansion of the business or for its relocation, given current information. This best site should maximize the long-term profits of the business. The optimal site is nearly always a compromise between conflicting benefits and drawbacks. For example: †¢A well-positioned high-street shop will have the potential for high sales but will have higher rental charges than a similar sized shop out of town. †¢A factory location which is cheap to purchase due to its distance from major towns might have problems recruiting staff due to lack of a large and trained working population. So an optimal location is likely to be a compromise one that balances: †¢high fixed costs of the site and buildings with convenience for customers and potential sales revenue †¢the low costs of a remote site with limited supply of suitably qualified labor †¢quantitative factors with qualitative ones Factors influencing location decisions †¢Site and other capital costs such as building or shop-fitting costs These vary greatly from region to region within a country and between countries. The best office and retail sites may be so expensive that the cost of them is beyond the resources of all but the largest companies. The cost of building on a Greenfield site one that has never previously been developed must be compared with the costs of adapting existing buildings on a developed site. †¢Labor costs The relative importance of these as a locational factor depends on whether the business is capital or labor intensive. An insurance company call center will need many staff, but the labor costs of a nuclear power station will be a very small proportion of its total costs. The attraction of much lower wage rates overseas has encouraged many European businesses to set up operations in other countries – for example, bank and Insurance Company call centers. †¢Transport costs Businesses that use heavy and bulky raw materials such as steel making will incur high transport costs if suppliers are at a great distance from the steel plant. Goods that increase in bulk during production will, traditionally, reduce transport costs by locating close to the market.

Peak Oil and Energy Security Essay

Energy security means having access to the requisite volumes of energy at affordable prices in association with national security and the availability of natural resources for energy consumption. From the perspective of a government concerned and the management of strategic interests, energy security implies energy policies and standby measures that can be implemented in the event of a supply disruption—and at a cost that its citizens consider reasonable. Such measures include energy supply diversification and a certain volume of energy stock. Definitions of Energy Security: The International Energy Agency (IEA) definitions of energy security have focused on the â€Å"adequate supply of energy at a reasonable cost†, and have referred to energy security to be just â€Å"another way of avoiding market distortions† (IEA, 1995). The underlying belief of these definitions is that â€Å"smoothly functioning international energy markets† will deliver â€Å"a secure – adequate, affordable and reliable – supply of energy† (IEA, 2002). IEA has claimed that energy security always consists of both a physical unavailability component and a price component, although their relative importance depends on the market structure (IEA, 2007). The European Commission’s Green Paper (EC 2000) states that energy security also entails respecting environmental concerns and working towards sustainable development. They clarify that the security of supply does not seek to maximize energy self-sufficiency or to minimize dependence, but aims to reduce the risks linked to such dependence. Energy plays an important role in the national security of any given country as a fuel to power the economic engine. Access to cheap energy has become essential to the functioning of modern economies. The modern world relies on a vast energy supply to fuel everything from transportation to communication, to security and health delivery systems. Some sectors rely on energy more heavily than others; for example, the Department of Defense relies on petroleum for approximately 77% of its energy needs. The growing uncertainties about stability and security that exist in the global energy market have fuelled the need for nations to have a comprehensive energy security strategy. Energy security is also essential for the economic growth and development of  countries as energy in-security can hamper the productive activities in the economy as well as undermine consumer welfare. Rapid urbanization and rising middle-class incomes around the world have led to explosive growth in electricity demand. Thus, to the growing urban communities, energy security simply means keeping the lights on. Chester (2010) lists five fundamental aspects that characterize ‘energy security’. Firstly, energy security is about the management of risk – the risk of uninterrupted, unavailable energy supplies; the risk of insufficient capacity to meet demand; the risk of unaffordable energy prices; the risk of reliance on unsustainable sources of energy. These risks may be caused due to energy market instabilities, technical failures or physical security threats. Secondly, the definition of energy security may be framed to reflect a country’s energy mix, the abundance of local resources and import dependence. Thirdly, the term energy security reflects a concept of strategic intent, implying that energy security is not a policy in itself, but that specific policies have to be adopted by governments to achieve the objectives of energy security. Fourthly, energy security has temporal dimensions – the risks and threats to physical supply differ across short, medium and long-term horizons. Short-term risks include terrorism attacks and technical failures. Long-term risks, on the other hand, concern the adequacy of supply to meet demand and adequacy of infrastructure to deliver supply to markets. Fifthly, the term energy security has to be applied keeping in mind the significant differences between the oil, gas, nuclear and other energy markets and infrastructure. As energy is essential for the economic growth and development of a country, it has come to be recognized as a ‘strategic commodity’. This is because any uncertainty in its supply can threaten the effective functioning of an economy (Sahir and Qureshi, 2007). It therefore becomes an imperative for a country to ensure secure energy supplies at affordable rates. This crudely defines the idea of ‘energy security’. Threats to energy security include 1. The political instability (tensions in Northern Iraq, Southern Sudan, the Niger Delta and the East Mediterranean as examples of how competition for energy resources can cause instability) of several energy producing countries. â€Å"Energy should be a motor for development and cooperation, not a source of conflict,† said Mr. Terje Roed-Larsen. 2. The manipulation of energy supplies, 3. The competition over energy sources, 4. Attacks on supply infrastructure and, 5. Dominant countries reliance to the foreign oil supply. 6. Increased world competition for energy resources due to the increased pace of industrialization. Renewable energy Renewable energy resources and significant opportunities for energy efficiency exist over wide geographical areas, in contrast to other energy sources, which are concentrated in a limited number of countries. Rapid deployment of renewable energy and energy efficiency, and technological diversification of energy sources, would result in significant energy security and economic benefits. The deployment of renewable technologies usually increases the diversity of electricity sources and, through local generation, contributes to the flexibility of the system and its resistance to central shocks. For those countries where growing dependence on imported gas is a significant energy security issue, renewable technologies can provide alternative sources of electric power as well as displacing electricity demand through direct heat production. Renewable bio-fuels for transport represent a key source of diversification from petroleum products. Long term measures to increase energy security center on reducing dependence on any one source of imported energy, increasing the number of suppliers, exploiting native fossil fuel or renewable energy resources, and reducing overall demand through energy conservation measures. Facts and Figures: 1. Oil expert Mike Ruppert has claimed that for every calorie of food produced in the industrial world, ten calories of oil and gas energy are invested in the forms of fertilizer, pesticide, packaging, transportation, and running farm equipment. 2. The impact of the 1973 oil crisis and the emergence of the OPEC cartel was a particular milestone that prompted some countries to increase their energy security. 3. Japan, almost totally dependent on imported oil, steadily introduced the use of natural gas, nuclear power, high-speed mass transit systems, and implemented energy  conservation measures. It has become one of the world leaders in the use of renewable energy. 4. India is carrying out a major hunt for domestic oil to decrease its dependency on OPEC, while Iceland is well advanced in its plans to become energy-independent by 2050 through deploying 100% renewable energy. 5. Amount of sun that hits the world in an hour is enough to power the world for one year. With the addition o f solar panels all around the world a little less pressure is taken off the need to produce more oil. 6. Geothermal can potentially lead to other sources of fuel, if heat would be taken from the inner core of the earth to heat up water sources, we could essentially use the steam creating from the heated water to power machines, this option is one of the cleanest and efficient options. 7. Hydro-electric which has been incorporated into many of the dams around the world produces a lot of energy, as the dams control the water that is allowed through seams which power turbines located inside of the dam. 8. Bio-fuels have been researched using many different sources including ethanol and algae, these options are substantially cleaner than the consumption of petroleum. â€Å"Most LCA results for perennial and ligno-cellulosic crops conclude that bio-fuels can supplement anthropogenic energy demands and mitigate Green House Gas emissions to the atmosphere. 9. Juliet Alohan writes on the crucial need for its prioritization in Nigeria. It is estimated that by the year 2022, about two million unemployed Nigerians would be gainfully employed if renewable energy is introduced to complement regular electricity supply. 10. Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE special envoy for energy and climate change, and CEO of Masdar, said: â€Å"With energy demand predicted to grow nearly 50% over the next 20 years, competition for resources will increase. Energy is therefore becoming a key piece of the global security puzzle. Any significant move to solve the energy crisis is also a step toward creating peace and stability among the nations of the world.† 11. The Renewable Energy Global Status report showed that by the end of 2011, total renewable power capacity worldwide exceeded 1,360 Giga Watt (GW), up to 8 per cent over what it was in 2010. The report added that renewable energy supply constituted more than 25 per cent of total global power-generating capacity, which is estimated at 5,360GW in 2011. Case Study: Energy Security Context in India Sudarshan and Noronha (2009) lay out five important factors that have contributed to increasing energy demand in India. First, the real income of India has grown at a rate of 6-7% per annum over the past two decades, and the Planning Commission of India has a future targeted growth rate of 8-10% per annum for the next decade. TERI (2006) estimates that India will require 2023 MTOE (Million Tonnes of Oil Equivalent) of energy by the year 2031 to feed such economic growth rates. Second, a structural shift has been taking place in India, which has accelerated since the 1991 economic reforms. This shift is from agriculture towards the services sector, which is relatively energy intensive. Next, an annual population increase of about 1.9% p.a. has been observed over the past two decades. Importantly, the urban population in India was 25.5% in 1990 and is expected to rise to 40% by 2030. Given per capita energy demand in rural areas is low, this will further feed into India’s gross energy demand. Fourth, there is a growing transport sector. Fifth, an energy transformation is taking place, with a shift from biomass to electricity in rural India. Further, as of 2005, only 55% of rural Indian households had electricity access. Electricity demand is expected to rise, even as the government has significant plans to meet the demand (Planning Commission, 2008). Increasing import dependence of India on fossil fuel-rich countries has hence forced the government to rethink the way India engages with these countries. Given the factors influencing the demand and consumption of energy in India, the Planning Commission of India defined energy security by modifying the definition of energy security given by The World Energy Assessment (UNDP 1999) to suit the Indian context better. This definition is accepted by the Indian government, and it is as follows: â€Å"We are energy secure when we can supply lifeline energy to all our citizens irrespective of their ability to pay for it as well as meet their effective demand for safe and convenient energy to satisfy their various needs at competitive prices at all times and with a prescribed confidence level considering shocks and disruptions that can be reasonably expectedà ¢â‚¬  (Planning Commission, 2006) This definition includes the key aspects of energy security, including those related to poverty and economic growth. The idea that the provision of energy ought to be â€Å"irrespective of their ability to pay† is a slight departure from the definitions of energy security  accepted by several nations, which tend to be market oriented. By factoring in poverty and the inability of India’s citizens to pay for energy, it only stops short of according energy the status of a ‘right’. The income distribution angle is hence incorporated in the definition. Additionally, this definition accounts for India’s import dependency of energy and the possibility of disruptions in the supply. There is also a veiled reference to what would be considered an appropriate level of risk, although this has not been quantified due to the uncertainties involved. In the context of India’s energy security needs, Verma (2007) lays out a two principles to maintain energy security. He states that firstly, India must diversify the supply of energy, both by location and source. Secondly, he states that the resilience of energy systems must be maintained, which is a reference to â€Å"security margins† that act as buffers against shocks and provide facilities for recovery after disruptions. Resilience can come through spare capacity, strategic reserves, backup supplies of equipment, adequate storage capacity along supply change and the stocking of critical components of electricity generation. Any policy measures taken by the government need to thus needs to incorporate these conceptual frameworks. Understanding these concepts is necessary in order to pursue rational policy making in the energy domain. Of course, policy implementation would ultimately revolve around day-to-day governance issues, and fiscal, administrative and political bottlenecks.

Organization Behavior & Communication Essay

The following is a couple of the relationships that are considered when talking about Political Systems; Justice by definition means to be fair while treating others equally. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you and so forth. Judgment is the ability to effectively assess the situation. You must be able to accurately understand the implications of the situation you are in so that you can make good decisions. Judgment is also known as common sense. Dependability is nearly self explanatory. People must be able to depend on you to provide support, accurate information, guidance and motivation. People must be able to trust in your honesty as well as your competence. One useful way to look at conflict is in terms of power, rights, and interests. Framing the conflict as a power struggle, assertion of rights, or satisfaction of interests can dramatically affect the process and the outcome. If you are analyzing a conflict, identifying how the parties see the conflict in terms of power, rights, and interests can lead to transformative solutions not otherwise apparent. Power is the ability to have one’s way against the wishes of another. Voting seems to be a simple example, whether a vote is for political office or organizational positions, the voters have the power to choose. Psychic Prisons According to the psychic prison metaphor, organizations are seen as socially constructed realities based on unconscious preoccupations of people in the organization. These socially constructed realities or cultures may be experienced as problematic and confining, which is the reason why Morgan uses the term psychic prisons. Morgan subsumes several explanations of human behavior based on psychological mechanisms under the psychic prison metaphor most of these theories assume that people develop unconscious mechanisms, and construct realities, in order to handle anxiety and desire, and that these mechanisms and realities are reflected in. While Political Systems are more so a courageous act physically changing the system or situation, psychic prison works as it depicts a layer of organizational reality that is uncontrollable by nature conscious & unconscious processes, the two can work hand in hand.

Reconstrution and Race Relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Reconstrution and Race Relations - Essay Example The exercise of freedom for the freed slaves was quite a challenging prospect especially in the southern states as the white southerners set up road blocks to any achievement of freedom for the former slaves. The southern states’ economies were in shambles at the time and many of its young men were dead or maimed after the war. They, however, formerly owned fewer slaves yet ironically, they vehemently opposed the freedom of the slaves. The Radical Republicans (as they called themselves) used their white majority during voting exercises to pass legislations and restrictions against the black minority, their legislators and voters. In Georgia poll tax of 1877, white southern legislatures passed laws that created more barriers to voting by blacks and poor whites, working to suppress the black vote and reduce it through changes in voter registration, election procedures, poll taxes, residency requirements, rule variations, literacy and understanding tests which were particularly h ard for the poor and especially blacks to fulfill while, for instance, exempting other white voters from literacy test using the grandfather clause. In addition, cases such as the Williams v. Mississippi (1898) and Giles v. Harris (1903) including white primaries created situations that prevented most blacks from voting in southern states. The white southerners also used force to prevent the exercise of any freedom by the former slaves. The enactment of the Jim Crow laws and the subsequent use of force and terror to enforce them aided them greatly in their aims. They waged terror through members of a secret vigilante organization called the Ku Klux Klan (KKK). The clan waged war even against whites they considered traitors to the race and the region as they sought so desperately to turn back the hands of time to before when African Americans gained the right to vote. Apart from the Ku Klux Klan, other such groups included the White League and the Red Shirts. The southern whites also used racial segregation in many forms as a tool to meet their aims. Blacks and whites rode in different parts of the bus, supported different baseball teams, enjoyed separate public parks and watched movies in separate theatres. Public schools were established separately for whites and blacks (1867) (Hofstadter (1982) where the white dominated municipal governments withheld funds from black schools. White residents also refused to sell or lease land for colored school construction. Due to the segregation, enrolment in black schools greatly exceeded the standard capacity as there were fewer black schools for the growing black community leading to low education standards. The blacks in turn challenged these efforts by the white southerners through law suits amongst other means and according to Foner (1988), the Freedman’s Bureau threatened lawsuits over unfair division of school funds eventually getting some money turned over to a panel of colored trustees for administration o f colored schools. Other such successful lawsuits included Guinn v. United States (1915), Lane v. Wilson (1939) and Smith v. Allwright (1944). The freed people also sought to enhance educational advances, one of the reasons they had been deemed inferior. They begun to buy and lease land for school construction and housing, for example, from the Barry family north of the insane asylum of Anacostia. Most of this they

Strength of Material Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Strength of Material - Essay Example Stress can be defined as the force acting on a given area. This is mathematically represented as Robert hook investigated the behavior of material under tensile force and found out that the extension on materials was proportional to the applied load. This is called the hooks law. Hooks law apply up to the elastic limit. Continued application of load beyond the elastic limit results to the material becoming plastic, That is, its elongation is not proportional to the applied load and does not regain its original shape once the force is removed. The concept of stress was introduced by Cauchy in 1822; Cauchy found out that a body was subjected to surface and internal forces. These caused the deformation on the body. When stress is uniformly distributed over the cross-sectional area of a body, it can be calculated using the formula (1), however, the stress is not uniformly distributed. Cauchy calculated the state of stress at a given point and found it to be given by the second order tensor given below. Another version of the Mohr stress circle is using the polar approach method. The Mohr stress circle can also be used for the determination of stress in the three dimensional plane. A special Mohr circle is drawn to calculate the nominal and shear stress in the three dimensional plane. ... Are the normal stresses. Where: Are the shear stresses Stress can also be calculated using the Mohr stress circle; this is the graphical representation of the stress. The diagrammatic representation of the Mohr stress circle is as shown below Fig 1 showing the Mohr stress circle Another version of the Mohr stress circle is using the polar approach method. The Mohr stress circle can also be used for the determination of stress in the three dimensional plane. A special Mohr circle is drawn to calculate the nominal and shear stress in the three dimensional plane. Other methods used in the determination of stress include the Biot stress tensor and the Kirchhoff stress tensor (Dieter, 1989). In general the determination of stress using the graphical methods was laborious and complex, one required a lot of skills to draw these circles and determine the normal and shear stress. The method had many mathematical errors. These methods have largely been replaced by computerized material strength analysis (Marsden & Hughes1994). Current methods for the evaluation of stress include the use of software's. Software's such as AutoCAD and solid works enable engineers to have a detailed analysis of the behavior of the designed product under loading. This helps in developing products that don't fail easily. Another program that is widely used is the Finite element analysis program. It enables the graphical representation of a designed engineering component under load. References Dieter, G. (1989). Mechanical Metallurgy. New York: McGraw-Hill. Ferdinand, P. (1992). Mechanics of Materials. New York: McGraw-Hill Professional Marsden, J. & Hughes, T. (1994). Mathematical Foundations of Elasticity. New York: Dover

Cross culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Cross culture - Essay Example The international transfer department is responsible devising policies related to the international assignments. As regarded by LVMH â€Å"international mobility† is the essence of career development which helps the potential candidates to acquire the requisite competencies. This case study delineates the procedure of international mobility. This assignment focuses on some of the key issues of international mobility so as to bring in light the challenges faced by the company and ways to tackle with them. Challenges faced by LMVH: LVMH, being a global company, required the expertise of personnel having international experience. To assure the availability of potential human resource who could operate anywhere in the dominated market, company decided to build in a pool of such asset by moving them internationally as part of their career development process. International mobility is the reality which has become pertinent for almost every global organization to work effectively in a cut throat competition. International assignments are considered as one of the most potent means of developing â€Å"Global leaders† (Stroh & Black, 2005). ... This at times become quite frustrating, time consuming and even more expensive when dealing with the potential subject’s non-technical requirements. The situation grows even more problematic when people try to compare there package with others holding same position in different companies within the group. LVMH follows a â€Å"balance sheet approach† to devise an appropriate salary for the expatriates. This approach is widely used owing to its advantages for an international assignments; it treats all the employees with equity without creating a difference in their salaries owing to the market rate of the host country, this in turn reduces the chances of uncertainty thus encouraging employees to take on the assignment (Stroh & Black, 2005). However, the increase in the firm size surges the administrative burdens and thus the cost. â€Å"Security benefits† is yet one other concern that needs to be dealt with appropriately when laying out the package. Security packa ges generally differ in each country. Devising a package keeping in view the host countries requirement at times is problematic owing to the complexities involved in it. Every country has its own rich culture strongly held by its dwellers. Cultural differences strongly impede the process of adjustment by a foreigner because of differing managerial values (Bigoness &Blakelly, 1996). Thus to ease out the process, LVMH believes in the training its employees. However training process is time consuming and the adjustment is left on the employees to deal with. Moreover devising and then implementing appropriate cost effective policies for managing international assignments and recruiting process pose a significant risk to

West African and African American Cultures - Before and After Assignment

West African and African American Cultures - Before and After Emancipation - Assignment Example Emancipation of the African Americans in 1863, their struggle for equality and citizenship resulted in their assimilating some aspects of American culture while retaining their original heritage to a small extent. Africa was the home of â€Å"people with different languages, traditions, histories, and religions''. The diversity of cultures was evident in the different types of group structures they lived in: some in ancient kingdoms such as those in the oldest of recorded history, and others in small family groups. Some of their societies had men leaders, and others had women as chiefs. The Gods they worshipped were of different forms, and some believed in one, while others in numerous Gods. People from all religions, Muslims, Christians, and others, whether they lived in towns or villages, participated in world affairs, taking central roles in them. Egyptians achieved great development in medicine, language and architecture, which had a significant impact on Greek and Roman culture. Millions of Africans were shipped to America between the sixteenth and the nineteenth centuries to work as slaves in the plantations, in the construction of towns and cities, as domestic help and for various menial jobs. The African American’s perspectives regarding the meaning and significance of Africa remains unclear; thereby affecting the identity problems of black people in America. The western stereotypical view of Africa as a land of wild people and wild animals affects the way African Americans think about Africa. The white disparagement of Africa was mainly to support imperialist interests and to rationalize â€Å"slavery and oppression of the descendants of Africa in their land of captivity†.

LLM Human Rights -International criminal law Essay

LLM Human Rights -International criminal law - Essay Example ncy of international armed conflicts facilitated by the oppressive regimes has not only caused grave violation of fundamental human rights but has also radically spurred the rate of victimization. Although, according to reports, the number of deaths since World War II, has declined significantly, there are still several regions wherein such conflicts have caused wide spread damage and loss of life and property raising the death toll in the process, and all efforts to contain or restrict such conflicts have largely been reported to be unsuccessful1. Such victimization caused by international armed conflicts include genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, extra judicial carnages, persecution, and random arrest detainment etc, which amount to a grave violation of the international human rights law 2. Present-day armed conflicts, are more often than not, occur on account of strain between governments of different nations or in case of non international armed conflicts, between non state actors or minority groups and the governing authorities. The analytical report presented by the U.N. secretary general on the minimum humanitarian standards, state that modern day conflicts are most often, driven by conditions whereby a particular group or groups take up arms against the other in the quest for attaining their own political aspirations and goals, for instance, for seizing control, or creation of self – government for safeguarding the rights of their particular minority groups, or with a view to depose the existing ruling authority and establish their own regime. Some other characteristic factors which give rise to such conflict include situations where the present government has disintegrated or is rendered permanently incapacitated or is disinclined to arbitrate, impede or avert such violence between the armed groups3. Moreover, the types of human rights abuses which occur during such armed conflicts reveal that the civilian population in

Bilingual Versus Dual Curriculum Instruction Essay

Bilingual Versus Dual Curriculum Instruction - Essay Example The essay "Bilingual Versus Dual Curriculum Instruction" talks about the history of bilingualism in education which can be categorized into four major stages: permissive, restrictive, opportunist and dismissive. Prior to the arrival of the European immigrants, United States was home to a variety of native languages, and after the advent of foreign immigrants into the country, the number of languages spoken within its territory increased to approximately two hundred. Throughout the nineteenth century till the beginning of the First World War, the existence of such diverse languages was commonly assimilated throughout the country. Language diversity was acknowledged as the custom and promoted via religion, print media such as publishing of newspapers in diverse languages, as well as using education as a tool to promote language use. Evidence of such permissive period in the history of bilingual education in the country can be found in the various schools which exist throughout the United States. During the early nineteenth century, the government endeavored to suppress certain indigenous communities such as the Indians, by laying out regressive policies which sought to restrict them to their reservations. Furthermore, several institutions, such as the American Protective Association, were established which strongly encouraged an English-only system of education. The Immigration Restriction Leagues was established during the same period, which aimed at eluding the immigrants from entering the U.S.

Socrates Wisdom Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Socrates Wisdom - Essay Example starts his main argument in the trial by saying that his wisdom is only â€Å"human wisdom† and that he is willing to admit that there is â€Å"a good chance† he has that kind of wisdom (p.3 [20e]). He compares this to the kind of wisdom that is â€Å"more than human,† by which he means that of the god of Delphi (p.3 [20e]). This is because the oracle told Chairephon that â€Å"there was no man wiser† than Socrates (p.3 [21a]). Socrates talks about his distress at hearing this, and explains that he went to ask a bunch of different people about their knowledge, â€Å"hoping to refute the oracle there if anywhere, and reply to† it with proof (p.4 [21c]). He then runs through some of the encounters he had with people he talked to. He starts with a politician who was supposedly wise but â€Å"it seemed to me that while this man was considered to be wise both by many other people and especially by himself, he was not.† (p.4 [21e]). When Socrates tries to explain this, he becomes hated. After he had gone through all the politicians with similar results, he tries the poets. The poets come off a little better, for although they are not wise enough to explain their own poetry, but that they â€Å"are possessed, like the seers and fortune-tellers, who also say many fine things but know nothing about what theyre saying.† (p.4 [22c]). On the other hand, they think themselves wise just like the politicians do. The last set of people he talks to are the artisans. He finds that although they do know many things, they have the same problem as poets, and â€Å"Because each of them performed his craft well, he considered himself to b e most wise about the greatest things† (p.5 [22d]). Socrates is quick to point out that his disproving of these other people’s wisdom does not make him think he is wise himself. He still maintains that knowing he does know nothing makes him both wise and unwise. Because he is self-aware, he knows â€Å"that he is actually worthless with respect to

How Can Americans Manage Obesity Throughout the United States Essay

How Can Americans Manage Obesity Throughout the United States - Essay Example As researchers gain knowledge more of about the health hazards of obesity, the increase in the incidence of obesity in children, and in grown up people as well, is progressively becoming more a foremost concern to a society at large and thus a societal health dilemma requiring nationwide attention. Over the previous decades, the pervasiveness of overweight children has enlarged remarkably in the United States, making it more probable that children and adolescents nowadays will be more vulnerable to various serious, fatal diseases and illnesses prematurely in life, including diabetes. The increase in obese children arrives at a time when present-day conveniences and establishment such as fast food, video game and most importantly the Internet, have contributed dramatically to inactive lifestyles, a pattern that is becoming progressively pervasive among today’s children and adolescents (Caprio, 2006). Approximations of the population of overweight and obese children and youths in the United States differ. Figures from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reveal that â€Å"13 per cent of children and 14 per cent of adolescents are affected by obesity—triple the adolescent rate since 1980† (Holloway, 2005, 118). An article of the American Family Ph ysician released in 1999 approximates that the population fall roughly between 25 per cent and 30 per cent of young children and teenagers. The boost spreads across ethnic and social groups (ibid, 118). Dr. Shiriki Kumanyika, a childhood obesity specialist, and others are attempting to pinpoint the cause for the steep increase in overweight children. â€Å"We’re trying to figure out how much of the problem is food intake and how much is the result of little to no physical activity (Koplan, 2005, 58),† says Dr. Kumanyika. â€Å"The social trends affecting children are definitely in favor of overeating. The impact of eating portions that are

The biases in testing Essay Example for Free

The biases in testing Essay Many examples can be given for the biases in testing based on culture. Cultural biases have been in testing as long as testing has been around, whether intentional or not. With each passing year, however, it seems that cultural bias is more examined and those who create the tests are using stricter guidelines to insure that the tests they create are not biased towards one student more than another. For example, in New York City, students were given a question asking, â€Å"what were ways the British improved the lives of Africans? † it was prefaced with a passage from 1922 stating â€Å"We are endeavoring [trying] to teach the native races to conduct their own affairs with justice and humanity, and to educate them alike in letters and in industry†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . This testing question has a clear cultural bias and shows â€Å"outright racism† according to one parents group (Rammohan, 2007). It’s ridiculous that questions like this are still showing up in standardized testing at all. Although, imperialism should be taught, it could have been presented in a less biased way. Jay Rosner in On White Preference from The Nation states another example of bias towards white students over others, â€Å"On the October 1998 SAT, for example, every single on of the 138 questions (sixty math and seventy-eight verbal) favored whites over blacks. By favoring whites, I mean that a higher percentage of white than black students answered correctly every question pre-screened and chosen to appear on that SAT†¦SAT forms are designed to very strongly correlate with one another. And the pattern I’ve identified is a predictable result of the way the tests are constructed. Latino test-takers are similarly affected, faring only a bit better than blacks. † Obviously, test takers are being gypped when it comes to standardized testing, and the tests are being biased towards white students. This example of white students performing better on all 138 pre-screened questions gives the indication that the system that is used to screen questions is in and of itself, biased, and therefore, in need of examination. Rosner goes on to give another example of the biases of test creators. On a pre-testing question where minority students actually performed better than white students, the question was thrown out, an obvious example of bias towards white students. Interestingly enough, Rosner’s entire reason for looking into the SAT and other standardized testing questions formulated by the ETS, the Educational Testing Service, was due to the fact that white students had filed a suit against the University of Michigan because they were allowing black students into the college with a lower SAT score and not accepting white students who may have a higher score. While it does not show test bias, it’s an interesting example of how the colleges may be cognizant of testing bias and how they are trying to rectify the discrepancies, i. e. allowing minority students who may have a lower SAT score into the college. As stated by Rosner, there is in fact, a twenty percent gap in performance on standardized testing between white students and minority students, displaying bias on the part of the ETS as their company formulates and screens questions before putting them onto the tests (Rosner, 2003). If they were, in fact, unbiased, why did they not allow the question where black students performed better than white? If they had allowed the question, then maybe we could state that they were at least making an effort towards being unbiased regarding test formulation and administration, unfortunately, all actions point to the contrary. As long as those formulating the tests are using biased criteria, our tests will continue to be biased and white students will continue to perform better than minority students. References Rammohan, Yasmin Tara. (9 May 2007). Advocates say standardized tests often flunk cultural bias scrutiny. Medill Reports Chicago. Retrieved from http://news. medill. northwestern. edu/chicago/news. aspx? id=35935. Rosner, Jay. (27 March 2003). On white preferences. The Nation. Retrieved from http://www. thenation. com/doc/20030414/rosner.