Saturday, November 30, 2019
Ordeal by Fire Essay Example
Ordeal by Fire Essay After reading the two books, ââ¬Å"Ordeal by Fireâ⬠by James McPherson and ââ¬Å"Slaveryâ⬠by Stanley M. Elkins I would have to say the books are very separate on their approach to slavery before the Civil War.à McPhersonââ¬â¢s book looked at slavery as it related to the Civil War.à Elkins book looked more at the institution of slavery.à Both looked into the economic role and its foundation in slavery.à Both agreed that in comparison Latin American slaves had a more difficult life than slaves in Southern North America.à The differences in views from these authors, that I could see, were standard views at the time at which these books were written.à McPhersonââ¬â¢s book was written in 1982 and Elkins was first published in 1959.à I will admit though that Elkins book was obviously way before its time.à His ideals of slave personality probably helped invent the phrase ââ¬Å"slave mentalityâ⬠.à ââ¬Å"How a person thinks about Negro slav ery historically makes a great deal of difference here and now; it tends to locate him morally in relation to a whole range of very immediate political, social, and philosophical issues which in some way refer back to slaveryâ⬠(Elkins, 1959, p. 1).à In McPhersonââ¬â¢s book he looks at how ââ¬Å"slavery formed the foundation of the Southââ¬â¢s distinctive social orderâ⬠(p.31), and how this fit into a lifestyle in the south. When thinking of the brutality of slavery Elkins basically argued that slavery in itself was brutal. à à With McPherson, although he did not disagree with brutal acts happening he just didnââ¬â¢t believed they happen often.à He believed that the ownerââ¬â¢s power over his slaves ââ¬Å"was often tempered by economic self-interest and sometimes by paternalismâ⬠(p.34).à He wrote, ââ¬Å"Dead, maimed, brutalized or runaway slaves grow little if any cottonâ⬠(p.34).à There was a gentlemanââ¬â¢s code of noblesse oblige which required ââ¬Å"beneficence towards inferiorsâ⬠.à The use of persuasions, inducement, rewards for good work and concessions between slave owner and slaves.à Overseers and masters could ââ¬Å"not rule by the whip aloneâ⬠, McPherson wrote. We will write a custom essay sample on Ordeal by Fire specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Ordeal by Fire specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Ordeal by Fire specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Slavery was a human institution along with a legal and economic one that helped to give reason for the dehumanizing of slavery.à Elkins wrote of a childlike conformity slaves were taught to keep them in line.à ââ¬Å"Cruelty per se cannot be considered the primary key to this; of far greater importance was the simple ââ¬Å"closednessâ⬠of the system, in which all lines of authority descended from the master and in which alternative social bases that might have supported alternative standards were systematically suppressedâ⬠( Elkins, 1959 p. 128).à One factor that McPherson wrote about is the effect of the family structure and how it has affected African Americans throughout history in years since his book was published much has been written on that subject.à But at the time these books were written the consequence of this broken family structure was not yet fully recognized. Slavery in law was a form of property.à Human rights were something slaves did not have.à ââ¬Å"They could not legally marry, nor own property, nor be taught to read or write in most statesâ⬠(McPherson, 1982 p.34).à They were allowed to have a family, in fact after 1808 because of ending of the African slave trade; this was encouraged as natural reproduction of stock.à Some were allowed to earn money and in rare cases they could buy their freedom.à But until they were free their family and money could legally be taken from them at any time. In both books lack of education among slaves served well for a couple of reasons.à ââ¬Å"The low level of literacy was one of the chief features distinguishing the slave from the free population of the South from the North.â⬠(McPherson, 1982 p. 37)à There was a belief that educating a slave would cause them to have ââ¬Å"dissatisfaction in their mindsâ⬠that would cause insurrection and rebellion.à ââ¬Å"Every Southern state except Maryland and Kentucky had stringent laws forbidding anyone to teach slaves reading and writing, and in some states the penalties applied to the educating of free Negroes and mulattoes as wellâ⬠(Elkins, 1959 p. 60).à Education in the North was very strong and very weak in the South abolitionist gave this as to the reason the South kept slavery.à Saying ââ¬Å"this one main for the ââ¬Ëbackwardnessââ¬â¢ of the South and the immorality of slaveryâ⬠(McPherson, 1982, p. 37) was the reason slavery was still practice d. In McPhersonââ¬â¢s book talked of the work ethics and slavery.à He wrote of how slavery had undermined Southerners work ethics and made them lazy.à Their fight to keep the institution of slavery kept them from accepting new and better agricultural tools for use in the fields and ending the economically unsound practice of slavery.à A critic of work habits of the South and slavery, Frederick Law Olmsted, believed ââ¬Å"that the average free worker in the North accomplished twice as much as the average slave.à Most slaves had little motivation to improve their output through harder work or greater efficiency.à They lacked the time discipline of modern work habits.â⬠(McPherson, 182 p. 36). The church influence was a tool to keep a bond between master and slave.à ââ¬Å"The slaves spoke the same language and worshipped the same Christian God as their owner.à Relationships of trust and affection as well as alienation and hatred could exist between slave and master.â⬠(McPherson, 1982 p. 34).à In Elkins book he introduced the church as having moral authority over every man in every condition.à In the United States during the years of slavery the only law that was supportive somewhat of the marriage and how it related to church law was conjugal relations between slaves.à This dealt only with unions between master and slave; known as concubinage.à Unlike Latin America and other nations of slave holderââ¬â¢s concubinage was condemned and was not allowed.à Marriages, between slaves were permitted in these countries they were sanctified by the church and protected under law.à Many of the slaves still practiced their own religion in secret in fea r of punishment if found. The brutality of slavery was a direct result of Southerners devotion to limited government and laissez faire capitalism.à I tend to agree with Elkins theory that slavery itself is brutal.à Openly acts of brutality were not a rule but an exception it was the openly brutal social class system slaves were placed in that was the cruelest.à All one has to do is look at todayââ¬â¢s society to see the long term affects this had on African Americans.à Both authors gave good sound argument on slavery, but if I had to choose which gave a better picture of what slavery was like I would have to say that is was ââ¬Å"Slaveryâ⬠.à I found the book was a little harder to follow, but gave a broader view of slavery.à In McPhersonââ¬â¢s book there were only really 6 or 7 pages that really dealt with slavery.à Even though Elkins book was written in 1959, a time of civil rights, I thought he showed more to slavery than just the economic reasons for slavery.à The conseq uences of slavery have survived many generations and really only in the last fifty years the affects of this turbulent time in history has just began to be understood.à A whole culture and society was created out of slavery.à The Civil War changed a nation, slavery changed a culture.à I found the picture that McPherson gave was only superficial and in my readings gave me an understanding of why the Civil War and slavery were intertwined.à Elkins gave more meaning to what slavery was all about.
Tuesday, November 26, 2019
University of Phoenix Material Essays (452 words) - Communication
University of Phoenix Material Essays (452 words) - Communication University of Phoenix Material Global Communications Worksheet Your supervisor wants to send a brief e-mail message to welcome employees who have recently transferred to your department from Brazil, Russia, India, and China. He has written a draft message and would like your feedback. Review your supervisor's message below. Rewrite the message to make it appropriate for the communication style of one of the four countries of your choice. Conduct research to know more about the communication style of your chosen country. I wanted to welcome you ASAP to our little family here in the States. It's high time we shook hands in person and not just across the sea. I'm pleased as punch about getting to know you all, and I for one will do my level best to sell you on America. Complete the table with your rewritten welcome message. |Chosen Country |Rewritten welcome message | |name | | |India |We wanted to welcome you to join our little | | |family here in the United States. This is a | | |fantastic opportunity that we have for all | | |of us to meet in person instead of by phone | | |or teleconference. I am very excited about | | |getting to know each of you and your | | |background. I personnaly will ensure your | | |stay here will be a rememerable experience | | |as well. | Additional Insight Respond to each of the following questions with at least one paragraph: When you researched the communication style of your chosen country, what information did you discover? What are some considerations that should be made when writing to someone from another country? I chose India as my country because in the business world they are one of the world leaders in innovation. Their business intelligences has brought them from a third world industrious country to a well desired business parternership of many countries including America. I also discovered that English is one of the main languages for their business communication. English is so common amongst Indian business men and women that there is less than one half percent of them that do not speak the language. The main consideration would be to educate yourself about their culture. There are somethings that we do, or a certain ways we do it but it might not be acceptable in their country. In India it is very offensive for them to tell someone "no" in a business proposal. They would rather counter offer a suggestion then turn it down all together. If they end up having to say no to a proposal from a business partner and most times will have difficult business dealings afterwards. They believe that they put so much effort in to their business that all partners know what to expect and not to make offers to them that will result in them aying no.
Friday, November 22, 2019
Standard Based Grading Measures Student Skills
Standard Based Grading Measures Student Skills What does an A on a test or quiz mean to a student? Mastery of skill or mastery of information or content? à Does an F grade mean a student understands none of the material or less than 60% of the material? How is grading used as feedback for academic performance? Currently, in most middle and high schools (grades 7-12), students receive letter grades or numerical grades in subject areas based on points or percentages. These letter or numerical grades are tied to credits for graduation based on Carnegie units, or the number ofà hours of contact time with an instructor.à But what does 75% grade on a math assessment tell a student about his or her specific strengths or weaknesses? Whatà does a B- grade on a literary analysis essay inform a student about how he or she meets skills sets in organization, content, or conventions of writing?à In contrast to letters or percentages, many elementary and intermediate schools have adopted a standards-based grading system, one that uses a 1-to-4 scale. This 1-4 scale breaks down academic subjects into specific skills needed for a content area. à While these elementary and intermediate schools use standards-based grading may vary in their report card terminology, the most common four-part scale denotes a students level of achievement with descriptors such as: Excels or above grade level (4)Proficient or at grade level (3)Approaching proficiency or approaching grade level (2)Well below proficiency or below grade level (1) A standards-based grading system may be calledà competency-based,à mastery-based,à outcome-based,à performance-based, or proficiency-based. Regardless of the name used, this form of a grading system isà aligned to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in English Language Arts and Literacy and in Math, which was established in 2009 and adopted by 42 out of 50 states. Since this adoption, several states have withdrawn from using CCSS in favor of developing their own academic standards. These CCSS standards for literacy and for math were organized in a framework that details specific skills for each grade level in grades K-12. These standards serve as guides for administrators and teachers to develop and implement the curriculum. Each skill in the CCSS has a separate standard, with skill progressions tied to grade levels. Despite the word standard in the CCSS, standards-based grading at the upper-grade levels, grades 7-12, has not been universally adopted. Instead, there is ongoing traditional grading at this level, and most middle and high school use letter grades or percentages based on 100 points. Here is the traditional grade conversion chart: Letter Grade Percentile Standard GPA A+ 97-100 4.0 A 93-96 4.0 A- 90-92 3.7 B+ 87-89 3.3 B 83-86 3.0 B- 80-82 2.7 C+ 77-79 2.3 C 73-76 2.0 C- 70-72 1.7 D+ 67-69 1.3 D 65-66 1.0 F Below 65 0.0 The skill sets outlined in the CCSS for literacy and math can be easily convertedà to four point scales, just as they are at the K-6 grade levels. For example, the first reading standard for grade 9-10 states that a student should be able to: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.1Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. Under a traditional grading system with letter grades (A-to-F) or percentages, a score on this reading standard may be difficult to interpret. Advocates of standard based grading will ask, for example, what a score of B or 88% tells a student. This letter grade or percentage is less informative about a studentââ¬â¢s skill performance and/or subject mastery.à Instead, they argue, a standards-based system would singularly assess a students skill to cite textual evidence for any content area: English, social studies, science, etc. Under a standards-based assessment system, students could be assessed on their skill to cite using a 1-to-4 scale that featured the following descriptors:à Score 4: excels in citingà strong and thorough textual evidence -explicit and inferential OR needs no support;Score 3:à proficient atà citingà strong and thorough textual evidence -explicit and inferentialà OR needs minimal support;Score 2:à approaching proficiency at citingà strong and thorough textual evidence -explicit and inferential OR needs moderate support;Score 1:à below proficiency at citingà strong and thorough textual evidence -explicit and inferential OR needs extensive support and/or reteaching. Assessing students on a 1-4 scaleà on a particular skillà can provide clear and specific feedback to a student. A standard by standard assessment separates and detail the skills, perhaps on a rubric.à This is less confusing or overwhelming to a student when compared to a combined skills percentage score on 100 point scale. A conversion chart that comparesà a traditional grading of an assessment to standards-based graded assessment would look like the following: Letter Grade Standards-Based grade Percentage grade Standard GPA A to A+ Mastery 93-100 4.0 A- to B Proficient 90-83 3.0 to 3.7 C to B- Approaching proficiency 73-82 2.0-2.7 D to C- Below Proficiency 65-72 1.0-1.7 F Below Proficiency Below 65 0.0 Standards-based gradingà also allows teachers, students,à and parents to see a grade report that lists overall levels of proficiency on separate skills instead of composite or combined skill scores. With this information, students are better informed in their individual strengths and in their weaknesses asà a standards-based score highlights the skill set(s) or content that need(s) improvement and allows them to target areas for improvement. Furthermore, students would not need to re-do all of a test or assignment if they have demonstrated mastery in some areas. An advocate for standards-based grading is educator and researcher Ken OConnor. Inà his chapter,à The Last Frontier: Tackling the Grading Dilemma, in Ahead of the Curve: The Power of Assessment to Transform Teaching and Learning, he notes: Traditional grading practices have promoted the idea of uniformity. The way we are fair is we expect all students do to the same thing in the same amount of time in the same way. We need to moveâ⬠¦ to the idea that fairness is not uniformity. Fairness is equity of opportunity (p128). OConnor argues that standards-based grading allows for grading differentiation because ità is flexible and can be adjusted up and down as students confront new skills and content. Moreover, no matter where students are in a quarter or semester, a standard based grading system provides students, parents, or other stakeholders an assessment of student understanding in real time. That kind of student understanding mayà take place during conferences, such as the ones Jeanetta Jones Miller explained in her articleà A Better Grading System: Standards-Based, Student-Centered Assessment in the September 2013 edition of the English Journal. In her description of how standard based grading informs her instruction, Miller writes that itââ¬â¢s important to set up appointments to confer with each student about progress toward mastery of course standards. During the conference, each student receives individual feedback on his or her performance in meeting one or more standards in a content area:à The evaluation conference provides an opportunity for the teacher to make it clear that the studentââ¬â¢s strengths and areas for growth are understood and the teacher is proud of the studentââ¬â¢s efforts to master the standards that are most challenging. Another benefit to standardized based grading is the separationà of student work habits that are often combined in a grade. At the secondary level, a point penalty for late papers missed homework, and/or uncooperative collaborative behavior is sometimes included in a grade. While these unfortunate social behaviors will not stop with the use of standards-based grading, they may be isolated and given as separate scoresà into another category. Of course, deadlines are important, but factoring in behaviors such as turning an assignment in on time or not has the effect of watering down an overall grade. To counter such behaviors, it may be possible to have a student turn in an assignment that still meets a mastery standard but does not meet a set deadline. For example, an essay assignment may still achieve a 4 or exemplary score on skills or content, but the academic behavior skill in turning in a late paper may receive a 1 or below proficiency score. Separating behavior from skills also has the effect of preventing students from receiving the kind of credit that simply completing work and meeting deadlines has had in distorting measures of academic skill.à There are, however, many educators, teachers and administrators alike, who do not see advantages to adopting a standards-based grading system at the secondary level. Their arguments against standards-based grading primarily reflect concerns at the instructional level. They stress that theà transition to a standards-based grading system, even if the school is from one of the 42 states using the CCSS, will require teachers to spend immeasurable amounts of time on extra planning, preparation, and training. In addition, any statewide initiative to move to standards-based learning may be difficult to fund and manage. These concerns may be a reason enough not to adopt standards-based grading. Classroom time can also be a concern for teachers whenà students do not reach proficiency on a skill. These students will need reteaching and reassessment placing another demand on curriculum pacing guides. While this reteaching and reassessment by skill does createà additional work for classroom teachers, however, advocates forà standards-based grading note that this process may help teachers to refine their instruction. Rather than add to continuing student confusion or misunderstanding, reteaching may improve later understanding. Perhaps the strongest objection to standards-based grading is based on the concern that standards-based grading might put high school students at a disadvantage when applying to college. Many stakeholders -parents, students teachers, guidance counselors, school administrators-believe that college admissions officers will only evaluate students based on their letter grades or GPA, and that GPA must be in numerical form. Ken OConnor disputes that concern suggesting that secondary schools are in the position to issue both traditional letter or numerical grades and standards-based grades at the same time. ââ¬Å"I think itââ¬â¢s unrealistic in most places to suggest that (GPA or letter grades) are going to go away at the high school level,â⬠Oââ¬â¢Connor agrees, but the basis for determining these might be different. He proposes that schools might base their letter-grade system on the percentage of grade-level standards a student meets in that particular subject and that schools can set their own standards based on GPA correlation.à Renowned author and education consultant Jay McTigheà agrees with OConnor, ââ¬Å"You can have letter grades and standards-based grading as long as you clearly define what those (letter-grade) levels mean.â⬠Other concerns are that standards-based grading can mean the loss of class ranking or honor rolls and academic honors. But OConnor points out that high schools and universities confer degrees with highest honors, high honors, and honors and that ranking students to the hundredth of a decimal may not be the best way to prove academic superiority. Several New England states will be at the forefront of this restructuring of grading systems. An article inà Theà New England Journal of Higher Education Titled directly addressed the question of college admissions with standard based grading transcripts. The states of Maine, Vermont, and New Hampshire have all passed legislation to implement proficiency or standards-based grading in their secondary schools.à In support of this initiative, a study in Maine titled Implementation of a Proficiency-Based Diploma System: Early Experiences in Maineà à (2014) by Erika K. Stump and David L. Silvernail used aà two-phase, qualitative approach in their research and found: ...that benefits [of proficiency grading] include improved student engagement, greater attention to development of robust interventions systems and more deliberate collective and collaborative professional work. Maine schools are expected to establish a proficiency-based diploma system by 2018. The New England Board of Higher Education (NEBHE) and the New England Secondary School Consortium (NESSC) met in 2016 with admissions leaders from highly selective New England colleges and universities and discussion was the subject of an article How Selective Colleges and Universities Evaluate Proficiency-Based High School Transcripts (April 2016) by Erikaà Blauth and Sarah Hadjian. The discussion revealed that college admissions officers are less concerned with grade percentagesà and more concerned that grades must always be based on clearly specified learning criteria. à They also noted that: Overwhelmingly, these admissions leaders indicate that students with proficiency-based transcripts will not be disadvantaged in the highly selective admissions process. Moreover, according to some admissions leaders, features of the proficiency-based transcript model shared with the group provide important information for institutions seeking not just high-performing academics, but engaged, lifelong learners. A review of the information on standards-based grading at the secondary level shows that implementation will require careful planning, dedication, and follow through for all stakeholders. The benefits for students, however, could be worth the considerable effort.
Wednesday, November 20, 2019
Concept of multiple intelligences Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
Concept of multiple intelligences - Assignment Example Gardener however emphasizes that there might be more forms of intelligence apart from these eight. There have been speculations of the possibility of existence of an experiential intelligence or spiritual intelligence or the ability to reflect on the big questions about lifeââ¬â¢s meaning. This idea of separate abilities by Gardener is based on evidence that in the instance of brain damage, the functioning of just one area, for instance language, is affected or interfered with and not the functioning of other areas. Another point of proof is the fact that a person may perform extremely well in any one of these eight areas but have no noteworthy abilities in the other seven. Gardener argues that intelligence refers to the ability to resolve problems and also make outcomes and products that are of value to a culture. There have been various values placed on these eight intelligences in different periods of history and cultures. In cultures with more emphasis on technology, mathemati cal and verbal intelligences are crucial while in cultures that are farming-oriented, a naturalist intelligence is important. Additionally, Gardener is of the opinion that the foundation of intelligence is biological in nature (Gardener, 1998). However, he does not refute that a general ability exists, but poses the question of how useful it is in accounting for various human achievements. Though the multiple intelligence theory by Gardener has been adopted by many educators, it has not been widely accepted in the scientific community. Some critics argue that a number of the intelligences are not at all new. Separate spatial and verbal abilities have been discovered by many researchers. Additionally, correlations among the abilities and the eight intelligences are not autonomous in nature. Spatial and logical-mathematical intelligences have a high correlation (Hoy & Hoy, 2009). Effective Uses of Multiple Intelligences The multiple intelligence view is advantageous since it amplifies individualsââ¬â¢ mode of thinking about different abilities and teaching avenues. There are various ways of using multiple intelligences to ensure good results in the classroom setting. Firstly, using this technique, schools can go about a discipline, general idea or subject matter in diverse manners. This caters for diverse needs of students. Many schools have previously been culprits of trying to cover too much too quickly. It is however more sensible to spend a substantial amount of time on the main crucial questions, productive ideas and concepts and let students familiarize themselves with such ideas and what they imply. There should therefore be effective utilization of changing instructions and a variety of methods of teaching used in the course of the day. So as to keep the students concentrated on the specific instructions, they should be made aware of differing strategies within a certain time period. The presentation of a single lesson can be done in a number of diffe rent ways. For example, when a lesson is introduced by oral, physical and visual means, the needs of every individual student are catered for by the teacher hence ensuring all students are fully engaged in class. This in turn increases the probabilities of studentsââ¬â¢
Concept of multiple intelligences Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
Concept of multiple intelligences - Assignment Example Gardener however emphasizes that there might be more forms of intelligence apart from these eight. There have been speculations of the possibility of existence of an experiential intelligence or spiritual intelligence or the ability to reflect on the big questions about lifeââ¬â¢s meaning. This idea of separate abilities by Gardener is based on evidence that in the instance of brain damage, the functioning of just one area, for instance language, is affected or interfered with and not the functioning of other areas. Another point of proof is the fact that a person may perform extremely well in any one of these eight areas but have no noteworthy abilities in the other seven. Gardener argues that intelligence refers to the ability to resolve problems and also make outcomes and products that are of value to a culture. There have been various values placed on these eight intelligences in different periods of history and cultures. In cultures with more emphasis on technology, mathemati cal and verbal intelligences are crucial while in cultures that are farming-oriented, a naturalist intelligence is important. Additionally, Gardener is of the opinion that the foundation of intelligence is biological in nature (Gardener, 1998). However, he does not refute that a general ability exists, but poses the question of how useful it is in accounting for various human achievements. Though the multiple intelligence theory by Gardener has been adopted by many educators, it has not been widely accepted in the scientific community. Some critics argue that a number of the intelligences are not at all new. Separate spatial and verbal abilities have been discovered by many researchers. Additionally, correlations among the abilities and the eight intelligences are not autonomous in nature. Spatial and logical-mathematical intelligences have a high correlation (Hoy & Hoy, 2009). Effective Uses of Multiple Intelligences The multiple intelligence view is advantageous since it amplifies individualsââ¬â¢ mode of thinking about different abilities and teaching avenues. There are various ways of using multiple intelligences to ensure good results in the classroom setting. Firstly, using this technique, schools can go about a discipline, general idea or subject matter in diverse manners. This caters for diverse needs of students. Many schools have previously been culprits of trying to cover too much too quickly. It is however more sensible to spend a substantial amount of time on the main crucial questions, productive ideas and concepts and let students familiarize themselves with such ideas and what they imply. There should therefore be effective utilization of changing instructions and a variety of methods of teaching used in the course of the day. So as to keep the students concentrated on the specific instructions, they should be made aware of differing strategies within a certain time period. The presentation of a single lesson can be done in a number of diffe rent ways. For example, when a lesson is introduced by oral, physical and visual means, the needs of every individual student are catered for by the teacher hence ensuring all students are fully engaged in class. This in turn increases the probabilities of studentsââ¬â¢
Tuesday, November 19, 2019
See instructions Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
See instructions - Research Paper Example With its fastly growing population rate and sprawling cities, economic disparity between the social classes is increasing. Moreover, the high population growth poses several other problems to development including poverty, living conditions, health, social progress, and most importantly economic progress. Although Brazil has always been ââ¬Å"bullishâ⬠about their population rise (Merrick, 1976), it is true that its population is constraining its economic development. Despite its high incomes and drop in unemployment rates, Brazil still struggles to keep economic inequality to a low level. Income inequality is high and these are reflected in the historical trends that show an unequal distribution of wealth and resources among the rich and the poor. There are much evidences to show that income inequality has detrimental impacts on the economic growth and development of a particular country. These factors go beyond the usual effect on poverty but relatively more important is that fact that it essentially curbs growth (Meier and Rauch, 2000). Although Brazilââ¬â¢s economy is apparently doing well with high incomes and a decline in the unemployment rates however these figures are not good determinants of its general well being (Baer, 2001). Historical figures of income distribution suggest that a high percentage of the income goes to the pockets of the rich while the poor only get a small share of the income. Coupled with the increasing population, economic disparity is increasing among the people. Moreover, the migration from rural to urban areas of Brazil has created severe health and sanitary problems. It is pleasing to see, though, that Brazil has made rapid progress since the Great Depression in the 1930s in terms of demographic transformation (Baer, 2001), to doing spectacularly well between 1968-73 during the Brazilian Miracle
Saturday, November 16, 2019
Fourth Quarter English Interpretive Paper Essay Example for Free
Fourth Quarter English Interpretive Paper Essay A Man for All Seasons, by Robert Bolt illustrates the adult life of Sir Thomas More. In this play, the Common Man portrays man and his vices and sins showing the ordinary man of every age, class, culture, and society. Bolt uses the Common Man in the roles of the steward, boatman, and jailor to show how man can easily sin. Common Man exhibits manââ¬â¢s immorality through the roles of the steward, boatman, and jailor, in A Man for All Seasons. Christian virtues are lacking in the Common Manââ¬â¢s role of the steward. The Common Manââ¬â¢s character, the steward, disrespects Rich by the snubbing manner of which he speaks to Rich. Likewise, when he spies on Thomas More he is being disloyal and dishonest. (pp. 40-42) Furthermore, the steward exhibits greediness by spying on More for Richard Rich, Thomas Cromwell, and Signor Chapuy in exchange for money. (pp.40-42) In addition, pride is conveyed towards Rich by the steward when he behaves as if he superior over Rich. (pp.104-105) Vices are seen in the stewardââ¬â¢s behavior. The Common Man in the role of the boatman demonstrates a lack of morality. The boatman displays dishonesty when he tries to overcharge Thomas for his boat ride home. (p. 25) Likewise, he is being greedy as he wants more money than he should receive for giving Thomas a ride home. (p. 25) Moreover, his disobeyed the law by ignoring the fixed boat fares. (p. 25) The boatmanââ¬â¢s actions are sinful. Lack of morals can be observed in the Common Man in the role of the Jailer. The vice of greed is seen by the Jailor when he is willing to accept fifty guineas from Cromwell in exchange for information about Thomas More. (p. 135) Likewise, the jailor is dishonest when he is willing to take anything that Thomas says and tell it to Cromwell to use as evidence against Thomas More in court. (pp. 135-136) Lack of charity is exhibited by the jailor when he does not allow Thomasââ¬â¢s family to visit Thomas at the jail. (pp. 145-146) The Common Man, as the jailor, displays vices. The role of the steward, boatman, and jailor played by the Common Man reveal the lack of mans morals in A Man for All Seasons. Disrespect, dishonesty, greed, pride, lack of charity, and disobedience are witnessed in the words and actions of the three characters. The vices represent the basic character of the Common Man who is every person in every age, class, race, and society. Boltââ¬â¢s play, A Man for All Seasons instructs one to avoid sin and protect his morals and Christian faith. [ 1 ]. Robert Bolt, The Man for All Seasons(New York, NY; Vintage International, 1990),pp. 4-5. All subsequent references will be noted in the text.
Thursday, November 14, 2019
Environmental Destruction: A Philosophical-Anthropological Perspective
Environmental Destruction: A Philosophical-Anthropological Perspective It is no secret anylonger that the ecological crisis puts mankind as a whole to an existential test which have to be solved in practice and in theory. So, by this the vast amount of literature can be explained which consequently led to the emergence of an own "genre" ââ¬â the so called "ecoliterature" which herself is really dissonant and ambigious. In the meantime ââ¬â besides other sources ââ¬â almost all sciences take part in such kind of discussions what obviously can be traced back to the fact that the ecological crisis is such a substantial phenomena which leads therefore to numerous perceptions and different point of views. Considering philosophy ââ¬â for some the "royal discipline" per se ââ¬â we can claim that she has forcefully regarded the ecological problems as a challenge in the last decade. But, she has owed her resources first and foremost to ethical considerations. Because of this an ecological ethics has ââ¬â admittedly not undisputed ââ¬â developed as a new special ethics. Besides this and apart from an aesthetics of nature as well as from a philosophy of nature different sections of philosophy acting in a much more restraint and careful way. Neither the social philosophy nor the one of history or metaphysics ââ¬â only to name a few ââ¬â have seriously engaged in the ecology although it is evident that they are really needed as competent participants. Generally, each section can participate on environmental dialogues. The current role of philosophical anthropology The outlined moderate discussions about ecological and environmental problems can also be observed within the philosophical anthropology which is ââ¬â according to my opinion ââ¬â not tenable. One... ...ces JONAS, H.: Das Prinzip Verantwortung. Versuch einer Ethik fà ¼r die technologische Zivilisation. Frankfurt a.M. 1979. LENK, H.: Wie philosophisch ist die Philosophische Anthropologie? Methodologische Bewertung zu den anthropologischen Grundlagen der Sozialwissenschaften. In: FREY, C. / ZELGER, J. (Hrsg.): Der Mensch und die Wissenschaft vom Menschen. Bd. 1. Innsbruck 1983, 145 ff. MAQUARD, O.: Homo Compensator. Zur anthropologischen Karriere eines metaphysischen Begriffs. In: FREY, C. / ZELGER, J. (Hrsg.): Der Mensch und die Wissenschaft vom Menschen. Bd. 1. Innsbruck 1983, 63 ff. MEINBERG, E.: Das Menschenbild der MEINBERG, E.: Homo Oecologicus. Das neue Menschenbild im Zeichen der à ¶kologischen Krise. Darmstadt 1995. PLESSNER, H.: Gesammelte Schriften. Frankfurt a.M. 1985. SCHELER, M.: Die Stellung des Menschen im Kosmos. Bern, Mà ¼nchen 1966.
Monday, November 11, 2019
Fail to Plan, Plan to Fail Essay
Those who fail to plan, plan to fail, or at least plan not to improve, according to the management literature. Look at school improvement, and thereââ¬â¢s similar agreement pretty much across the literature that the schools that improve are the ones that plan. They establish a clear educational vision and consequent shared mission; identify goals or objectives that enable them to achieve that mission and thereby realise that vision; audit themselves, thereby identifying areas for improvement; and develop and implement educational programs on the basis of leadership 57 that audit that address areas for improvement n ways that help them achieve the mission. That process, much of the literature suggests, is recursive or cyclical. The key in the school improvement literature seems to be that thereââ¬â¢s a first step, identifying your vision and shared mission, that then informs the next step, the planning process of identifying goals or objectives aligned with the vision and mission. Whether you look at the management literature or the school improvement literature, at its simplest, goal setting is a way of asking what do we want, do we have what we need so that we can develop and implement what we plan, do our various goals elate to one another or are any in conflict, and is there anything weââ¬â¢ve overlooked, including internal and external blockers? There, in 200 or so words, you have the whole easy-peasy school improvement planning story, and can stop reading and go and get that coffee right now. Or not. The problem, if youââ¬â¢re still reading, is that planning and goal setting can sometimes lead to fragmented, uncoordinated programs with conflicting objectives that actually work against one another. Yes, setting specific, challenging goals, and developing and implementing educational programs to meet them can drive school mprovement, but as Adam Galinsky, author with Lisa Ordonez, Maurice Schweitzer and Max Bazerman of ââ¬ËGoals gone wild,ââ¬â¢ in the 58 teacher june/july 2009 Journal of the Academy of Management Perspectives, told the Boston Globeââ¬â¢s Drake Bennett, goal setting ââ¬Ëcan lead to crazy behaviours to get people to achieve them. ââ¬â¢ ââ¬ËWe contend,ââ¬â¢ write Ordonez, Schweitzer, Galinsky and Bazerman in ââ¬ËGoals gone wild,ââ¬â¢ ââ¬Ëthat goal setting has been over- prescribed. In particular, we argue that goal setting has powerful and predictable side effects. Rather than being offered as an ââ¬Å"over-the-counterâ⬠salve for boosting performance, oal setting should be prescribed selectively, presented with a warning label and closely monitored. ââ¬â¢ Tunnel vision To be fair, Ordonez, Schweitzer, Galinsky and Bazerman have their eyes set on performance management, and its tendency to an outcome orientation like a defined sales target, say, or reduced time spent on a process, rather than school improvement, and its tendency to the systemic development and implementation of programs. Nonetheless, people in a school who want to improve it will end up setting, or having set for them, some kind of performanceoriented goal. The message from Ordonez, Schweitzer, Galinsky and Bazerman is that they should pursue that goal with care. Letââ¬â¢s consider why goals, as Ordonez and colleagues put it, go wild. The first reason, they argue, is that a goal might be inappropriate or so specific that in pursuing it, people ignore important elements of their behaviour, and maybe even their attitudes and values, that are not specified by the goal. ââ¬ËSuppose that a university department bases tenure decisions primarily on the number of articles that (academics) publish,ââ¬â¢ they write. ââ¬ËThis goal will motivate (the academics) to accomplish the narrow objective of publishing articles. Other important objectives, however, such as research impact, teaching and service, may suffer. ââ¬â¢ Worse, say Ordonez and colleagues, referring to Barry Staw and Richard Boettgerââ¬â¢s ââ¬ËTask revision: A neglected form of work performanceââ¬â¢ in the Academy of Management Journal, goals can give us tunnel vision. In their study on the effects of goals, Staw and Boettger asked students to proofread a paragraph that contained both grammatical and content errors. They found that those asked simply to ââ¬Ëdo your bestââ¬â¢ corrected both grammatical and content errors, while those who were asked specifically to correct grammar gnored content, and those who were asked specifically to correct content ignored grammar. The reason? Goals ââ¬Ëinform the individual about what behaviour is valued and appropriate,ââ¬â¢ argue Staw and Boettger. The goal-setting problem, Ordonez and colleagues add, is that when we plan we tend to latch on to specific, measurable standards rather than complex sets of behaviours, and the attitudes and values that underlie them, precisely because specific standards are easy to measure and complex sets of behaviours are not. Command performance The goal-setting problem, essentially, depends n whether a goal is set by command or by consultation, negotiation or ââ¬â horror ââ¬â genuine collaboration. Goals set by command are, by definition, set by those with the power, whether you like it or not, to set them. The risk of such goal setting is that, first, it may lead to goals that are inappropriate or overly specific and, second, that leaders and their followers can be prone to what could be called target fixation or what Christopher Kayes, calls ââ¬Ëdestructive goal pursuitââ¬â¢ in Destructive Goal Pursuit: The Mount Everest disaster, to which Ordonez and colleagues also refer. As they note, ââ¬ËKayes identifies warning signs of leaders who have become excessively fixated on goals. These occur in leaders who express narrowly- defined goals, associate goals with destiny, express an idealised future, offer goal-driven justifications, face public expectations and attempt to engage in face-saving behaviour. ââ¬â¢ Itââ¬â¢s a useful checklist to use to audit yourself or a leader in your institution, but remember, we tend to latch on to specific measurable things rather than complex sets of behaviours, and the attitudes and values that underlie them, precisely The goal-setting problem s that when we plan we tend to latch on to specific, measurable standardsâ⬠¦ because specific standards are easy to measure. leadership 59 because the specifics are easy to measure and complex sets of behaviours are not. Performance anxiety Of course, one of the main planks of the education policy of this and the previous Commonwealth government is the standards agenda ââ¬â the benchmarking of student achievement outcomes, which educators and schools then strive to achieve, and which at their worst could end up as ââ¬Ëleague tables. ââ¬â¢ Whether youââ¬â¢re a fan of the standards agenda or not, itââ¬â¢s clearly the mother of all oals in Australian education, and worth considering in terms of goal setting. Ordonez and colleagues have some interesting observations to make, particularly about what they call the serious side-effects of setting challenging or so-called stretch goals. These, they argue, can lead people to choose riskier strategies and to cheat, and can create a culture of competition that erodes cooperation. On ethics, they argue, ââ¬ËThe interplay between organisational culture and goal setting is particularly important. An ethical organisational culture can rein in the harmful effects of goal setting, but at the same ime, the use of goals can influence organisational culture. Specifically, the use of goal setting, like ââ¬Å"management by objectives,â⬠creates a focus on ends rather than meansâ⬠¦. Goal setting impedes ethical decision making by making it harder for employees to recognise ethical issues and easier for them to rationalise unethical behaviour. Given that small actions within an organisation can have broad implications for organisational culture, we postulate that aggressive goal setting within an organisation will foster an organisational climate ripe for unethical behaviour. That is, not only does goal setting irectly motivate unethical behaviour, but its introduction may also motivate unethical behaviour indirectly by subtly altering an organisationââ¬â¢s culture. ââ¬â¢ Handle with care If the bad news of the government-mandated standards agenda is that thereââ¬â¢s a risk of a form of goal setting that creates a focus on ends rather than means, the good news for schools is that the school-improvement literature puts a premium on one thing thatââ¬â¢s evident in the first 200 words of this story: collegiality. With any luck, your school- improvement planning process and the goals that you consequently set are the result of onsultation, negotiation and collaboration, not command and, if they are, chances are yours are learning goals, not performance targets. As Ordonez and colleagues observe, performance goals inhibit learning. ââ¬ËWhen individuals face a complex task, specific, challenging goals may inhibit learning from experience and degrade performance compared to exhortations to ââ¬Å"do your best. â⬠An individual who is narrowly focused on a performance goal will be less likely to try alternative methods that could help her learn how to perform a taskâ⬠¦. Overall, the narrow focus of specific goals can inspire erformance, but prevent learning. ââ¬â¢ As Edwin Locke and Gary Latham recommend in ââ¬ËBuilding a practically useful theory of goal setting and task motivation: A 35-year odysseyââ¬â¢ in American Psychologist, we should be setting ââ¬Ëlearning goalsââ¬â¢ in complex situations rather than ââ¬Ëperformance goals. ââ¬â¢ The problem, as Ordonez and colleagues note, is that, ââ¬ËIn practice, however, managers may have trouble determining when a task is complex enough to warrant a learning, rather than a performance, goalâ⬠¦. The goal of setting the right goals is itself a challenging affair. ââ¬â¢ Perhaps itââ¬â¢s time for a new axiom: those ho fail to plan carefully, plan at their peril.
Saturday, November 9, 2019
In Flanders Fields by John McCrae and Suicide In The Trenches by Siegfried Sassoon Essay
ââ¬Å"Select two of the poems you have studied. Compare and contrast the different attitudes to war expressed by the poets and the techniques used to convey them.â⬠The two poems, which I have chosen, are, ââ¬Å"In Flanders Fieldsâ⬠by John McCrae, and ââ¬Å"Suicide in the Trenchesâ⬠by Siegfried Sassoon. The poems take opposing views to the war. ââ¬Å"In Flanders Fieldsâ⬠we find McCrae taking a positive, almost religious and very sensitive view about the outcome of war. Whilst in comparison, in ââ¬Å"Suicide in the Trenchesâ⬠, Sassoon portrays a negative, harsh, cynical and angry view. ââ¬Å"In Flanders Fieldsâ⬠McCrae writes about his views on what happens after dying in war. It is a very personal poem, emphasised by being written using the personal pronouns; ââ¬Å"we and ourâ⬠, rather than impersonal; ââ¬Å"them and theirâ⬠. This involves the reader by in a way, including them in the poem. The poem also imparts a strong feeling of patriotism. McCrae uses controlled, everyday language in the poem. The rhyme is steady, and flows smoothly, which draws you into the poem, and thatââ¬â¢s what makes me like it. ââ¬Å"Between the crosses, row on rowâ⬠McCrae uses a lot of repetition. He talks of the crosses on the graves, making sure you realise that there are lots of graves, and how the poppies grow in between. He uses the poppies and the lark as a way of reminding us that we are just like a passing season, born, growing, dying, and then being replaced as nature carries on, even if we donââ¬â¢t! In the first stanza McCrae mainly describes the scene of the poem. In the second stanza, there isnââ¬â¢t enjambement like the first. McCrae uses a caesura in the first line. ââ¬Å"We are the dead.â⬠This forms a definite break. McCrae is making sure that you stop and take in what he is trying to tell you. It is strongly emphasised, abrupt, and it gets to the point. He continues with no complicated words. The language continues to be plain and simple. Again by using ââ¬Å"weâ⬠McCrae includes the reader in the feeling of dawn, seeing the sunset glow, a reference to the start and end of the day , a parody of life. McCrae then goes onto writing about how the soldiers loved, and were loved. The keywords in the sentence being ââ¬Å"wereâ⬠, telling us that they are no more. They can no longer go on loving, or fighting, and are laid to rest in Flanders Fields. In the third and final stanza, McCrae tells us they have ââ¬Å"failing handsâ⬠, means that they are losing strength. The soldiers grow weaker and weaker, then when they die they pass on the torch, symbolising responsibility, to the soldiers who are stronger. The torch of unity and hope, like the torch at the Olympic games, itââ¬â¢s symbolic. All the soldiers are being linked together, fighting for something they believe in. McCrae wants new soldiers to carry on fighting for something that they believe in, so that men, who have fought before him, havenââ¬â¢t fought in vain. They need to keep the flame in the torch alive. Then McCrae writes, ââ¬Å"The torch, be yours to hold it high.â⬠Telling us to be proud of the torch, hold it up high, be determined. The torch gives an impression of right, along with pride. Yet he almost invents this with what is almost a threat, contrasting life and death, right and wrong. For example, ââ¬Å"If ye break faith with us who die We shall not sleepâ⬠, I think that McCraeââ¬â¢s attitude towards war is brave. He has hope, and thinks that you should fight for your country as your comrades have done before you. Agree with your country, and keep going till itââ¬â¢s over. Itââ¬â¢s a soldierââ¬â¢s duty to die for his country. It should be worthwhile. The poem is patriotic, and has a strong sense of purpose, but itââ¬â¢s sad, and yet dignified. ââ¬Å"Suicide in the Trenchesâ⬠is a totally different poem. Its verses are simple, they have a strong beat, the lines are rhythmical, and have regular rhyming. The poem was written in 1918, in the First World War, so Sassoon is writing about his experiences. It starts off with the phrase ââ¬Å"simple soliderâ⬠, using alliteration. The soldier is young, innocent, too young to be fighting, but it seems a pleasant poem. ââ¬Å"Who grinned at life in empty joy, means that the soldier is easily pleased, undemanding, glad with life. When it was dark, and lonesome, the soldier slept through it, happily, he was untroubled, and had nothing to worry about. He got up at the crack of dawn, as the lark does. He was cheerful. This is like a childââ¬â¢s impression of war. That a soldier is brave, and not afraid of anything. The second stanza says that in winter, the trenches are full of rain, snow, and conditions are bad. The young soldier feels cowed and glum, to be ââ¬Å"cowed downâ⬠, means subdued. This tells us that he has no spirit left, his spirit has all gone. All the joy in his life has been taken away. ââ¬Å"With crumps and liceâ⬠crumps are bursting bombs, warfare, the trenches are lice infested. There is a lack of rum. The soldiers are issued with rum for courage, before they go out and fight, they have some, itââ¬â¢s a way of keeping their spirits up, but there is even a lack of rum too! The poem is getting more and more angry. In the same stanza, Sassoon writes, ââ¬Å"He put a bullet through his brain.â⬠This has a harsh simplicity. We are shocked by what Sassoon is writing. This once so pleasant, and untroubled boy, has now found this so hard, that he has taken his own life. It is very abrupt, and comes out of the blue. ââ¬Å"No one spoke of him again.â⬠All his fellow soldiers are ashamed of what he did to himself. He left them, and didnââ¬â¢t have to courage to go on. It was a shameful, and easy way out. But it was out of shock and horror that he killed himself. I think that also people were ashamed of themselves for not helping him, and that he had to do it as a way out. He felt he had no other option. The third stanza becomes more general. It stops being so personal. We begin to feel what the writer feels, very bitter and angry towards war. All the people at home, were thinking they knew everything about the war, when they didnââ¬â¢t have to go through what the soldiers were going through. They didnââ¬â¢t have any experience of the reality of war. They dress up the war and the truth is hidden. They are ââ¬Å"Smugâ⬠, self-satisfied people, who will send other people off to war, but wouldnââ¬â¢t go themselves. ââ¬Å"Kindling eyeâ⬠is a way of pointing out their excitement, getting a fire going, that they are lit up with enthusiasm for war, which they wont fight. The people are hiding away from what the soldiers have to do. War is hell. War has taken away all the soldierââ¬â¢s youth and laughter goes. There is no laughter in war. The men donââ¬â¢t get to live their youth, and have to fight, and kill. The two poems are therefore totally different, but they have the same structure. The both have three stanzas, and have generally got a steady beat throughout. They have opposite meanings. They both start off pleasant, and ââ¬Å"Flanders Fieldsâ⬠stays that way, it is sad but with a positive outlook on the way. But Sassoonââ¬â¢s ââ¬Å"Suicide in the trenchesâ⬠changes abruptly and becomes very negative. They both talk about death, but in totally opposite ways, ââ¬Å"In Flanders Fieldsâ⬠says it is worth dying for your country, and what you believe in. But on the other hand, ââ¬Å"Suicide in the Trenchesâ⬠says it isnââ¬â¢t worth going through the hell of war, and losing your life for nothing. They are both very personal poems, even though Sassoonââ¬â¢s becomes less personal towards the end. Both the poets have lived through war, and both the poems were written in the same year, during WW1. Both the poems have simple, easy to understand, everyday language.
Thursday, November 7, 2019
How to Use the Inverted Pyramid in Newswriting
How to Use the Inverted Pyramid in Newswriting Inverted pyramid refers to the structure or model commonly used for hard-news stories. It means that the most important, or heaviest information goes at the top of the story, while the least important information goes at the bottom. Heres an example:à He used the inverted pyramid structure to write his news story. Early Beginnings The inverted pyramid format was developed during the Civil War. Correspondents covering the great battles of that war would do their reporting, then rush to the nearest telegraph office to have their stories transmitted, via Morse Code, back to their newsrooms. But the telegraph lines were often cut in mid-sentence, sometimes in an act of sabotage. So the reportersà realized they had to put the most important facts right at the very start of their stories so that even if most of the details were lost, the main point would get through. (Interestingly, theà Associated Press, which is known for its extensive use of tightly written, inverted pyramid stories, was founded around this same time. Today the AP is the oldest and one of the largest news organizations in the world.) Inverted Pyramid Today Of course, some 150 years after the end of the Civil War, the inverted pyramid format is still being used because it has served both journalists and readers well. Readers benefit from being able to get the main point of the story right in the very first sentence. And news outlets benefit by being able to convey more information in a smaller space, something thats especially true in an age when newspapers are literally shrinking. (Editors also like the inverted pyramid format because when working on tight deadlines, it enables them to cut overly long stories from the bottom without losing any vital information.) In fact, the inverted pyramid format is probably more useful today than ever. Studies have found that readers tend to have shorter attention spans when reading on screens as opposed to paper. And since readers increasingly get their news not just on the relatively small screens of iPads but on the tiny screens of smartphones, more than ever reporters must summarize stories as quickly and as succinctly as possible. Indeed, even though online-only news sites theoretically have infinite amounts of space for articles, since there are no pages to be physically printed, more often than not youll find that their stories still use the inverted pyramid and are very tightly written, for the reasons cited above. Do It Yourself For the beginning reporter, the inverted pyramid format should be easy to learn. Make sure to get the main points of your story - the five Ws and the H - into your lede. Then, as you go from the start to the finish of your story, put the most important news near the top, and the least important stuff near the bottom. Do that, and youll produce a tight, well-written news story using a format that has withstood the test of time.
Monday, November 4, 2019
Business Law1
Business Law1 Essay The full name of the first company I chose is Entrust Technologies Inc. The state and year of incorporation is Texas in 1996. The company was a spin-off of Nortel Networks. The worldwide headquarters for the corporation is 4975 Preston Park Blvd Suite 400 Plano, Texas 75093. The Chief Executive Officer and President of the company is John Ryan. The number of shareholders is in the 26, 000 range and the stock is traded on the NASDAQ. The ticker symbol for the corporation is ENTU. The CUSIP number is _________. The price range of Entrust Technologies from 1998 1999 was $24 upon opening on January 1, 1998 and its close was $60 on December 31, 1999 (See chart 1.1, attached to back of paper full year price range). The corporation has many subsidiaries that it recognizes: Entrust Technologies Limited, Entrust. net, Entrust Technologies (United Kingdom, Switzerland, Japan), Entrust Technologies GmbH (Germany) and CygnaCom Solutions. Entrust Technologies Inc. provides products and services to ensure secure electronic communications and transactions over the Internet, Extranets and Intranets. (http://biz.yahoo.com/p/e/entu. html) The company is ahead of its game in the Internet business. A lawsuit was filed against the company in February of 1999 by Surety technologies, Inc. The lawsuit involved the supposed infringement of patent rights on the part of Entrust Technologies. Surety said they developed a digital timestamping method using hash and sign. They claim it was their method and only theirs. The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia ruled for Entrust claiming that the patent covering the special hash -and- sign method used by Surety was not a new thing. Any company could use the technology to better their communication systems by timestamping electronic documents. The lawsuit and verdict proved to the rest of the world that Entrust Technologies is ready to advance all companies with special devices to make their business run a little bit smoother. The verdict was handed down in November 1999 and gave ENTU a very strong third quarter. Their revenue increased from $13.0 million to $22.6 million in one year. The lawsuit benefited, not hampered the business practices of Entrust Technologies. There are literally hundreds of competitors in the computer services business. AutoBytel Com Inc., Agency Com LTD, Publicard Inc, Zapme Inc., Knot Inc. and Paychex Inc. are just some of the companies that compete in the business with Entrust Technologies (See 1.2, attached file regarding the competitors). VectorVest rates the long-range outlook for the stock poorly in most areas. They rate stocks well that are steady and predictable. All the stocks are rated on a 0.00 2. 00 scale, a relative safety greater than 1.00 is safe and below 1.00 is not a safe buy. ENTU was given a relative safety of 0.71, very poor. The relative value is a 0. 82, also poor. When a stock has a relative safety and value greater than 1.00 the earning rate will increase and shares will increase in value. Entrust was given a relative timing rating of 1.04, which is fair in this field. The trend established is fair and might last depending on the stocks dependability. VectorVest also suggests that ENTU is overvalued and having a high-risk dividend because it does not pay a dividend. This also shows that ENTU has not dividend growth and that indicates future outlook and past history. In conclusion, Entrust Technologies has a below average safety with below average upside potential. This reflects the stocks potential and almost ensures below average, inconsistent returns. Reesegroup.com rates ENTU as having no interest at this time. Entrust Technologies Inc. was a good buy. I disagree with the critics on this one. When I bought the stock on January 20th it was at $56 and it rose up and down slowly to 92 .
Saturday, November 2, 2019
Comparitive studies of enviormental policies in China & USA Essay
Comparitive studies of enviormental policies in China & USA - Essay Example Because of the relation between such acts of environmental degradation and economic development, there are often national policies on environment control that are enacted and implemented on national basis. This paper therefore seeks to examine the differences and similarities between China and the United States in terms of their environmental policies as well as compare them economically and then having overview of other countries with similar environmental policies as China. Similarities in Environmental Policies between China and the United States Two areas of environmental policy of which the United States and China has a lot of similarities has to do with the area of resource energy and recycling. Both countries have policies that are channeled towards the need to reserve the environment by avoiding the use of non-renewable sources of energy such as hydro electricity. To this end, there has over the years being a policy to fade off the use of non-renewable energy sources in power ing major industries in both countries (Vesper, 2000). In the United States for instance, the use of wind energy has become a widely promoted source of energy for major industries, especially those into manufacturing. China has also been known to take a giant lead in the use of solar energy in powering most its industries such as those in manufacturing (Waddell, 2003). Almost the same story is true in the case of recycling as industries in both countries have had to follow national policies that enshrine them to recycle waste product and channel them into other areas of energy generation rather than dumping the waste into the environment. In the United States, this policy is championed by the Environment Protection Agency. Differences in Environmental Policies between China and the United States As much as there are similarities in policies, there are also areas between China and the United States that there are several differences in developmental ideologies. These ideologies diffe rences have actually resulted in differences in environmental policies. For example in China, there is the ideology of the need to reduce the countryââ¬â¢ population sharply as the country is currently the most populated country in the world. Though the United States is heavily populated, its demand for population reduction is not as intensive as that of China. Because of this, China has a policy known as one-baby-per family that seeks to enforce the reduction of number of births in homes. United States on the other hand only uses public advocacy to appeal for birth control. In the area of pollution also, there are differences between the two countries. For instance, whereas China has a more liberal approach to industrialization as a way widening it up its industrial growth in global economy, the United States as a more stringent approach to new entrants into industrialization. Subsequently, the United States is more concerned about checking acts of pollution among industries tha n China is (Rotter, 2001). This is because the government of China sees policies that force industry players to stick to certain rules as a means of intimidating their operation. Economic impact of Environmental Policies for China and the United States Industrial economists hold very interesting views on the economic impact of environmental pol
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