Napster essays

Napster essays There are many different controversies when consulting the topic on Napster. Napster is a computer program that lets people download mp3 music files from other people with the program. Lots of people and music companies believe that this is bad and Napster should be stopped or should charge people. Many other people believe that that Napster is a good thing and should remain free of charge. There are many people who think that the way Napster is distributing music is bad. One reason they think it is bad is because they consider it stealing the copyrighted music. These people also believe that Napster should be shut down or they should start to charge people for the service. The way these people see Napster is that it is stealing their copyrighted music and then distributing it for free. There are other people who believe that Napster is a good thing and should stay the way it is, free of charge. These people think that the music on Napster is a great way for advertising that is also free. This is also a great way for new bands to get discovered and get more people to listen to them. These are the people that are fighting to try to keep Napster the way it is and keep it free of charge. Napster has gone to court to try and make a deal with the companies and the people against them. Napster has offered to try and block the copyrighted music to make the people happy but that was impossible to block all of them. The court ended up ruling for Napster to start to charge people to use the computer program. In conclusion, even thought there are many different controversies consulting the topic of Napster and the people, the court has now made a decision to make Napster charge people. There are still many people that strongly believe in both sides, but it is just time until Napster has to start charging people. ...

At a Crossroads

At a Crossroads At a Crossroads At a Crossroads By Maeve Maddox A reader is confused about this expression: Kindly explain the usage and difference, if any, of at a crossroad, at crossroads and similar phrases. Literally, a crossroad is a road that crosses another. â€Å"A crossroad† is the place where two or more roads intersect. â€Å"A crossroads† is also the place where roads intersect. In remote areas where roads lack signage, travelers at an unfamiliar intersection are faced with a directional decision that could have unpleasant consequences if they choose incorrectly. Figuratively, to be â€Å"at a crossroad† or â€Å"at a crossroads† is to be at a stage in one’s life–or the development of a country or an industry–when it is necessary to choose a course of action that will affect one’s future in significant and irrevocable ways. Both the singular and plural forms are seen, but the Google Ngram Viewer indicates that the plural form is more common. The expression is popular with writers who compose headlines and book titles: Trucking Industry at a Crossroads Cuba: Island at a Crossroad The Caspian Region at a Crossroad: Challenges of a New Frontier of Energy Global Health Governance at a Crossroads Cancer research at a crossroads in Germany Writers of novels and memoirs are also fond of it: I think you will agree that lifes plans are not always tied up in neat little packages. Occasionally we find ourselves at unexpected crossroads with more than one opportunity from which to choose. –Linda Lee Chaikin I see myself at crossroads in my life, mapless, lacking bits of knowledge then, the Moon breaks through, lights up the path before me  Ã¢â‚¬â€œJohn Geddes And having once chosen, never to seek to return to the crossroads of that decision-for even if one chooses wrongly, the choice cannot be unmade.  Ã¢â‚¬â€œJacqueline Carey To be at a crossroads is to be on the verge of making a decision: We stand at an absolutely pivotal crossroads in our nations history  that may well determine our future and way of life for decades to come. Three idioms that refer to the moment after the decision has been made are: 1. to cross the Rubicon This expression means to make an irrevocable decision. Its figurative meaning comes from Julius Caesar’s literal crossing of a small Italian river in 49 BCE. By leading an army across the Rubicon–the boundary between Gaul and Italy–Caesar disobeyed Roman law and began a civil war. Crossing the Rubicon is final. That’s the whole point of the expression. The following quotation suggests that the speaker doesn’t quite understand that once the Rubicon is crossed, there’s no turning back: I think the Port Authority, from a transparency/media point of view, has crossed the Rubicon as the result of recent controversies and its not going to be possible to re-cross it. 2. casting the die According to Suetonius, once he had crossed the Rubicon, Caesar said â€Å"Alea iacta est!† The Latin is usually translated as â€Å"The die is cast.† Die is the singular of dice. In those days, dice were used for gambling, but also for determining the will of the gods. Either way, once the dice have been thrown, the outcome has been determined. Example: â€Å"The Die is Cast: Russia’s Intentions in Ukraine† 3. no turning back The phrasal verb â€Å"turn back† means â€Å"to reverse the course of† or â€Å"to cause to go in the opposite direction.† Example: â€Å"For open government, there is absolutely no turning back.† In addition to representing a place where a crucial decision is made, a crossroad has sinister associations in history and in folklore. A place where two roads crossed was often chosen as the site of pre-Christian sacrifice. Recipes for black magic often include directions to bury something at a crossroads at midnight. Gallows were placed at a crossroads. The bodies of the executed–especially those of highwaymen–were left hanging as a warning. Suicides and others for whom Christian burial in consecrated ground was forbidden were buried at a crossroads. Related post: One Die, Two Dice Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Punctuating â€Å"So† at the Beginning of a Sentence30 Baseball IdiomsNominalized Verbs

The Status of German Women under Nazism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Status of German Women under Nazism - Essay Example The end of World War I harkened the birth of several political groups in Germany possessing extreme views, such as those professing ultra-nationalistic and anti-democratic ideas. Adolph Hitler joined one of these groups known as the German Workers' Party. In the years following 1920, he became the leader of the party, later reorganizing and reorienting it to reflect his personality. He also renamed the party to the Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei (NSDAP) or, as translated into English, the National Socialist German Workers' Party. Nazism was the term by which the party's ideology, its doctrines, and its policies came to be known. (Columbia Encyclopaedia 2004) The ideology of Nazism was based on an amalgam of doctrines of racism, nationalism, and what was known as the "hero-cult" espoused by various writers and interpreted by Hitler and others in works such as Hitler's Mein Kampf. Instead of a set of well-described principles, Nazism was a vague ideology glorifying myth, prejudice, and nihilist views. Control was paramount and democracy was viewed as a corrupt form of government that served to protect the mediocre and weak elements of society. Under Hitler, Nazism became national law in Germany. (Columbia Encyclopaedia 2004) Nazism was a reaction to the emancipation of society, which occurred as monarchies throughout Europe fell and as Marxist ideology grew in popularity. Nazism, contrasted to the Marxist emphasis on the desire for equality in property ownership, focused on issues of social equality, primarily the issues of racial superiority and inferiority. (Harvey 1999: 77+) The anti-feminist spirit of Nazism was related in a significant manner to the movement's racist ideology, according to Stibbe (1993: 35+), who writes that "[l]ike the Jew, the modern 'emancipated' woman was seen as an agent of degeneracy and national decline, bringing in her wake the 'destructive' forces of Bolshevism, democracy, and parliamentarianism." A hint of Hitler's perspectives on the role of women became apparent shortly after his assumption of power in January of 1933. In his government's handbook for Nazi leaders and their organisations and members, entitled and translated as The ABCs of National Socialism, the following translated entry, which was directed at Jewish women, appeared: "[T]he Jewish housewife, herself, is no picture of cleanliness, but idly sits around, painted up and powdered and adorned in silk and baubles" (Rosen 1933, cited in Guenther 2004: 92). But Hitler's views of women in German society were not restricted to Jews alone. Women, in general, were cri ticised for purchasing cosmetics, perfumes, and other luxury items rather than saving the money or spending it on household items. Hitler, both through the ideology he promoted and the policies he enacted, insisted that German women must "return to their pre-emancipation roles" (Guenther 2004: 93). The ABCs of National Socialism, as translated, stated (Rosen 1933, cite

Atermath of Katrina, Returning to a Workplace Essay

Atermath of Katrina, Returning to a Workplace - Essay Example My primary concern as an Industrial Hygienist deputed to clean up the hospital in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina would be to prevent or control the spread of infectious diseases such as diarrhea, flu, cold and TB. Because as evidence from similar natural catastrophes suggests, the people returning to New Orleans are likely to suffer from these diseases in the immediate aftermath of Katrina. Gastroenteritis is also likely to be prevalent. Hence I would order my team and also avail of services from other disaster relief personnel and design an basic hygiene awareness program for the hospital. For example, proper hand-washing techniques will be demonstrated to all concerned. Along with practical demonstrations, I would make posters, fliers and email postings to reiterate the proper technique of hand washing. I would place bottles of Gel hand sanitizers at important access points within the hospital. Other infectious diseases that I would try to prevent or control include rashes and skin infections. Once any of these diseases is identified in the surrounding population, it is imperative that diseased individuals are separated from the crowd so as to stop further spread. All the beds and chairs within the hospital will be scanned for fomites. It is advisable to remove soiled cots, mattresses and bed spreads from the premises. (Chew, et. al, 2006) I would also be concerned about the mold and endotoxin levels in the hospital environment. I will involve the two technicians in my team to bring samples and perform tests for ascertaining mold and endotoxin levels. It is imperative that they wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) such as respirators. The advice would be to wear elastomeric respirators. Alongside mold and endotoxin level measurement, I would implement the process of deconstruction, which entails removal of soiled and muddied carpets, removal of

Diversity and Multiculturalism Essay Example for Free

Diversity and Multiculturalism Essay Minority is a word describing a group representing a population smaller than the State. They are people of distinct culture, religion, language and ethnicity from the norms of the Society. Any group resembling the stated characteristics is a Minority. This description clearly emphasizes the rebuttal of Human Rights to people who are not living within the standards of the society. Group Rights or Minority Rights, in a popular manner, speaks of the Ethnic discrimination to some and a due right to others. Moreover, a conflict begins when an individual claims of his/her minority group and yet, the State does not recognize a Minority. The group rights tend to protect a certain group and reflects the other laws excluded on their existence, which for many individuals is a direct discrimination. Primarily, rights are powers to act in accordance with the existing system having values and principles approved by the society. It is a claim or title, whether legal, descriptive and moral (Sutton, 2001). The controversy exists regarding group rights on the term called Multiculturalism. This kind of group right often pertains to a member of an ethnic or religious group. Scholars perceive this kind of group right as a barrier to the actions that most ethnic groups have before there was â€Å"civilization. † It is a form of oppression because the majority opposes those traditional beliefs and pursues the so-called â€Å"equality† to such people. Group rights exist to discriminate, oppose and eliminate the traditional acts for the satisfaction of the majority. MULTICULTURALISM Multiculturalism is the opinion that all cultures, from tribesmen and modern civilization, to be equal. However, equality does not address the century old problem because of diverse conditions. Thus, multiculturalism confers with egalitarianism. The objective of multiculturalism is to obliterate the value of free, industrialized civilization, by declaring such civilization no better than the primitive tribalism. It wants to incapacitate the mind’s ability to differentiate good from evil, to differentiate life promoting to what life is negating. Some oppose this principle because they reason out that everyone has a right to moral judgment. The ideas and culture of a specific community should have recognition and respect. ISSUES ON MULTICULTURALISM Many question how the individuals would respect such minority rights if the problem remains on cultural differences. The argument of the multiculturalists’ defenders is that all cultures are equal and some factors coming from this culture are superior to the universal values. Some fruits of Enlightenment and egalitarian movements root from the cultural proponents. Colorful ethnic attire and interesting cuisine may seem interesting and attractive. Nevertheless, with the reality of women and childrens oppression worldwide, multiculturalism is increasingly a policy to maintain that oppression (Kamguian, 2005). The crimes against women become the celebration of traditional cultures and religions with the ignorance on it disadvantages. Governments of Western foundation utilized the policy of multiculturalism in the past, which encourage and uphold the demands for group rights coming from native populations, ethnic minorities or religious groups. However, these cultures have societal cultures that employ members of meaningful ways of life across the full range of human activities, including social, educational, religious, and recreational life. Because these societal cultures play an essential role in the lives of members and because these cultures face extinction, they should have special rights for protection. This accord with group rights but that is not the case with the societal norms like slavery, female genital mutilation, forced marriages, honor killing and other horrors respected by the society. These horrible practices are within the multicultural principle but it the proper action is to eradicate it. The argument begins with multiculturalism, which acts as a substitute policy to ensure a tolerant and democratized compliance in a world that conflicts between cultures eradicate such values. Moreover, the argument leads to racism and tyranny, as the dominant group want to create a universal norm. Another argument consists of the human basic need for cultural attachments. This need then should have protection from validating and protecting different cultures. The supporters of multiculturalism contrast that individual rights is sufficient enough for protection of minority cultures or their way of life that has a consequence of having special group rights and privileges such as arbitrations from Sharia in Canada and allowances fro polygamous men in France. In other cases, group rights claim to have political exclusions, govern their principles and exempt them from the general law. Often, cultures are patriarchal and many cultures claim group rights are more patriarchal than the surrounding cultures. Examples are the common gender inequalities like child marriages, forced marriages, divorce systems biased against women, polygamy and clitoridoctomy. These cases violate women and children’s individual rights of the society. This respect for cultural traditions resulted to lack of support and voices for women and children and the marginalization of progressive forces. When one observes the culture of these minority groups, they would see how oppression and repression reside within their own communities. Not all cultures are equal even though humans’ possess culture, some may be better that the other cultures and others may possess values unacceptable to the society. Indeed the very idea of equality is the product of the Enlightenment and the political and intellectual revolutions that it unleashed (Kamguian, 2005). Forcing equality means to challenge accepted practices and believing in possibility of transformation. However, permitting the differences by the dominant culture is the acceptance of the society as a whole. The diversity movement is not imparting knowledge to students, but promoting racism. – Michael S. Berliner Racism is a notion directing one race as superior to another race. The affirmative action viewed by some is a form of ethnic diversity, a form of politically correct disguise. The belief of racism is that one’s convictions, values and character is particularly based on anatomy or â€Å"blood† and not by judgment. This view tends to see people of different pigmentation as different from the superior pigmentation. The spread of racism causes destruction of the individual in one’s mind. This individual then clings to another race, wanting to have that belongingness because of race diversity. Proponents of diversity seem to be the true racists because they see the world through the color of lens, hair and skin. To multiculturalists, values, thinking and human identity all cling to race. Multiculturalism establishes the oppression in equality. Proponents of diversity teach the youth that people having different cultures also have different capacities resulting to recognition of separatism and glorifying a specific race. This revolutionizes â€Å"racial identity† that aims to erect an unbridgeable perception on race differences. Hence, any cooperation between races is impossible because of their differences being emphasized. ETHNICITY AND GROUP RIGHTS The Ethnic Group has group rights that defend their members who want to exercise their right to behave and enables them to act diversely from the majority. The ethnic group supports their group rights and their representatives, subsequently. It is unnecessary and undesirable to put these rights in a metaphysical entity, which bear their independent human characteristics. In addition, the right in question resorts to be a negative claim. The majority should not forbid such groups to defend their rights. In fact, for the reason that they have the utmost power in defense, they should assist the minority to respect and bear the minority rights in a positive way. However, this can apply to a situation where the ethnic group does a grave misconduct not prevented by the existing rules and regulations. Another is that the ethnic group should observe the group rights, voluntarily and autonomously. People cannot defend a right not chosen by them. Sutton defines that in order to enact such rights they must show the capacity to understand to successful claimants (Sutton, 2001, p 21). The ethnic group rights should correspond with the human rights, as it would give them the right to protect such liberties whenever the majority, which also has human rights, opposes their ethnic habits. Nonetheless, the civil liberty of individuals and ethnic group rights come from the principle of prima facie rights, which explains the liberty experienced by the ethnic group due to these rights has limitations whenever the ethnic habits impose grave suffering or serious restrictions of liberty on other human beings. In general, the obligation of the majority has a duty not to restrict freedom when they wish to observe harmless habits and if the majority’s opposition puts a grave suffering to the ethnic group, then, they have to restrict such opposition (Hayry, 2007). Ethnic minorities do not have a group right to force or coerce their members into observing duties, which are not required by the principles of liberty and the avoidance of suffering (Hayry, 2007). Individuals have three duties, the duty not to inflict harm to another individual, the duty not to restrict unreasonably the freedom of others and the duty not to breach voluntary, harmless contracts. The first duty means for the individuals to act accordingly to the rule of the group without coercing such right. The argument then is the term ethnic group coerces their right because they did not choose the term themselves but a group will not defend a right not made by them. Hence, the general implication is to coerce such freedom, which they themselves have not freely assumed. The second duty restricts any enforcement of freedom, which proves to be unnecessary to the ethnic group. The majority would see that being a member of a minority group would enforce the second duty that is false in belief that will alter the norms. Conversely, everyone has the duty to restrict or condemn habits that will impose suffering and unwarranted restrictions of freedom. In general, the second argument gives the majority the right to restrict ethnic habits given that it will impose harm to the society but it should exceed the principles of equality and fairness. Most of the majority will regard the thesis of defense concerning ethnic habits, which they find different from the norms, false. This is natural, as the dominant groups want a homogenous society supplying the best foundation for human flourishing, even if it costs the principle of liberty and avoidance of suffering. Nonetheless, the significant patterns that endow social conformity should have actions in eliminating cultural diversity (Hayry, 2007). INDIVIDUALISM VERSUS MULTICULTURALISM The principle on individualism is the individual as the primary unit of reality and the ultimate preference of value. Contrary to what other opinions say, individualism does not deny the existence of a society rather the society as a group of individuals not above those individuals. Individualism sees every person as the end of himself and there should be no sacrifice of an individual for another (Stata, 1992). The achievement of an individual credits for himself/herself and not based on the achievements of others. Even though the society believes of individualism as isolation, it does not deny the cooperation but is a theory of the conditions living and working with other people as beneficial. In general, individualism gives credit to an individual and not on the individual’s membership with a society. The probable cure for racial differences is individualism or seeing the person not because of his/her race but because of his/her abilities. The diversity movement aims to teach the following: diversity awareness, diversity training, diversity hiring and submissions and diversity accommodations, which all refer to racial preference. The proper dose on racial issues is to appreciate individually and treatment of collective merits (Locke, 2000). CONCLUSION Protection of human rights in various fields becomes depressing in the past century. Many have resulted to war, as they protect their community from discrimination and sustenance of group rights. Before group rights, many institutions protected the safety of minorities. Three major periods existed in favor of minority group rights. The first period appeared in a non-systematic protection comprising mainly of incorporation of protective clauses, particularly in favor of religious minorities. The second period existed after World War I within the framework of the League of Nations. Lastly are the developments following World War II (Lerner, 2003) on group rights. With all these developments in minorities and group rights, still the existing truth on racial discrimination is emerging. Many say of diversity as an act of racism, that employing group rights does not prove to be efficient in eradicating discrimination. Briefly, group rights is not a power rather a suppression, racial diversity and oppression hiding in equality. References Berliner, M. Diversity and Multiculturalism. 24 May 2000 14 November 2007 http://www.aynrand. org/site/News2? JServSessionIdr009=rpsx4ci8k4. app7apage=NewsArticleid=5195news_iv_ctrl=1076 Sutton, P. Kinds of Rights in Country: Recognising Customary Rights as Incidents of Native Title. 2001. 14 November 2007 p. 29 National Native Title Tribunal. Hayry, H. Ethnicity and Group Rights, Individual Liberties and Immoral Obligations. 14 November 2007 http://www. bu. edu/wcp/Papers/Soci/SociHayr. htm Minority. 14 November 2007 http://www. terralingua. org/Definitions/DMinority. html Kamguian, A. Universal Rights versus Individual Rights. 6 July 2005 14 November 2007 http://www. iheu. org/node/1691 Culture and Multiculturalism. 14 November 2007 http://www. aynrand. org/site/PageServer? pagename=media_topic_multiculturalism Locke, E. Individualism – The Only Cure for Racism. 12 December 1997 14 November 2007 http://www. aynrand. org/site/News2? JServSessionIdr009=rpsx4ci8k4. app7apage=NewsArticleid=6167news_iv_ctrl=1076 Lerner, N. Group Rights and Discrimination in International Law. Boston: Martinus Nihjoff Publishers, 2003.

Compaison Of Any Two Search En :: essays research papers

Comparison of any two Search Engines (e.g. Yahoo, Magellan, AltaVista, Infoseek, Lycos, Bigfoot†¦ ) The single, most frequent piece of search advice for using Web search engines is to always search more than one engine to answer your question. No two engines are the same-each offers a unique set of features and indexes or crawls the Web differently. It’s no surprise the results vary. Good searchers triangulate output from several engines to acheive relevent results. The emergence of meta search engines is a credible antitode to the time-consuming practice of sequential search engine searches. By using a meta search engine to search several search engines at once and obtain ranked, clickable results, Web searchers can accomplish the Internet equivalent of doing a Dialog OneSearch. From one search screen, a searcher can select several search engines, formulate a search, click the Search button, and quickly receive ranked, compiled results. Meta search engines vary widely in which engines they search, how they process queries, and how they compile and display results. Some search sequentially, others simultaneously; some translate queries into target engine’s language, and others just send the query â€Å"as is†. The best metas offer an esily viewable list that can be customized, and it is a plus to see a checkbox feature on the first screen that allows you to choose the engines you want for a specific search. Ideally, a metasearch Web site would allow you to send a single query to multiple databases simultaneously, then retrieve, combine, and organise the results. This is more myth than reality. The majority of metasearches can query multiple database, but only one at a time. SavvySearch is the amazing exception to the rule. It can perform parallel searches on upto five databases at once. Results are retrieved and combined on one page, with duplicates eliminated. That alone would make it one of the better meta searches. There is more! SavvySearch uses your search terms, its own data about past searches, and other factors to create a search plan. SavvySearch allows the searcher to customize a selection of engines to search and in what order-and then save the customized selection for future use. SavvySearch Limited’s technology also enables users to 1) dramatically speed up browsing of the World Wide Web, 2) quickly target and retrieve relevant information from the internet, and 3) communicate seamlessly with a virtually unlimited number of databases worldwide. Compared to the current leading search engines and directories, SavvySearch.

Corporate Social Responsibility Essay

Corporate Social Responsibility and Corporate Governance are the two important inevitable corporate practices all over the world today. Once voluntary acts, these practices have now been made mandatory in the wake of various corporate scandals that shook the corporate world in the past decade. 1. 1 Aims and Objectives With the above background, it is proposed enquire into the corporate practices in the realms of Corporate Social Responsibility and Corporate Governance that are prevalent in the U. K. and to ascertain how effective the practices are in achieving the objectives behind the said concepts and finally conclude whether U. K has established standards of these practices or still lagging behind. This paper shall be a proposal to determine feasibility of such an exercise. 1. 2 Problem Statement As the term suggests Corporate Social Responsibility is an obligation of the corporate entity in addition to the duties owed to its shareholders. Maximising profit for the shareholders is not the only goal of a company. It owes responsibility to all the stake holders in the company. The group of stake holders are share holders, employees, suppliers, customers, Government agencies, and Environment. It implies that while maximising the value of the firm for the sake of shareholders, interests of these stake holders should not be sacrificed in the process. Hence ensuring the social responsibility of a corporate entity is part of Corporate Governance. Corporate Governance is a wider term encompassing the corporate social responsibility also. Hence the managers of the companies must establish sound standards of corporate governance based on the combined code of corporate financial reporting. A corporate entity must comply with code or explain why it has not, in its annual reports as per the guideline set out by Cadbury report. Prior to the Cadbury report, there was no requirement as such on the part of the U. K. Corporates. It was only after the surfacing of corporate scandals in U. K, that the Cadbury report was required to be made by the Government. This proposal therefore gains significance to make a study on the practices of UK companies complying with their social responsibility and other aspects of corporate governance. That there is a Minister in the U. K. for corporate social responsibility would show the importance attached to it by the Government. The two aspects of CSR and Corporate Governance are part of business ethics. Chapter2 Literature Review Literature review is an exercise to justify this research proposal. This involves examining the literature available on the subject of this proposal which will form part of secondary data for the study. 2. 1 Corporate Governance It is a system by which the corporate entities are directed and controlled. Thus accountability is required on the part of the board to make sure that te corporates are managed in the best interests of their shareholders. (Higgs 2003) There must be an effective board which while providing for entrepreneurial leadership should also at the same time control the incumbents of the board. To achieve this, the board must consist of a balanced structure of directorship with executive, non-executive, independent non-executive in right proportion to ensure against concentration of power and at the same time ensure balanced decision making. Where there are conflicts of interests likely, the board should appoint sub-committees for nomination and remuneration of directors and auditors to make proposal to the board for approval. The board is expected to deal with shareholders effectively ensuring transparency and accountability. The combined code issued by the Financial Reporting Council and revised from time to time prescribes general principles and procedures of Corporate Governance for listed companies. (CSR) However Corporate governance is not a new concept. Adam Smith’s(1776) ‘An Enquiry into the Nature and Causes of Wealth of Nations’ gave rise to Berle and Means’(1932) agency theory which enunciated separation of corporate ownership from control. Corporate Governance is precisely that. Bruce (2006) states that it is a myth that concentration of power improves firm value. Rather dispersed ownership enhances firm performance. This warrants corporate governance. 2. 2 Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Rather than shareholder interests, CSR principle requires companies to have a wide range of stakeholder interests. In pursuit of its business activities, a company should keep in mind the interests of the stake holders as well so that maximisation of firm value in the long run is consolidated. In the process, key relationships with consumers, employees, and other stakeholders are improved. Interaction with consumers results in better understanding of their needs and improvement in the quality of the products besides becoming more competitive in the market. Efficiency increases through cost minimisation. Corporates such as BT and Cooperative Bank are in the practice of giving feed back on their competitiveness as a result of their CSR initiatives. Similarly showing the company’s concern towards its employees in whatever ways possible including facilitating their work-life balance and giving of additional benefits to physically challenged employees would result in increased productivity and over all improvement in the company’s image. Company’s environmental concern also is demonstrated through its practice of energy saving , participation in greening projects, compliance with pollution control requirements, minimising carbon consumption and taking part in carbon credit programs. Desisting from giving bribes to Government officials is also considered a part of CSR. 2. 3 Corporate Governance Practices in UK The Corporate governance gained more significance in the U. K. ever since the collapse of BCCI bank and the Robert Maxwell pension funds during 1991. In order to put its own house in order, Government set up a committee under the chairmanship Sir Adrian Cadbury which gave a report known as Cadbury Report with ‘comply or explain’ directives. It was later followed by Greenburg Report in 1995 concerning remuneration to directors. And both the reports together were integrated to make a combined code in the year 1998. And this has been twice updated once in 2003 after Enron and World com scandals of the U. S. and again in 2006. The Financial Reporting Council enlists the following as key aspects of corporate governance in the U. K. There is a single board of directors with collective responsibility to the company’s success. A balancing act is achieved by a separate chief executive and chairman. A right proportion of executive and non-executive directors to ensure balanced decision making in the affairs of the company. Presence of independent audit and remuneration committee. Evaluation annually by the board of its own performance. Maintaining transparency in the matters of appointments and fixation of remuneration. ‘Comply or explain’ are the basic guidelines when making annual reports for compliance or failure to comply any of the codes recommended by the financial reporting council as regards corporate governance. As a result, the U. K. is the leading country with best standards of corporate governance as per the report by FISE ISS in 2005. National Association of pension funds as also certified in the same year that 94% of the U. K. pension funds complied with corporate governance measures in more efficient manner. Compliance cost for companies is also reported to be lower than in other countries. This positive corporate governance makes investors to prefer the U. K. for listing their companies in preference to the U. S stock exchange as per the Oxera report of 2006 (FRC 2006) As a part of its corporate social responsibility, the company Procter & Gamble has introduced a product ‘turn to 30’ as a substitute to its own ‘Ariel’ in order to reduce carbon consumption while people washed clothes. This is as part of their commitment towards removing carbon foot print in their product. The company was awarded with Ethical Marketing Prize by the U. K. marketing society. The company found that rather than the presence of carbon foot print in their product, the carbon emission took place when people washed clothes in hot water. So the company developed ‘turn to 30’ which could be used for washing in cold water without giving rise to emission of carbon while washing. As a result the percentage of population using cold water for washing rose from 2 percent to 17 percent. This could amount to a great deal in terms of carbon emissions that were saved. (Baker 2008) Chapter 3 Methodology The methodology for the research chosen will be qualitative. The literature review will be the major contributor for arriving at conclusions though about 25 companies will also be randomly selected for the sake of primary data to gain first hand knowledge of the subject of research. And to corroborate the findings in the secondary data gathered through literature review. Chapter 4 Conclusion The Brief literature review above proves to be of immense value as an indicator of practices in the U. K. as regards Corporate Social Responsibility and Corporate Governance. Commitment of the companies and the Government in the U. K. towards the CSR and Corporate Government encourages further detailed research in the discipline so as to understand the implications fully and suggest measures to increase the present compliance rate in the U. K. by identifying bottle necks still faced by the corporates in that connection. With this in view, the researcher hopes to make a substantial contribution to the field through this proposed research. References Baker, Mallen. 2008 How to make friend and influence customers: Buisness Respect issue 129 June 10 Berle, A. A, & Means, G. C. (1932) The Modern Corporation and Private Property, Larcourt, Brace & World Inc. , New York, N. Y. Bruce N Douglas. , 2006 Corporate Governance, Capacity Utilisation and Growth CSR Corporate Social Responsibility: A government update. Accessed 17 June 2008 FRC 2006 Financial Reporting Council: The UK Approach to Corporate Governance Higgs, Derek. 2003 Review of the role and effectiveness of non-executive directors. Accessed 17 June 2008

The Movie Django

Gary L. Willis AFRS 55T (T&[email  protected]:30) Dr. T. Hasan Johnson 02. 23. 13 Extra Credit The Movie â€Å"Django Unchained† The objective of this paper is to review some of the results of the discussion-panel’s analysis of certain aspects of this movie that relate to the Hip-Hop culture. On Thursday, February 21, 2013, I attended a panel discussion hosted by the Africana Studies Department of Fresno State University. It was conducted at the African American Museum, Fresno California. Its purpose was to evaluate this movie’s effect on us (basically Black-Americans), by analyzing elements of this movie.This movie presents Black masculinity and femininity during the 1860s slavery era of America using characters that portray slaves as childish and stupid (the Betina or D'Artagnan), violent (the Mandingo or Django), hypersexual (Sheba) and cowardly (all the black male slaves). These slavery created representations of Black masculinity (the Buck) and femininity (the Jezebel/Mulattoe) are relevant to Hip-Hop because they are the predominate characters being proffered as entertainment in the overwhelming majority of Hip-Hop videos.The stereotypical persona of â€Å"The Buck† in the videos is the Gangsta/Thug and â€Å"The Jezebel/Mulattoe† is the Bitch/Ho— both are slavery created stereotypes. The Jezebel/Mulatto (Bitch/Ho) The Buck (Gangsta/Thug) Another aspect of this movie relevant to Hip-hop culture is the word â€Å"nigger†, used incessantly in the movie, just as, its morphed version, â€Å"Nigga† is used incessantly by Hip-Hoppers, in conversation and in their videos.Since language is one of the seven essential element of all cultures, the usage of the word â€Å"nigger† was discussed by the panel and audience and as a result of this discussion, we agreed that—without the use of the word â€Å"nigger†, â€Å"Django Unchained† would not be authentic; because, in this movie, â€Å"nigger† is a descriptive term, used to describe property, e. g. a slave or slaves—with no malice intended. Here are two examples, horse or horses and house or houses—ergo, nigger or niggers.The only character that uses â€Å"nigger† other than as a description of property is Stephen (the â€Å"Uncle Tom† played by Samuel L. Jackson). He used the word â€Å"nigger† to degrade his fellow black slaves. As with the movies use of â€Å"nigger†, the same can be said about Hip-Hop videos, they would lose its authenticity without the use of the word â€Å"Nigga† because â€Å"Nigga† in Hip-hop is a descriptive turn, but unlike â€Å"nigger† it versatility. For example, it can be used describe a relationship and its meaning changes depending on who is saying it and to whom.For example, in the movie when a Slave-master says â€Å"My nigger†, it does not have the same meaning as a Gangsta/thug or Jezebel/Mulatto e in a Hip-Hop video saying, â€Å"My Nigga†. The Slave-masters are describing their property, while the Hip-Hoppers are describing their relationships. During the audience participation portion of this discussion, a young black- man in the audience (Christopher Jackson) described how much the movie upset him.He also shared with us, the extent to which it made him realize how horrible slavery was; and how much suffering his ancestors had to endure; so that he can enjoy the civil rights he has today. He said, â€Å"Now I truly appreciate my ancestors and men like Martin and Malcolm, who made the ultimate sacrifice so that I can enjoy the freedom I have today. † Personal Reflections If the motives for making â€Å"Django Unchained† are to make us aware of how much our ancestors suffered under the yoke of slavery and to make us cherish our freedom; then, Christopher Jackson’s words are a testament to this movie’s success in both endeavors!In conclusio n—I, along with many participants in this discussion, enjoyed â€Å"Django Unchained† and hope that there will be more movies made that expose the horrors of slavery, and that, also promote positive images of black men and women. ——————————————– [ 1 ]. This paper was submitted as extra credit for AFRS 27, 55T and 144 [ 2 ]. Heretofore, us, we, and our refers to Black-Americans [ 3 ]. Donald Bogle, Toms, Coons, Mulattoes, Mammies & Bucks

Free Essays on Sociology Family

Many people have been socialized to believe that the definition of a family looks a lot like an old fashioned telivision sitcom, consisting of a nuclear family, which is "a family group comprising only the wife, the husband, and their children However, a family is a relativist concept, meaning it varies from place to place and through time. One detail of families that is definite is that they are extremely varied. Conventional kin is the definition of a family that the government and society uses [for social benefits, etc] people related by blood or law. Discretionary kin are people related by blood or law at some point, but whom the individual may or may not recognize as family. Fictive kin are people or pets that have no blood or legal relation, but whom the individual recognizes as family. Political, economic, legal, religious and emotional interests are all factors that help shape this definition. In contemporary society, families are labeled as nuclear, single-parent, blended, adoptive, foster, extended, non-traditional and gay/lesbian. In many cultures a family can include multiple spouses. A family of procreation is created through marriage [and] a family of orientation is the one in which a child grows upA functionalist perspective would define family based on the functions it performs such as; to raise children responsibly, provide economic support, provide emotional security and to control sexual activity. I have come to the conclusion that a family is a unit to whom an individual feels ties of obligation. This may include blood relatives, husbands, wives, adopted children, friends, mentors, teammates, pets, etc. On the other hand, I believe that marriage in our culture, is defined by solely legal aspects, the authorized binding of two persons. It may seem unreasonable to distinguish marriage as exclusively a legal matter, however as I expressed ... Free Essays on Sociology Family Free Essays on Sociology Family Many people have been socialized to believe that the definition of a family looks a lot like an old fashioned telivision sitcom, consisting of a nuclear family, which is "a family group comprising only the wife, the husband, and their children However, a family is a relativist concept, meaning it varies from place to place and through time. One detail of families that is definite is that they are extremely varied. Conventional kin is the definition of a family that the government and society uses [for social benefits, etc] people related by blood or law. Discretionary kin are people related by blood or law at some point, but whom the individual may or may not recognize as family. Fictive kin are people or pets that have no blood or legal relation, but whom the individual recognizes as family. Political, economic, legal, religious and emotional interests are all factors that help shape this definition. In contemporary society, families are labeled as nuclear, single-parent, blended, adoptive, foster, extended, non-traditional and gay/lesbian. In many cultures a family can include multiple spouses. A family of procreation is created through marriage [and] a family of orientation is the one in which a child grows upA functionalist perspective would define family based on the functions it performs such as; to raise children responsibly, provide economic support, provide emotional security and to control sexual activity. I have come to the conclusion that a family is a unit to whom an individual feels ties of obligation. This may include blood relatives, husbands, wives, adopted children, friends, mentors, teammates, pets, etc. On the other hand, I believe that marriage in our culture, is defined by solely legal aspects, the authorized binding of two persons. It may seem unreasonable to distinguish marriage as exclusively a legal matter, however as I expressed ...

Life and Work of Jenny Holzer, Artist of Text-Based Truisms

Life and Work of Jenny Holzer, Artist of Text-Based Truisms Jenny Holzer is an American artist and political activist. Best known for her series of Truisms, text-based art exhibited in public spaces in the form of plainly worded statements written in bold, her work ranges in content from the neutral to the political. As both an exhibitor in public and private spaces, Holzer is keenly aware of the effects of her work on both the intentional and the casual passerby. She is inspired by reading, world events, and the contexts of her own life, though she seeks to be â€Å"out of view and out of earshot† in order to lend her work a voice of truth and trustworthiness. Fast Facts: Jenny Holzer Occupation: ArtistBorn:  July 29, 1950 in Gallipolis, OhioEducation: Duke University (no degree), University of Chicago (no degree), Ohio University (BFA), Rhode Island School of Design (MFA)Selected Works: Truisms (1977–79), Inflammatory Essays (1979–1982)Key Accomplishments: Golden Lion for Best Pavilion at the Venice Biennale (1990); member of the American Academy of Arts and LettersSpouse:  Mike Glier (m. 1983) Early Life and Education Jenny Holzer was born in Gallipolis, Ohio, where she grew up the oldest of three children. Her mother was an active participant in the community and her father was a car salesman. Holzer’s upbringing was rooted in Midwestern traditionalism, an attitude from which she believes the frankness in her art derives. â€Å"They want to get things done so they do it in the most expeditious way,† she has said of her fellow Midwesterners. â€Å"Expeditious as in fast and right.† It is perhaps for this reason that  her work is so often reproduced, as its split second appeal is derived from its keen ability to distill truths about our culture into digestible phrases. As a teenager, Holzer moved to Florida to attend Pine Crest Preparatory in Boca Raton before enrolling at Duke University for college. Holzer’s next few years were itinerant, seeing her leave Duke to enroll at the University of Chicago and then at Ohio University in Athens, where she received her BFA in Painting and Printmaking. Holzer would go on to receive her MFA from the Rhode Island School of Design in Providence. She married fellow RISD student Mike Glier in 1983 and had her daughter Lili in 1988. Early Artwork Holzer did not arrive at using text as the base of her artistic career without a few detours along the way. She began her life as an artist as an abstract painter, inspired by many of the great painters of Abstract Expressionism. By her own admission, she was only a decent third generation American abstract painter, as she felt that there was a more relevant way to communicate the fast-paced media culture that was on the rise in the late 70s and early 80s. Motivated by the conviction that her work ought to include discernible content (rather than the formal content of abstraction), but feeling the genre of social realism to be increasingly of the past, Holzer began placing words in her work, often in the form of found objects such as scraps of newspaper and other clippings. It was at this point that she began placing her work in public spaces to test their effect on passers-by. The realization that art could engage people who did not intend to see it, moving them to think or even provoking them to argue, motivated her to pursue text-based work. Truisms and Inflammatory Essays In her last year as an MFA student at RISD, Holzer rethought the inclusion of words in her work by using her own. She wrote a selection of one liners which were meant to distill truths encountered almost daily in Western civilization, which she then assembled into a series of posters. Though the phrasing of these posters was original, she sought to tap into universal sentiments that would seem familiar as ideas. â€Å"I want them to be accessible,† she said, â€Å"but not so easy that you throw them away after a second or two. Among these statements are phrases like â€Å"ABUSE OF POWER COMES AS NO SURPRISE,† â€Å"PROTECT ME FROM WHAT I WANT,† and â€Å"MONEY MAKES TASTE.† The Truisms, as they are known, have been posted in various locations throughout the world and have been translated into several languages. From Holzers Survivor Series.   Getty Images Thinking the Truisms too bland, Holzer began a series of political works also printed on posters in capital letters, which she called the Inflammatory Essays. With the allotment of a paragraph per poster, Holzer was able to dive into more complex ideas and explore more controversial topics. Art, Technology, and Public Space Holzer’s work has always been intertwined with technology, and in 1992 she began using LED signs for a project commissioned by the Public Art Fund for Times Square. Enthralled by their ability to display text in motion, she continued using the signs as they lent her words a neutral authority that the posters could not, as posters carried with them the connotation of anarchist protests. Since 1996, Holzer has worked with light based projections as installations, using the facades of monumental buildings as the canvas onto which she projects scrolling text. Holzer’s use of the institution as the base upon which her work rests has been the inspiration for numerous political protests since Holzer developed the method. Though Holzer’s work is largely concerned with text, its visual expression is a key element of her work. From the deliberate eye catching colors of the Inflammatory Essays laid out in grids to the speed and font of her scrolling texts, Holzer is a visual artist who has found her voice in words, an artistic medium she found best expressed her views on the culture of media in which she came of age. The material of these signs- whether they be LED lights of the carved stone of her Sarcophagi series- is equally as important as their verbal content. Jenny Holzers light projections on the faà §ade of 30 Rockefeller Plaza.   Getty Images Holzer’s work centers around text and its placement in public spaces. Using billboards, jumbotrons, lighted signs, and walls, Holzer uses city streets and areas of public interaction as her canvas. She is interested in the ability of public art to provoke a reaction and perhaps start a conversation. Not all Holzer’s work is staged outdoors, and when she does exhibit in gallery spaces, she is equally deliberate with their curation as she is when planning work publicly. As she is conscious of the museum goers slowed pace, she takes the opportunity to construct more complex interactions among her works, often juxtaposing different mediums. Reception and Legacy Holzer’s work has been presented in countless exhibitions and retrospectives across the world. She has won numerous prizes, including the Golden Lion for Best Pavilion at the 1990 Venice Biennale (where she represented the United States), and has been honored by the French Government with a diploma of Chevalier from the Order of Arts and Letters. In 2018, she was selected as a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, one of 250 living members. Sources Art 21 (2009). Jenny Holzer: Writing Difficulty. [video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?vCxrxnPLmqEsKort, C. and Sonneborn, L. (2002).  A to Z of American Women in the Visual Arts. New York: Facts on File, Inc. 98-100.Waldman, D. Jenny Holzer. (1989). New York: The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation in association with Henry N. Abrams.Tate (2018). Jenny Holzers Inflammatory Essays: Why I Love. [video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?vONIUXi84YCc

Disc Week Six Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Disc Week Six - Essay Example A typical inductive reasoning relation to what Hacker describes would be the probability that it will be sunny at 12 noon. If for the case that the past three days it has been sunny at noon, then through generalization or inductive reasoning, then the fourth day would also be sunny. That is based on facts or a certain pattern that has occurred sequentially over a period of time. So upon collected facts that for three days it has been sunny, we can be assured to make a concrete assumption that the same will occur on the fourth day. Thus this is defined as inductive reasoning. Another assumption would be generalizing that an employee from company MMM who resides far from the work place will always come to work 30 minutes late. The assumption is that, if the employee has reported to work late on several instances that means through the generalization theorem, it’s probable that they are likely to do a repeat of same. The main motion behind inductive reasoning is that the assumption is based on a set of facts that have been previously encountered and the end product is a general

Clinical laboratory science Scholarship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Clinical laboratory science - Scholarship Essay Example King’s’ mission of preparing graduates intellectually, morally and spiritually for a satisfying future life particularly interests me. My interest in the field of Clinical Laboratory Science started way back in my childhood and is significantly inspired by the family background with parents in the medical field. As a small child I began admiring the work done by my parents of assisting patients and ensuring they lead a quality life. This made me to work hard in school so to attain grades that would enable get a college opportunity to further my studies in the area. The nationwide deficiency of professionals in the area of Clinical Laboratory Science has also contributed significantly as I feel by graduating in the field I will be able to positively impact by helping in the process of saving lives which will give me great satisfaction. I therefore want to be part of the solution and not the problem thus believes as a professional CLS will be better placed to serve and positively influence humanity. I strongly believe in the power of knowledge in transforming society and hence participate actively in extracurricular activities such as club clubs, academic forums and games in which I believe lies opportunity for information exchange. I also participate with the intention of growing holistically and maintaining personal health both physically, mentally and psychologically which I believe is very important to my life especially as a student. I will therefore utilize all available facilities on the campus to enrich my graduate experience and emerge as a responsible person in the