Monday, September 30, 2019
Representation of Interests Matrix and Paper Essay
Within Public Policy there are different interests that are affected once the issue has been brought forward to the government by citizens who are sending e-mails, or telephone calls advising of the issues that are affecting society, what the citizens do not know is that with every issue within public policy that has to be passed by the government and attempted to get resolved has a significant affect or groups and organizations. The identified groups and organizations represent my interests in a significant manner because due to my profession I am aware that crime has been a problem for society for quite a long time, I am aware that there has been multiple attempts to reduce crime, such as the hiring of more police officers, programs that protect victims and witnesses of a crime. Therefore I believe crime is a significant interest. As for education experiencing affects by public policy, I think this is by far the most important. I have a child and am extremely aware of the problems that have affected our education systems significantly due to the lack of financial support from the government and also the increase in college education, books, etc. I am aware of the government attempting to clear the tax deficit and financial problem that our country is currently facing, but education is not the way to do it. As for the other remaining identified groups such as Foreign policy, Health care, and Social Welfare, they also represent my interests in a significant manner. For example Health care, has affected me significant due to our president passed the new reform my employer checks have significantly dropped from what I used to gross monthly, due to the fact that we are taking a hit because we are assisting those with no medical health care and those who are receiving assistance from the government, such as parolees and prior drug addicts, or convicts. The groups represent my interest by all means, ultimately besides us taxpayers who are affected based off the government trying to accommodate all the citizens who continue to write emails requesting assistance for the interests that are affected by public policy. As for any instanc es in which my interests compete with one another, Yes they are significant. For example, Health care and Social Welfare go hand in hand for me. The reason that these two interests go hand in hand for me is because once gain based on my work and what I have been exposed to during the military and also being familiar with the cost of healthcare, I take it as an offense to provide for those who personally do not deserve Healthcare. I strongly believe that if your not physically incapable of working, or able to care for yourself, or gravely disabled I will be the first one to help these citizens. As for Social Welfare, I also believe that the government is to lenient on how they assist the needed. Some of the interest that I chose are significant to me and my family and loved ones, but I think that the most interest affected by public policy that is in conflict with those of the general public will have to be healthcare. I remember i was working the day when our president passed the new Healthcare reform, and how citizens were running outside the streets celebrating that they will now have medical assistance. At first I did not think anything of it until the following morning during Roll Call when we were advised by our lieutenant that it will affect us significantly especially financially. As the months went by I started to notice my checks to get smaller and smaller. I am aware that the general publicââ¬â¢s thinking is different than mine, but do not get me wrong I will be the first one to help someone I have been doing it for 13 years of my life, but when citizens take advantage that is when I have a problem. In conclusion I have provided my own personal opinions of how my identified groups represent my own personal interests, I also provided examples on what means do my groups use to represent my interests. I also debated on instances in that my interests compete with one another. Finally I was precise and straight forward on my interests and how some of them conflict with those of the general public. References http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Policy http://www.palgrave-journals.com/iga/journal/v1/n2/full/iga20129a.html
Sunday, September 29, 2019
Succubus Shadows Chapter 1
I was drunk. I wasn't entirely sure when it had happened, but I suspected it had occurred around the time my friend Doug had bet me I couldn't take down three vodka gimlets faster than he could. He'd promised to take my weekend shift at work if I won, and I was going to do his stock duty for a week if he won. When we'd finished, it looked like I wasn't going to be working next weekend. ââ¬Å"How did you out-drink him?â⬠my friend Hugh wanted to know. ââ¬Å"He's twice your size.â⬠Through the crowd of people crammed into my condo, I peered at the closed bathroom door, behind which Doug had disappeared. ââ¬Å"He had stomach flu this week. I'm guessing that doesn't go so well with vodka.â⬠Hugh raised an eyebrow. ââ¬Å"Why the fuck would anyone take a bet like that after having the flu?â⬠I shrugged. ââ¬Å"Because he's Doug.â⬠Hoping Doug would be okay, I scanned the rest of my party with the pleased air of a queen sizing up her kingdom. I'd moved into this place back in July and had been long overdue for a housewarming party. When Halloween had finally rolled around, combining the two events had seemed like a pretty reasonable solution. Consequently, my guests tonight were clad in an array of costumes, everything from elaborate Renaissance fair quality garb to the slackers who'd simply thrown on a witch's hat. Me, I was dressed as Little Bo Peep ââ¬â well, that is, I was dressed the way Little Bo Peep would if she was a stripper and/or a shameless strumpet. My frilly blue skirt stopped just above the halfway point on my thighs, and my puff-sleeved white blouse was so low-cut that I had to be careful when leaning over. The crowning achievement ââ¬â literally ââ¬â was my curly mane of flaxen blond hair, neatly arranged into two pigtails tied with little blue bows. It looked perfect, absolutely indistinguishable from the real thing becauseâ⬠¦well, it was real. Shape-shifting always came in handy as a succubus, but for Halloween, it was golden. I always had the best costumes because I really could turn into anything I wanted. Of course, I had to keep it within reason. Too much of a change would raise the suspicions of the humans around me. But for a hair change? Yeah. Shape-shifting was pretty convenient. Someone touched my elbow. I turned, and my smug enthusiasm dimmed a little when I saw who it was: Roman, my sociopathic roommate. ââ¬Å"I think someone's getting sick in the bathroom,â⬠he told me. Roman was a nephilim, half-angel and half-human, with soft black hair and sea-green eyes. If not for the fact he occasionally went on immortal killing sprees and had me on his hit list, he would have been a pretty good catch. ââ¬Å"Yeah,â⬠I said. ââ¬Å"It's Doug. He lost a vodka challenge.â⬠Roman grimaced. He wore devil horns and a red cape. The irony wasn't lost on me. ââ¬Å"Hope he's got good aim. I don't want to clean that up.â⬠ââ¬Å"What, you don't do housework either?â⬠asked Hugh. He'd recently learned Roman wasn't paying me rent because he was ââ¬Å"between jobs.â⬠ââ¬Å"Seems like you should pull your weight around here somehow.â⬠Roman gave Hugh a warning look. ââ¬Å"Stay out of this, Spiro Agnew.â⬠ââ¬Å"I'm Calvin Coolidge!â⬠exclaimed Hugh, highly offended. ââ¬Å"This is the same suit he wore at his inauguration.â⬠I sighed. ââ¬Å"Hugh, nobody here remembers that.â⬠That was one of the downsides of being immortal. Our memories became obsolete as more time passed. Hugh, an imp who bought souls for Hell, was much younger than Roman and me, but he had a lot more years than any human here. Slipping away from Roman and Hugh's argument, I headed across the room to mingle with my guests. Some of my coworkers from the bookstore Doug and I worked at were huddled around the punch bowl, and I stopped to chat. Immediately, I was bombarded with compliments. ââ¬Å"Your hair is amazing!â⬠ââ¬Å"Did you dye it?â⬠ââ¬Å"It doesn't even look like a wig!â⬠I assured them it was a very good wig and dealt out praise for them in return. One person, however, earned a rueful head-shake from me. ââ¬Å"You have more creativity than all of us put together, and that's the best you could do?â⬠I asked. Best-selling author Seth Mortensen turned to look at me with one of his trademark, slightly scattered smiles. Even when I was dizzy with vodka, that smile never failed to make my heart speed up. Seth and I had dated for a while, plunging me into the depths of a love I'd never imagined possible. Part of being a succubus was an eternity of seducing men and stealing the energy of their souls ââ¬â a real relationship had seemed out of the question. And in the end, it had been. Seth and I had broken up ââ¬â twice ââ¬â and while I usually accepted that he had moved on, I knew that I would love him forever. For me, forever was a serious matter. ââ¬Å"I can't waste it on a costume,â⬠he said. His amber-brown eyes regarded me fondly. I no longer knew if he loved me too; I only knew for sure that he still cared about me as a friend. I kept trying to portray the same image. ââ¬Å"Gotta save it for the next book.â⬠ââ¬Å"Lame excuse,â⬠I said. His shirt depicted Freddy Krueger, which might have been acceptable if not for the fact I suspected he had owned it long before Halloween. Seth shook his head. ââ¬Å"Nobody cares what guys wear at Halloween anyway. It's all about the women. Look around.â⬠I did and saw that he was right. All the elaborate, sexy costumes were on my female guests. With a few exceptions, the men's dulled by comparison. ââ¬Å"Peter's dressed up,â⬠I pointed out. Seth followed my gaze to another of my immortal friends. Peter was a vampire, a very fastidious and obsessive-compulsive one. He was clad in pre-Revolutionary French garb, complete with brocade coat and a powdered wig over what was normally thin brown hair. ââ¬Å"Peter doesn't count,â⬠said Seth. Recalling how Peter had painstakingly stenciled swans around his bathroom's baseboards last week, I couldn't help but agree. ââ¬Å"Fair point.â⬠ââ¬Å"What's Hugh supposed to be? Jimmy Carter?â⬠ââ¬Å"Calvin Coolidge.â⬠ââ¬Å"How can you tell?â⬠I was saved from answering when Seth's fianc?à ¦e ââ¬â and one of my best friends ââ¬â Maddie Sato appeared. She was dressed as a fairy, complete with wings and a gauzy dress nowhere near as slutty as mine. Fake flowers wreathed black hair that had been pulled into a bun. Her being with Seth was something else I'd more or less come to accept, though I suspected the sting of it would never leave. Maddie didn't know Seth and I had dated and had no clue about the discomfiture I felt over their whole relationship. I expected her to slip her arm around Seth, but it was me she grabbed hold of and jerked away. I stumbled a bit. Five-inch heels weren't normally a problem for me, but the vodka complicated things a bit. ââ¬Å"Georgina,â⬠she exclaimed, once we were far enough away from Seth. ââ¬Å"I need your help.â⬠Reaching into her purse, she pulled out two pages torn from magazines. ââ¬Å"With wha ââ¬â oh.â⬠My stomach twisted uncomfortably, and I hoped I wouldn't be joining Doug in the bathroom. The pages showed photos of wedding dresses. ââ¬Å"I've almost narrowed it down,â⬠she explained. ââ¬Å"What do you think?â⬠Grudgingly accepting the man I loved was going to marry one of my best friends was one thing. Helping them plan their wedding was an entirely different matter. I swallowed. ââ¬Å"Oh, gee, Maddie. I'm not very good at this stuff.â⬠Her dark eyes widened. ââ¬Å"Are you kidding? You're the one who taught me how to dress right in the first place.â⬠She apparently hadn't taken the lessons to heart. The dresses, while beautiful on the anorexic models wearing them, would look terrible on Maddie. ââ¬Å"I don't know,â⬠I said lamely, dragging my eyes away. The dresses were conjuring mental images of Maddie and Seth walking down the aisle together. ââ¬Å"Come on,â⬠she entreated. ââ¬Å"I know you have an opinion.â⬠I did. A bad one. And honestly, if I were a good servant of Hell, I would have told her they both looked great. Or I would have endorsed the worst one. What she wore was no concern of mine, and maybe if she showed up at her wedding looking subpar, Seth would realize what he'd lost when we broke up. And yetâ⬠¦I couldn't. Even after everything that had happened, I just couldn't let Maddie do it. She'd been a good friend, never suspecting what had occurred between Seth and me before and during their relationship. And as much as that petty, selfish part of me wanted it, I couldn't let her go forward in a bad dress. ââ¬Å"Neither are good,â⬠I said at last. ââ¬Å"The full skirt on that one will make you look short. The flowers on top of that one will make you look fat.â⬠She was taken aback. ââ¬Å"Really? I neverâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ She studied the pictures, face falling. ââ¬Å"Damn. I thought I had this stuff down now.â⬠I can only assume my next words came from the liquor. ââ¬Å"If you want, I'll go with you to some places this week. You can try some stuff on, and I'll tell you what works.â⬠Maddie lit up. She wasn't gorgeous in the popular, magazine sort of way, but when she smiled, she was beautiful. ââ¬Å"Really? Oh, thank you. And you can look for your dress too.â⬠ââ¬Å"My what?â⬠ââ¬Å"Wellâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ Her smile turned sly. ââ¬Å"You're going to be a bridesmaid, aren't you?â⬠At that moment, I reconsidered my earlier thoughts about nothing being more painful than helping plan her wedding. Being her bridesmaid pretty much blew that out of the water. Those who believed we made our own hells on earth must have had something like this in mind. ââ¬Å"Oh, well, I don't knowâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ ââ¬Å"You have to! There's no one else I'd rather have.â⬠ââ¬Å"I'm not really the bridesmaid type.â⬠ââ¬Å"Of course you are.â⬠Maddie's eyes suddenly looked at something beyond me. ââ¬Å"Oh, hey. Doug's back. I'm going to go check on him. We'll talk about this later. You'll give in.â⬠Maddie scurried off to her brother, leaving me numb and speechless. I decided then it was worth risking illness to go get another drink. This party had taken a definite U-turn. Yet, when I turned around, it wasn't toward the bar. It was toward my patio. One of the best features of this condo was its expansive balcony, one that looked out over Puget Sound and the Seattle skyline beyond. As I stood there, though, it wasn't the view that captivated me. It wasâ⬠¦something else. Something I couldn't explain. But it was warm and wonderful and spoke to all my senses. I imagined I could see colored light on my balcony, kind of like the waves of an aurora. I could also hear a type of music that defied all human words and had nothing to do with the Pink Floyd blasting from my stereo. The party faded into the background as I slowly moved toward the balcony. The door was open to air out the hot room, and my two cats, Aubrey and Godiva, lay near it to look outside. I stepped past them, drawn toward that which had no explanation or description. Warm autumn air engulfed me as I groped for what called me. It was all around me and yet out of my reach. It was summoning me, drawing me toward something right on the balcony's edge. I almost considered climbing on the ledge in my heels and looking over. I had to reach that beauty. ââ¬Å"Hey, Georgina.â⬠Peter's voice jerked me out of the trance. I stared around, startled. There was no music, no color, no beckoning embrace. Only the night and the view and the patio furniture on my balcony. I turned around, meeting his eyes. ââ¬Å"We have a problem,â⬠he said. ââ¬Å"We have a lot of problems,â⬠I said, thinking of Maddie's wedding dress and the fact that I'd nearly walked off my own balcony. I shivered. I definitely was not going back for that next drink. Sick was one thing. Hallucinations were another. ââ¬Å"What's wrong?â⬠Peter led me inside and pointed. ââ¬Å"Cody's in love.â⬠I looked over at our friend Cody, another vampire and Peter's apprentice. Cody was a young immortal, optimistic and endearing. He was dressed as an alien, with green antennae sticking out of his shaggy blond hair. The perfection of his silvery space suit made me think Peter had played a role. Right now, Cody was staring across the room, mouth open as he gazed at someone. He looked like I had felt just moments ago. Her name was Gabrielle, and she'd just started working at the bookstore. She was tiny, almost pixie like, and wore black fishnets and a ripped black dress. Her spiky hair was also black, as was her lipstick. Easy coordination. Cody was staring at her like she was the most beautiful creature on earth. ââ¬Å"Huh,â⬠I said. Hugh dated all the time, but I'd never really thought of the vampires ââ¬â particularly Peter ââ¬â having any sort of romantic interactions. ââ¬Å"I think he likes that she's dressed as a vampire,â⬠said Peter. I shook my head. ââ¬Å"Actually, that's how she always dresses.â⬠We walked over to Cody, and it took him several moments to notice us. He seemed excited to see me. ââ¬Å"What's her name?â⬠he breathed. I tried to hide my smile. Cody being smitten was one of the cutest things I'd ever seen and a welcome distraction from the other drama tonight. ââ¬Å"Gabrielle. She works at the store.â⬠ââ¬Å"Is she single?â⬠I looked back at her as she laughed at something Maddie had said. ââ¬Å"I don't know. Want me to find out?â⬠Cody blushed ââ¬â in as much as a pale vampire could. ââ¬Å"No! I meanâ⬠¦unless you think it wouldn't be too obvious? I don't want you to go to any trouble.â⬠ââ¬Å"No trouble for me,â⬠I said, just as Doug walked by. ââ¬Å"Hey.â⬠I caught hold of his sleeve. ââ¬Å"Do me a favor, and I'll take my shift back.â⬠Doug, whose Japanese-American skin was normally golden tan, could have also currently passed for an alien with his green hue. ââ¬Å"I'd rather have my stomach back, Kincaid.â⬠ââ¬Å"Go investigate Gabrielle's romantic status. Cody's interested.â⬠ââ¬Å"Georgina!â⬠exclaimed Cody, mortified. Sick or not, Doug couldn't resist a little intrigue. ââ¬Å"Sure thing.â⬠He headed off across the room and pulled Gabrielle to him, leaning down so she could hear. At one point, he glanced over toward us, and Gabrielle looked as well. Cody nearly died. ââ¬Å"Oh God.â⬠Doug returned five minutes later and shook his head. ââ¬Å"Sorry, kid. She's single, but she doesn't think you're her type. She's into the Goth and vampire scene. You're too mainstream for her.â⬠I was sipping a glass of water and nearly choked on it. ââ¬Å"That,â⬠said Peter, as soon as Doug was gone, ââ¬Å"is what we call irony.â⬠ââ¬Å"How is that possible?â⬠exclaimed Cody. ââ¬Å"I am a vampire. I should be exactly what she wants.â⬠ââ¬Å"Yeah, but you don't look like one,â⬠I said. If Gabrielle had been a Trekkie, he might have had a shot tonight. ââ¬Å"I look exactly like a vampire because I am one! What should I dress up as? Count Chocula?â⬠The party continued in force for another couple hours, and finally, people began trickling out. Roman and I, playing good hosts, smiled and bade each of them farewell. By the time everyone left, I was weary and more than happy for it all to be over. I'd refused to drink after the balcony incident and now had a headache as a pleasant reminder of my indulgences. Roman looked as exhausted as me as he scanned the messy condo. ââ¬Å"Funny, huh? You throw a housewarming party to show the place off, and then people trash it.â⬠ââ¬Å"It'll clean up fast,â⬠I said, studying all the bottles and paper plates with remnants of food. Aubrey was licking frosting off a half-eaten cupcake, and I hastily took it away from her. ââ¬Å"But not tonight. Help me take care of the perishables, and we'll do the rest tomorrow.â⬠ââ¬Å"There's no ââ¬Ëwe' in ââ¬Ëclean,'â⬠Roman said. ââ¬Å"That doesn't even make sense,â⬠I said, covering up some salsa. ââ¬Å"And Peter's right, you know. You really should do more around here.â⬠ââ¬Å"I provide good company. Besides, how can you get rid of me?â⬠ââ¬Å"I'll get Jerome to,â⬠I warned, referring to his demon father, who also happened to be my boss. ââ¬Å"Sure. Run off and tell on me.â⬠Roman stifled a yawn, demonstrating just how worried he was about his father's wrath. The annoying part was, he had a point. I couldn't get rid of him on my own, and I doubted Jerome would really help. Still, I could hardly believe it when Roman did wander off to bed and leave me alone with the cleanup. I hadn't thought he'd go that far. ââ¬Å"Asshole!â⬠I yelled after him, getting only a slammed door in response. He really wasn't that bad of a roommate, but our troubled past often made him want to annoy me. It worked. Fuming, I finished the necessary tidying and dropped into bed a half-hour later. Aubrey and Godiva followed me, lying side by side at the end of the bed. They were a contrast in colors, like some piece of modern art. Aubrey was white with black specks on her head; Godiva was a riot of orange, brown, and black patches. All three of us drifted off to sleep immediately. Sometime later, I woke to the sound of singingâ⬠¦or, well, that was the closest I could come to describing it. It was the same thing I'd felt earlier, an alluring, haunting pull that spoke to every part of me. Warm and bright and beautiful. It was everywhere and everything, and I longed to have more of it, to walk toward the light that shone with indescribable colors. It felt so, so good ââ¬â like something I could melt into, if only I could reach it. I had the impression of an entrance, a door I simply had to push open and step through and ââ¬â Rough hands gripped my shoulders and jerked me around. ââ¬Å"Wake up!â⬠Like before, the sensory overload vanished. I was left alone in a quiet, empty world. No more siren song. Roman stood in front of me, hands shaking me as his face stared down at me with worry. I looked around. We were in the kitchen. I had no memory of getting there. ââ¬Å"How ââ¬â what happened?â⬠I stammered. The face that had taunted me earlier was now filled with concern, something that troubled a small part of me. Why should someone who wanted to kill me be worried about me? ââ¬Å"You tell me,â⬠he said, releasing his grip. I rubbed my eyes, willing myself to recall what had happened. ââ¬Å"Iâ⬠¦I don't know. I must have sleepwalkedâ⬠¦.â⬠His face was still drawn and anxious. ââ¬Å"Noâ⬠¦there was something hereâ⬠¦.â⬠I shook my head. ââ¬Å"No, it was a dream. Or a hallucination. I had it happen earlierâ⬠¦. I just drank too much.â⬠ââ¬Å"Didn't you just hear me?â⬠There it was again, fear for me underneath the anger. ââ¬Å"There was something here, someâ⬠¦force. I felt it. It woke me up. Don't you remember anything at all?â⬠I stared off, trying to summon up the light and haunting melody. I couldn't. ââ¬Å"It wasâ⬠¦it was exquisite. I wantedâ⬠¦I wanted to go to itâ⬠¦to be part of itâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ There was a dreamy, wistful note in my voice. Roman's expression grew dark. As a succubus, I was a lesser immortal, one who had once been human. Greater immortals, like angels and demons, had been created at the universe's beginning. Nephilim were born and fell somewhere in the middle. As such, their powers and senses were greater than mine. Roman could detect things I couldn't. ââ¬Å"Don't,â⬠he said. ââ¬Å"You feel it again, you pull away. Don't let it draw you in. Under no circumstances should you go to it.â⬠I looked back at him with a frown. ââ¬Å"Why? Do you know what it is?â⬠ââ¬Å"No,â⬠he said grimly. ââ¬Å"And that's the problem.ââ¬
Saturday, September 28, 2019
Entrepreneurship and Innovation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 1
Entrepreneurship and Innovation - Essay Example The traditional definition classifies innovations into two differentiating them based on those from the laboratory and those on the market that enhance innovation. The management of the company also comprehends the other aspect of innovation that differentiates incremental innovation from path-breaking innovative mechanisms guided by the magnitude of originality besides the capacity to attain innovation standards. Simply, the company refers to this as the distinction between discontinuous and continuous innovation processes. Technology, science and innovation remain important factors that drive the economic success of the Republic of Korea. Companies in the Korea both domestic and Multinational Corporations continue to invest massively in development and research as well as put money in innovative techniques. Through this, the Republic of Korea succeeds in developing a precise innovation system that helps in maintain its economic growth. The management of the company in the article follows various strategies in enhancing innovation systems including applying a development strategy that appears outward, engaging large production oriented policy, and proper utilization of human resources among many more. These resources carry the strengths of the company as well as demonstrate particular weaknesses within the innovation system. Innovation is an important policy debate regarding ways of maintaining hitherto economic growth and development in many areas falling within the definition provided by demographic challenges, main fiscal challenges, and globalization of competition. This includes among others the emerging markets that Korea and Oman fall. The company focuses on innovation and gives little attention to imitation despite the fact that a close relationship exists between imitation and innovation procedures. A company considers imitation copying and comes with negative undertones (BASANT, 1996, 192). Innovation constitutes a virtuous
Friday, September 27, 2019
Business Law - Form of Business Organizations in US Essay
Business Law - Form of Business Organizations in US - Essay Example Was DRI responsible for pierceââ¬â¢s day to day behavior and activities, thereby making it vicariously liable for the actions he subsequently took? The court found that the master/servant relationship is distinct from the employer/employee relationship. Within the context of the former relationship, there exists a right and responsibility to control the behavior of subordinates but not so in the case of the latter relationship. DRI does not have the right or responsibility to control the day to day activities of its employees, especially when they occur off-premise. I concur with the courtââ¬â¢s ruling. DRI can not be held responsible for actions which Pierce undertook off their premise and, indeed, does not have the right to intervene with or control any employeeââ¬â¢s off-premise actions. Furthermore, the incident for which the plaintiff is suing the defendant was instigated by a prior relationship which the plaintiff had with the employee and is unrelated to the place of business. In other words, DRI is not, in any way, a party to the conflict between the defendant and the employer and cannot, therefore, be held vicariously liable for the shooting and the lifelong injuries subsequently suffered by Kerl. Although DRI is not responsible for the incident in question and cannot be held vicariously liable, the Pierce case highlights the imperatives of managementââ¬â¢s focusing on the behavior of employees who have a criminal record or have just been released from prison. While management could not have physically restrained Pierce and forcibly prevented him from leaving the premise during his shift, it could have been more articulate in its clarification of the employee-employer relationship and precisely what was expected of Pierce. There is a clear incentive for employers to ensure that their employeesââ¬â¢ behavior positively reflects on the company and, at the very least, does not negatively reflect on its
Thursday, September 26, 2019
Sustainability Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words
Sustainability - Essay Example ..7 SUSTAINABILITYâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦.8 REFERENCESâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦..9 FIGUREâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦PAGE # Fig 1â⬠¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦.6 INTRODUCTION:- There are extensive pressures on the nations to meet the water demands according ly because of international conflicts, economic crisis, poverty, and water availability etc. PCA states that only 0.3 percent of total water is can be used for drinking purposes (PCA, 2005).Global issues stated from the report that 1.1 billion people in developing countries having inadequate access to water (Global issues, 2010). Not only a management that is expert in the level is required but along with it there is a need to use alternatives water resources for the future water use that is affordable and even if it is not, then external funding for the transfer of the water is required. It tells us that sea water can be used in the developing countries for the different water use requirements. Although the water treatment for the sea water is not an easy task, but still it can be used as an alternative water source. Still the transferring of sea water to different parts of the developing countries could be costly, and extensive water supply engineering is required and a need to ma nage these water storage and transport facilities is a matter of cost and debate. National geographic society states that if water source is not within one kilometer range then per capita consumption drops to 5 liters/person (National Geographic News, 2003). The sea water hence could be used as a water resource in the developing countries, but along with this intervention, the need to recycle the sea water must also be taken into consideration. Specially for domestic purposes it could be used as a good alternatives source, but for drinking it depends on the area and geography, that either other clean drinking water resources are present in the country or not. The sea water could be used after the treatments such as distillation, electrolysis, and reverse osmosis. The countries such as Pakistan, Africa, India, Srilanka, Nepal, Srilanka, Bangladesh, Kenya, South Africa are the countries that are exposed with the sea water and these nations has from little to extensive problems of wate r scarcity or water quality. There is a need to design the treatment plants for sea water purification, the water transport facility, water supply engineering to closely related areas, and the reservoirs for containment. Houston news states that non-profit organization brings ways to solve the problems of third world countries (Houston News, 2011). Also Life Science states that 15000 desalination plants are there in the world working and more with cheaper costs are estimated (Life science, 2011). SPECIFICATION:- These are the stated initial design specifications that are important for the project to be implemented. Rough design requirements for the
Wednesday, September 25, 2019
Frequency Distribution Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words
Frequency Distribution - Assignment Example A project needs to be measureable and therefore frequency distribution helps in assessing the frequency distribution. In the process of measuring the work output of different people we could make use of mean and correlation to get the right figures (Meredith,Ã 2011). Frequency distributions allows for measuring of specific results for different people within a project. We could use of means and correlation analysis for the purposes of analysing the output of different employees in a company. Many projects are planned with timetables in the analysis of frequency distributions. As a result, frequency distribution allows for the analysis of time taken by different employees in undertaking their jobs even in cases of people undertaking the same job (Meredith,Ã 2011). Project management involves undertaking various jobs and duties in the process of accomplishing certain tasks that are relevant and therefore, we could make use of frequency distributions. Graphs and tables show disparity to detail on different measures undertaken by different employees
Tuesday, September 24, 2019
Science and its Impact on Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
Science and its Impact on Society - Essay Example However, in the recent past, there has been a growing awareness among society that the effects of science and related research are not always beneficial. The perception amongst people is that science will only lead to the destruction of nature eventually. That no matter what advancement in technology is enjoyed; the harmful effect on our planet in the name of research and science is increasingly being felt. Only those aspects of science receive attention in society which suit the goals or which inspire awe - this indicates that people at large read science because it serves their purpose or because the subject is topical, sensational or controversial. At most, only a handful read science for the sake of the knowledge it might impart. Much research is required to identify those subjects so that science could be made more popular and effective. Science was a great investment towards a better life and this resulted in the discovery of light waves and radio waves, the electric motors, the first photograph and telephone, and the first publication of the periodic table. There was also great controversy when Charles Each society is faced with the challenge of keeping its proper place in a world defined by economic and political change. Knowledge, in particular science, technology and innovation, is indispensable to meet this challenge. Scientific and technological progress results in new innovations that are an integral part of international competitiveness. This translates into what the society's needs and aspirations are, such as peace, jobs, security, health and sustainable development of the planet. Viewing science from two angles: The benefits are many: medical advancements have saved many lives; internet and increased access to information is definite; research in the field of weather has led to the predictions of storms and the study of astronomy has given society knowledge of the formation of Earth and of the solar system. The adverse effects are: The medicines prescribed come with their own side effects; and nuclear technology! This scientific knowledge has helped in creating bombs which are used for massacres and gruesome killings; it has also been used for energy, releasing radiation which causes medical problems to many. Factors controlling the usage of science: The relationship between science, controlled by the government, and society is a hostile one because the society that enjoys benefits of science cannot do anything to prevent the side-effects of science - it is powerless to take action to curb the harmful turn of events that result from science; especially more so if the science is
Monday, September 23, 2019
Law and Religion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words
Law and Religion - Essay Example Religions are one of the Institutions of socialisation, having the influence on people and decide how the people think and live. It does not matter what religion you are belong to, the basic elements are same for all religion. The religion organizes its action around certain beliefs, practice and symbols. The religion is formed by the group of people who bearing similar belief and ideology. There are normally laws within the religion that guides the way the members of the religion should behave. Any member of the religion broken the law, it will be treated as sinful, and which leads to punishments some times. According to Ron Kurtus, Religion can be see as a theological, philosophical, anthropological, sociological and psychological phenomenon of human kind. Religion includes survival in harsh, environmental, moral and social rules, overcoming diseases and mysteries of life including life after death. Religion is a large and complex phenomenon. The root of the word religion is from t he Latin word ââ¬Å"religareâ⬠, which means being bound. Religion also may embrace a conception of faith. Law is the social mechanism, which is used to maintain the social order. In other words, law may help to maintain the public order, so that the social and legal interactions can occur within the society. The law is a instrument for the resolution of disputes, social problems, security threat and issue in relation ship between individuals. Three basic components are consisting in the human nature; they are to live, to propagate and to dominate. Law is the parameter, which govern the behaviour of natural state of existence by the humanity. Relation between Law and Religion The law is important factor for the religion. The theoretical structure of the law is designed to support the religion and the religion has the impact of the law. The law accommodates, restrict or influence the religion. The law has the major role in maintaining public and social order. The law has also the specific role in relation to the moral order of the society. The law is the instrument for resolution of disputed between individuals without endangering public order. The law helps to the policy makers to respond to social problem. The lawmakers can use their power to exercise their law making power to change the rules to engage with social problems. The law may also been seen as set of rule regulating individual relationship. The law is the important mechanism for controlling state power in particular in securing the rights and freedom of the individual. This is a particular theme in relation to religious rights. The religious beliefs, identity and practices of individual have t he potential impact on the function of the legal system. And also the legal values have a strong influence on religious values. Law is using to keep order, resolve disputes, respond to social problem, regulate social relationship, control state power or empower individuals. Law is important factor in the religion, since it impinges on individual, community and organization. There are so many religion works in our society. The law makes enforce the law to protect the freedom of speech and racism etc. In the world we can see different countries fighting each other due to different religion and belief of the people in those countries. The interaction between law and religion is important for the society. The religion interest of an individual is not more than an explanation for their activities or spiritual needs rather than a distinctive interest of that individual. The lawmakers need to give weight to the right to individual autonomy, which may arise because an individual wishes to reject medical treatment that would be contrary to their religious beliefs. (Peter W. Edge, 17). Law important for Religion Law may be seen as one of many social instruments, which maintain the social order in the society. The law enforce the transition from an endless war of all against all, to a position
Sunday, September 22, 2019
Business strategies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1
Business strategies - Essay Example banking functions are the same, what is different is the service in each place (the bank has a service product) which assumes the customs of the place. HSBC is called ââ¬Å"the worldââ¬â¢s local bankâ⬠. HSBC offshore banks are multidivisional and organized around geographical region or country area ââ¬â that is, they have a degree of autonomy within their host country, in order to facilitate compliance with local regulations. SABMiller owns several premium international beers, six of which are among the worlds top 50 beers.à It uses the multidomestic strategy to expand its growth, profitability and product offerings.à It uses a multidivisional organization structure with regional and divisional headquarters through different geographical locations. Avon previously uses the multidomestic strategy but changed to a global strategy when much of its sales was declining.à The analysis of its various products is done in the companys New York headquarters.à It uses this strategy to control costs and gain additional economies of scale to improve performance.à A functional organization structure is used at the company. The global strategy is apparent in SABMillerââ¬â¢s standardized products, namely their own portfolio of international premium beer brands. The global strategy is important to maintain brand exclusivity, while the multidivisional structure according to geography allows for efficient distribution to international markets. Avon also uses the global strategy and functional organization; it abolished its three international regional headquarters and instead established nine streamlined business centers in charge of sales, marketing and distribution worldwide. The managers of the nine functional units report directly to the Office of the Chairman, so the structure is horizontal. I think McDonalds uses a multidomestic strategy and Subway uses the global strategy which I have experience them both in different parts of the world.à McDonalds has offered
Saturday, September 21, 2019
One Flew over the Cuckoos Nest Essay Example for Free
One Flew over the Cuckoos Nest Essay In One Flew Over the Cuckooââ¬â¢s Nest, Ken Kesey tells the story of Randle McMurphy, a rebellious, boisterous and overtly sexual man who utilizes his extroverted qualities to win over his fellow patients in the mental institution. McMurphyââ¬â¢s confident nature and non-conforming attitude brings hope to everyone living in the ward. Ultimately, he sparks dissent and inspires them to go against the oppressive head nurse, Nurse Ratchet. McMurphyââ¬â¢s confidence does not waver until he realizes that Nurse Ratchet will always have the upper hand over the patients. Nevertheless, this does not stop him from concocting plans to provoke and get rid of her. McMurphy receives many harsh punishments for his actions and eventually loses the battle against the head nurse. Not only does he lose against Nurse Ratchet, but he eventually loses himself through the process. Additionally, in the film The Experiment, the protagonist Travis, undergoes an adversity which is comparable to what McMurphy faces in One Flew Over the Cuckooââ¬â¢s Nest. The development of both characters can parallel each other through the similarities of their actions. Kesey first introduces McMurphy to readers when he is brought to the mental institution. At first glance, McMurphy can be viewed as a con man. He committed the crime of statutory rape but instead of accepting a jail sentence he convinces the judge that he is not straight in the head and is thus sent to a mental institution. Most patients at the ward are unresponsive, yet when he first arrives at the institution, he introduces himself to everyone. The patients and nurses are taken aback by McMurphyââ¬â¢s feisty attitude. Unlike the other patients, McMurphy is loud, arrogant, and capable and it is evident to everyone that he does not belong in a place like that. After the wards group meeting, McMurphy sees firsthand how Nurse Ratchet abuses her power as head nurse. He makes a bet with all the patients in the ward that he can make lose her temper. The patients warn him and insist that Nurse Ratchet not one to be messed with but he still acts otherwise. In this instance, McMurphyââ¬â¢s rebellious nature shines through. It is made clear to readers that he will not allow Nurse Ratchet to win over the patients for long. He wants to give her a hard time and hopefully get rid of her. Nurse Ratchet sees McMurphyââ¬â¢s deviance and knows that she must break him, just like she broke all the other patients so she can continue her oppressive leadership over the ward. After numerous confrontations between McMurphy and Nurse Ratchet, the patients in the ward find the incidents quite amusing. Eventually, McMurphy is able to rile up all the patients and encourage them to watch the World Series on the television. Although it was not their allotted time to watch the television, they all participate in the rebellion. Through McMurphy actions, the patients see that they should not view Nurse Ratchet as an oppressive and domineering force. They begin to feel hope inside themselves and begin to envision that living in the ward will not be as miserable as it once was. Nurse Ratchetââ¬â¢s patience begins to wear thin and once McMurphy physically attacks her, she quickly makes the decision to have him lobotomized and leaves him neurologically disabled. After this event, the patients can no longer live in the ward. McMurphy was a friend to all and they could not stand living under Nurse Ratchetââ¬â¢s rule. She loses all control and the patients transfer to other wards or check out of the institution completely. McMurphyââ¬â¢s eventual destruction and death was not out of vain as he was able to transform the patients into believing that each person was an individual and should be able to freely express themselves. He left them with a belief that would aid them for the rest of their lives. Randle McMurphyââ¬â¢s feisty and strong-willed character can easily parallel many dominant male characters in films. For example, in the 2010 film The Experiment, Paul T. Scheuring directs the story of 26 men who are selected to take part in a 14 day experiment where some participants act as guards and others as inmates. The guards have only one rule to follow they must make sure the inmates obey the basic rules of living in a prison. Eventually the power wielded by the guards gets to their heads. They abuse their roles and exploit and humiliate the inmates. They become great oppressors and being to forget that the inmates are only human. Violence begins to ensue. The protagonist, Travis, is selected to be an inmate in the prison. From the beginning, it is made apparent that Travis is not buying into the whole prisoner concept. Just like McMurphy, Travis acts out as an individual. He is not one to follow others and ceases any opportunity to give the guards a difficult time. He then begins to act out in defiant ways. He mobilizes the inmates and leads rebellions against the guards. He and many other inmates firmly decide that they will not be silenced into submission. Eventually, the experiment goes wildly out of control and is stopped by researchers. Like Randle McMurphy, Travis fights back against the oppressors. He did not like seeing his fellow inmates get taken advantage of. Travis begins rebelling and disobeying the rules in small ways, such as refusing to eat his meals. Eventually, he uses physical force to end the tyranny in the prison. Randle McMurphy and Travis are similar characters in many ways. They both were able to unite the group of men that were facing the same adversity. They did not like seeing any of their own getting harmed. Furthermore, just like McMurphy, Travis acts in defiant ways to get into the guards heads. And finally, both use physical force to hurt their oppressors at the very end. To sum it up, they are the spark that brings hope to the oppressed and lead the rebellions against the oppressors.
Friday, September 20, 2019
Study of Document Layout Analysis Algorithms
Study of Document Layout Analysis Algorithms Relative Study of Document Layout Analysis Algorithms for Printed Document Images Divya Kamat, Divya Sharma, Parag Chitale, Prateek Dasgupta ABSTRACT In the following survey paper, the different algorithms that could be used for document layout analysis have been studied and their results have been compared. For the removal of image mask, Bloombergââ¬â¢s algorithm and CRLA have been described. For the purpose of text segmentation, we have studied the Recursive XY Cut algorithm, RLSA and RLSO algorithms. Introduction Physical layout analysis of printed document images is the first step of the OCR conversion. For the OCR to work effectively, we need to provide an input wherein no images are present in the document i.e. the image contains only text. If this is not done properly, the OCR will return garbage values. To avoid this, we have discussed two algorithms, Bloombergââ¬â¢s Algorithm and CRLA that could be used for the removal images from the document images. The next step is the text segmentation wherein we find the text blocks inside the document. The coordinates of these text blocks are then passed as input to the OCR. To perform this segmentation, we have discussed the recursive XY cut algorithm, the RLSA and RLSO algorithms. Removal of Image from Document The first step in the document layout analysis is to remove the images present in the original document. We will be discussing the Bloombergââ¬â¢s algorithm along with its variations and the CRLA algorithm for image removal. Bloombergââ¬â¢s Algorithm The Bloombergââ¬â¢s algorithm is primarily used to find the image mask of halftone images. The implementation of this algorithm uses basic morphological operations. The algorithm has the following steps: In the first step, the binarization of the input image is performed. Next, 41 threshold reduction is performed twice using threshold T=1. 41 threshold reduction is performed using T=4. 41 threshold reduction is performed using T=3. Opening the image with a structural element of size 55. Next, 14 expansion of the image is performed twice. Next the union of overlapping components of the seed image obtained from step 6 with the image obtained from step 2 is performed. Dilation with structural element 33 followed by 14 expansion which is performed twice. The halftone mask obtained from step 8 is then subtracted from the binarized input image. The main issue with Bloombergââ¬â¢s algorithm is that it is unable to distinguish between text and sketches (i.e. line drawings) in a printed document image. Enhanced CRLA Algorithm CRLA stands for Constraint Run Length Algorithm. In this algorithm we apply horizontal and vertical smoothening to the document image to get a clear separation between text and images in the document. Enhanced CRLA is used to smooth out only the text part in the image and avoid smoothening of non-textual part of the document image. Algorithm: Label the connected components in the document image. Classify the components with respect to their heights as follows: Height less than or equal to 1 cm, label it as 1 Height between 1 and 3 cm, label it as 3 Height greater than 3 cm, label it as 3 Apply horizontal smoothening to the components with label 1 only. Apply vertical smoothening to the components with label 1 only. Logically AND the two images obtained previously. Apply horizontal smoothening to the output image of AND operation. Calculate Mean Black Run Length Calculate the Black Run Length (BRL) row-wise for the region under consideration. Maintain a Black-White Transition Count (TC) for the region. Calculate Mean BRL as MBRL= (BRL/TC). Calculate Mean Transition Count Maintain a Black-White Transition Count (TC) for the region. Calculate W, the width of the region. Calculate Mean TC as MTC=(TC/W) Extract the components from the image with label 1 having values of MBRL and MTC in the acceptable range for the typical document image. Apply horizontal smoothening to the components with label 2 only. Apply vertical smoothening to the components with label 2 only. Logically AND the two images obtained previously. Apply horizontal smoothening to the output image of AND operation. Calculate MBRL and MTC. Extract the components from the image with label 2 and 3 having values MBRL and MTC in the acceptable range for the typical document image. At step 9 we extract the text part of the document image and at step 15 we extract the non-text part of the document image. The main advantage of the CRLA algorithm is that clear separation of text and non-text part of the document image. It also works for sketches as well as halftones effectively. It has considerably less complexity as selective smoothening is done. However, after the removal of the non-textual part of the document image, some stray pixels remain the image. The connected components in the halftone image whose height is less than 1cm are assumed as text elements in the algorithm. This results in presence of unwanted components in the final image. Text Segmentation The next step in the document layout analysis is the segmentation of text into text blocks that could be provided as input to the OCR. The following algorithms have been studied for this: Recursive XY Cut algorithm The recursive XY cut algorithm is used for obtaining text blocks from an image that does not contain any images from the original printed document. The XY cut algorithm works in the following way: The bounding boxes of the image are calculated. Next we calculate the horizontal and vertical projections of the image. After calculating the projections, we then perform X cuts on all the valleys in the horizontal projections which have a value greater than the threshold th. Next we perform Y cuts in between these X cuts at all the valleys in the vertical projections which have a value greater than the threshold tv. We repeat the steps 3 and 4 until there are no further X or Y cuts possible in a region. One of the problems with XY cut algorithm is that there is no method to find a threshold that will work for all the documents. Instead, a new threshold needs to be determined for each document and this cannot be done without manual intervention. Another major issue with the recursive XY algorithm is the time complexity. The recursive XY cut algorithm requires a large time to complete execution. Despite these disadvantages, this algorithm successfully separates the text blocks provided that a manual threshold is provided. RLSA The Run-Length Smoothing Algorithm (RLSA) works on black white scanned images of documents. It finds runs of white pixels and converts them into black pixels whenever they are less than a given threshold. The RLSA works in four steps: In the first step, we perform horizontal smoothing. For this, we scan the image row-wise and then replace lengths of white pixels by black pixels if they are less than a threshold th. In the second step, we perform vertical smoothing. For this, we scan the image column-wise and then replace lengths of white pixels by black pixels if they are less than a threshold tv. Next, we perform logical ANDing of the images obtained from the first and second steps. Then we perform horizontal smoothing on the image obtained from step 3 with a threshold ta. RLSO A simplified version of the RLSA, RLSO (Run-Length Smoothing with OR) works as follows: In the first step, we perform horizontal smoothing. For this, we scan the image row-wise and then replace lengths of white pixels by black pixels if they are less than a threshold th. In the second step, we perform vertical smoothing. For this, we scan the image column-wise and then replace lengths of white pixels by black pixels if they are less than a threshold tv. Next we perform a logical OR operation on the images obtained from the first and second step. The RLSA algorithm returns rectangular frames of documents with Manhattan Layouts. On the other hand, RLSO algorithm also works well with non-Manhattan layouts. The problem with both RLSA and RLSO is that the threshold for smoothing needs to be determined manually. Also the threshold required for each document image is different and it is almost impossible to be determined manually. Conclusion We have compared the above given algorithms for the document layout analysis. During our research we found that, while Bloombergââ¬â¢s algorithm faces problems for images that contain sketches, CRLA faces problems for images that contain extremely small non-textual elements. We also observed that the recursive XY Cut algorithm and RLSA both do not work on printed documents having non-Manhattan layouts. On the other hand, the RLSO algorithm gives comparatively better results for Manhattan as well as non-Manhattan layouts. However, all three algorithms mentioned above face the common problem of manual threshold determination which is document specific. References Syed Saqib Bukhari, Faisal Shafait and Thomas M. Bruel, ââ¬Å"Improved Document Image Segmentation Algorithm using Multiresolution Morphologyâ⬠Jaekyu Ha and Robert M. Haralick, Ihsin T. Philips, ââ¬Å"Recursive XY Cut using Bounding Boxes of Connected Componentsâ⬠, Third International Conference on Document Analysis and Recognition, ICDAR, 1995 Stefano Ferilli, Teresa M.A. Basile, Floriana Esposito, ââ¬Å"A histogram-based Technique for Automatic Threshold Assessment in a Run Length Smoothing-based Algorithmâ⬠, ACM, 2010. Hung-Ming Sun, ââ¬Å"Enhanced Constrained Run-Length Algorithm for Complex Layout Document Processingâ⬠, International Journal of Applied Science and Engineering, 2006
Thursday, September 19, 2019
macbeth as a tragic hero Essay -- essays research papers
à à à à à A Shakespearean tragic hero starts out as a noble person; a great exceptional being who stands out. A tragic hero has a tragic flaw of an exaggerated trait that leads to their downfall and eventually to death. William Shakespeare often made his main characters tragic heroes in his plays. In Shakespeareââ¬â¢s Macbeth, the role of the tragic hero is given to the main character: Macbeth. This is because he starts off as a loyal and well liked man in the beginning, but has a tragic flaw of ambition which ultimately leads to his downfall. à à à à à Macbeth started off a great and noble man of Scotland and was honoured by the king and his people. He was thought of as a great man and brave among the soldiers. ââ¬Å"â⬠¦for brave Macbeth- well he is worthy of that nameâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ (I, ii, 26) The king thought so highly of Macbeth that when he killed the traitor Macdonwald, Duncan crowned Macbeth with the title of thane of Cawdor. ââ¬Å"And for an earnest and great honour, He bade me, for him, call the thane of Cawdor: In which addition hail, most worthy thane! For it is thine!â⬠(I, iii, 109-12) As every tragic hero does, Macbeth also has a tragic flaw: ambition. à à à à à Macbeth can be considered a Shakespearean tragic hero because he possesses the tragic flaw of ambition. He is thought of to be a very ambitious man by himself and other characters, like his wife, Lady Macbeth. ââ¬Å"Thou wouldst be great:/Art not without ambition, but/ Without ...
Wednesday, September 18, 2019
Actions of Goneril in Shakespeares King Lear Essay example -- Shakesp
Actions of Goneril in Shakespeare's King Lear Whenever the issue of power allocation arises, there usually emerge a few individuals who, given only a moderate amount of authority, overstep their bounds to exert more dominance than they rightfully own; such is the case with Goneril. Yet, although Goneril certainly errs in betraying the very father that bestowed a large dominion upon her, King Lear deserves much of the blame for Goneril's haughtiness. After grossly misinterpreting the reticence of his heretofore prized daughter Cordelia, Lear divides his kingdom between the mendacious Goneril and the scheming Regan, thereby leaving the fate of the land at their unskilled mercies. Naturally, Goneril relishes her newfound control, so when Lear comes to visit her with all of his knights in tow, she perceives him as encroaching upon the power that he has since relinquished. Additionally, Goneril notes (albeit in an exaggerated manner) the inconvenience that she incurs by housing these hundred men. Despite the outrage that one mig ht feel at the thought of a daughter mistreating h...
Tuesday, September 17, 2019
The US Capitol Building Essay -- United States Capitol American Histor
The US Capitol Building Our nation's revolution was a great achievement in U.S History. With the dawn of a new nation, there would have to be a central location to make the new decisions of our country. Our capitol has stood as the heart of our country since the late 1700s. The United States capitol is among the most architecturally impressive and symbolically important buildings in the world. For almost two centuries it has housed the meeting chambers of the senate and the House of Representatives. Begun in 1793, the capitol building has been built, burnt, rebuilt, extended, and restored. Today our capitol stands as a monument to the American people and their government. (AOC.gov) "Where to put a nation's capitol?" was the exact question that irritated George Washington and a man by the name of Pierre L'Enfant, city planner and engineer. "The District of Columbia is a perfect site; its in the middle of the 14 states, halfway between Massachusetts and Georgia," exclaimed Washington. Being near to the ocean so that many people can get to it easily. In 1790, Congress passed the "Residence Act," which provides that the federal government will be located in a permanent site on the Potomac River by 1800. Pierre Charles L'Enfant develops plan for capital city; he and President Washington select site for "Congress House" on Jenkins Heights. With a location chosen the only task now is to design the capitol building. (Prolman, 5) "Five hundred dollars will be the reward for the architect who sets forth the plans for our nations new capitol building." Thomas Jefferson stated. He was also included in the long list of contestants who submitted thier construction designs. Three months after the contest ended, a man by the name of Dr .William Thorton submitted his designs of the capital. (Prolman, 5) His design was a Neo-classical plan that followed the classical style of ancient Greece and Rome. He drew a building that consists of two wings that extended north and south of a centural section. A huge cast-iron dome rests on the central section of the building.(World, 196) President Washington was very pleased with Dr. Thorton's plans and he was awarded first prize. Now it was time for Washington to lay the cornerstone on September 18, 1793.(National Park) Construction was a very labor intensive and time-consuming process. The sandstone... ...at about 10 million people come to visit this monument every year. Tours every thirty minutes of the capitol building are open from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. everyday. For recorded information regarding tours of the Capitol, call 202-225-6827. (AOC.gov) Since the building of Congress was built it has been through many stages. Being the meeting house for the bodies that govern our land of the free since 1793. The United States Capitol is one of the greatest structures in the world also serving as a symbol to the people of our nation. It will forever be the heart of our nation.(New Book, 420) Bibliography Aikman, Lowell. "US. Captol, Citidel of Democracy" The National Geographic; August, 1952:147-162 AOC.Gov- The United States Capitol, http://www.aoc.gov National Park Science- US Capritol Building, Wed. May 17, 2000. http://www.cr.nps.govNR/travel/wash/dc76.htm New Book of Knowledge, The. "Capitol,US" Deluxe Library Edition, copyright 1999, vol. 3Cp. 420 Prolman, Marilyn. The Story of the Capitol. copyright 1969, p. 5-9 World Book Encyclopedia, "Capitol, US" Vol. 3, Ch. C, Copyright 1996, p. 196
Monday, September 16, 2019
Views of Christianity and Islam Towards Trade
Christianity and Islam are two of the most practiced religions in the world, and have been for centuries. These two faiths are both monotheistic, which means they worship one God, or Allah. Started over 2000 years ago, Christianity is based on the teachings and life of Jesus Christ and was spread throughout the Roman Empire. The religion of Islam began early in 600 C. E. by the prophet Muhammad, and he spread the word of Allah. These religions spread quickly in Europe and the Middle East. As they progressed, new trading routes came about in these areas.Overtime, Christianity and Islam developed opinions about the trading and businesses activity and the people who pursued it. According to the religionââ¬â¢s holy books, the Bible and Qurââ¬â¢an, their views on trade were different at first. Christians believed that people should not trade; for it was not the pursuit of man. Muslims were much more tolerant of trade, as long as merchants were honest in their bargaining. By 1000 C. E, both the religionsââ¬â¢ attitudes towards trade had changed completely. Christian scholars began to teach that honest trade was acceptable, while Muslim scholars saw the danger that trade brought to a manââ¬â¢s soul.By the 15th century, attitudes towards trade had even more drastic change once again. Christianity espoused that trade was encouraged and worthy, while Muslims believed merchants were corrupt. When the two religions first began, Christianity and Islam differed at first on their views concerning trade. As stated in the Christian Bible, it is almost impossible for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God (document 1). For Christians, at first they had to live a humble life without making any profits.Its said that it was easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. As for Muslims this differed because in the Qurââ¬â¢an, men were allowed to trade as long as they were honest; said in document 2. ââ¬Å"I f the two parties speak the truth and make it manifest, their transaction shall be blessed, and if they conceal and tell and lie, the blessing of their transaction shall be obliterated. â⬠This means that if two people trade fairly amongst each other without cheating, then nothing is wrong according to the Islam beliefs.If one of the men are cheated, then their business will be wiped out. The point of document 1 was that Jesus was a poor man, therefore his followers lived up to being poor as well. When Christianity started, Christians believed that in order to go to heaven, they must live a poor and humble life, like Jesus did. The same logic applies for Muslims in document 2, whoââ¬â¢s founder Muhammed was a wealthy merchant. In document two, the author is supporting merchants and saying that they will be accepted by Allah as long as they are truthful.Muslims strongly believed that it was okay to be a wealthy merchant as long you are honest, like Muhammed. Therefore, the tw o religions were at first different because Christianity had negative views toward trade while Islam was for it; and they were alike because the reason for their views both traced back to their founders. In documents four and five, the view points of Christians and Muslims toward trade began to change. Christians, who were at first against trade and becoming wealthy from it, now say that it is okay to trade as long as you are honest.Stated in document four, ââ¬Å"No man should sell a thing to another man for more than its worth. â⬠This is saying that for men to do business with one another, they must not sell things for more than they are worth, or in other words scam each other. While Christian scholars are becoming more lenient towards trade than they were when the religion started, Islamic scholars are becoming more strict. Muslims now believe that selling things for a profit, even if it is honest, is inevitably affecting the soul. ââ¬Å"These qualities lead to a decrease and weakening in virtue and manliness,â⬠(document five).The Islam look on trade now sees that the methods that trade employs are tricks aimed at making a profit by securing the difference between buying and selling prices. The two religions, however, are still somewhat similar because they both believe that trading for large profits can eventually lead to corruption of the soul. Views of trade by Christians and Muslims yet continued to change even further in documents six and seven. It seems in document six as if Christians were being encouraged to trade as long as it involved God.Religious paintings of Our Lady were being asked for, therefore Christians now want people to trade. Also in document six it is stated that, ââ¬Å"You know God has granted you to acquire great riches in this world, may He be praised. â⬠It is now expected for Christian merchants to trade and use God while doing so. Overtime you can see the change on the views of trade, because at first Christi ans did not want anyone making a large profit. As for Muslims, merchants are loosing money from trading. In document seven, Sakaoglu Nasuh is an example of how over time the commerce activity has affected his ethical customs. The aforementioned has now acted contrary to the old custom. â⬠This is because he is buying all the cotton yarn and selling them for higher prices. Hence, not giving the other merchants a fair opportunity to buy and sell the cotton as well. This is going against what the Islam religion believed, which is business activities are acceptable as long as you are not taking advantage of others. The Islamic Court probably said this is document seven because they wanted to please the people and let them know that merchants must obey.The two religions continue to differ in these documents because Christians are now persuading people to trade, while Islam trading is becoming monopolized. However, Christianity and Islam are still alike in which they both use religio n as an example. The attitudes of Christianity and Islam towards trade and merchants differed. When the two religions first began, they had opposite views from each other. Christians saw trade and wealth as being far from God and it was not approved. Muslims, on the other hand, tolerated trade as long as the two parties were honest and no one was taken advantage of.Later on, these views changed when Christians became more lenient and also accepted honest trade. Muslims then saw trade as inevitably affecting the soul when merchants became corrupt by outbidding other merchants. However, we would need additional documents such as documents from the common people in order to asses the consequences of the merchant activities. We do not know how the Christiansââ¬â¢ or Muslimsââ¬â¢ commoners viewed the trading business, therefore, we cannot fully understand all aspects of the religions towards it.
Foil Characters in ââ¬ÅA Dollââ¬â¢s Houseââ¬Â Essay
Henrik Ibsen creates characters in A Dollââ¬â¢s House who change throughout the play. Ibsenââ¬â¢s use of foil characters helps the reader understand each individual character better. Some of the characters in the play are perceived as opposites but in fact share several similarities. Krogstad and Torvald, Christine and Nora, and Krogstad/Christineââ¬â¢s relationship and Torvald/Noraââ¬â¢s relationship are all foils to each other. Foil characters are mirror images of each other; they have similarities as well as differences. Nils Krogstad and Torvald Helmer are foils to each other. They both have children and are lawyers, even though Krogstad lost his license because he did a forgery. Krogstad did something immoral but so did Torvald; Torvald helped Noraââ¬â¢s father when he had done a bad thing. Torvald and Krogstad were childhood friends and now they work together at the bank. Even though they have the same professions as each other, Torvaldââ¬â¢s position at the bank is much higher than Krogstadââ¬â¢s. Everyone hates Krogstad because he did an illegal act; on the other hand, everyone loves Torvald. The idea that Krogstad is the villain of the play is reinforced by the reactions that Nora displays whenever Krogstad is around. The reader eventually understands that Krogstad is a victim to circumstances; he committed forgery to help his children, not to help himself. Krogstad is hated by others for the crime he committed to help his children, yet Torvald is loved even though he committed a dishonest act to serve himself. Torvald helped Noraââ¬â¢s father in order to win favor with Nora and attain her as his wife. Krogstad no longer has a wife because she, Christine, left him for money. Christine Linde and Nora Helmer are greatly dissimilar but also share some comparisons. Very much like Krogstad and Torvald, Nora and Christine were childhood friends. Before their meeting in Act 1, these two women had not seen each other in nearly ten years. Christine and Nora are nearly opposites of each other; Nora has children, money, and a husband, Christine is a poor widow with no offspring. Christine is an independent woman who has been out in the world and has held multiple jobs. Nora is seen as a child who does not have knowledge of how the world works because she is trapped in aà ââ¬Å"dollhouseâ⬠. Christine supports this idea when she calls Nora a child and says, ââ¬Å"For you (Nora) know so little of the burdens and troubles of life.â⬠(Act 1) When the reader learns what Nora did for Torvald, it shows that Nora is more intelligent than she seems which is a characteristic that Christine also possesses. In order for Nora to pay back the loan she took, Nora did repair work for extra money. Nora and Christine both had a sick parent who needed their help, which caused them to make a tough decision and they each chose the most important person to them. The two couples in A Dollââ¬â¢s House, coincidentally, are foils to each other. Society sees Nora and Torvald Helmer as a perfectly happy couple. On the other hand, Krogstad and Christineââ¬â¢s relationship is looked down upon because Christine seemingly left him for money. Christine elected to leave her husband, Krogstad, so she could make more money to help her brothers and her sick mother. Nora chose to help her sick husband instead of her ill father during his dying days. The Helmerââ¬â¢s relationship looks stronger because Nora chose her husband over her father but in fact, her decision shows how much Nora is under Torvaldââ¬â¢s control. Christine and Krogstad truly have the better relationship because they have adult conversations and work their problems out. These two couples are fundamentally opposites of each other except for the fact that they both become separated at some point. Christine and Krogstad truly love each other because they have both been out in the real world and want to be together. The Helmerââ¬â¢s do not have true love because Nora has never been out of her ââ¬Å"dollhouseâ⬠to experience the world for herself. Nora and Torvaldââ¬â¢s relationship is more similar to father/daughter rather than husband/wife. Torvald loves Nora as more of a daughter and cares more about what others think of him rather than what she thinks. ââ¬Å"Torvald: From now on, forget happiness. Now itââ¬â¢s just about saving the remains, the wreckage, the appearance.â⬠(Act 3). Torvald is extremely selfish in his relationship with Nora; Krogstad is not selfish at all in his relationship with Christine. Christine and Krogstad are able to solve their issues together as adults. The main characters in this play have foil characters who are there to support them and help the reader understand the story. Certain characters seem to be opposites of each other while also having similarities. Krogstad and Torvald have similar jobs and families, but are also quite dissimilar. Christine and Nora were childhood friends but grew up in different worlds. The relationship between Christine and Krogstad and the Helmersââ¬â¢ relationship differs because Krogstad and Christine truly love each other and the Helmers do not. Even though these characters do have similarities to each other, they are almost exact opposites; they are mirror images of each other.
Sunday, September 15, 2019
The Secret of Ella and Micha Chapter 11
Ella The next morning Lila is feeling much better. It's like last night never happened, but I wonder if it's an act. ââ¬Å"I have a feeling that today is going to be full of rainbows and sunshine,â⬠Lila says cheerily as she applies her lipstick, using the mirror on the closet door. Against my protest, she took down some of my sketches, so she could see her reflection. ââ¬Å"See what, though?â⬠I'd asked and she laughed, totally confused. ââ¬Å"Are you high?â⬠I tease as I twist my hair onto the back of my head and secure it with a clip. She pauses, looking at me over her shoulder. ââ¬Å"Why do you always ask questions like that?â⬠I slip on my boots and tie up the laces. ââ¬Å"What kinds of questions?â⬠She blots her lips. ââ¬Å"Every time I'm happy, you always ask if I'm drunk or on something. People can be happy without substances.â⬠I clasp a watch around my wrist. ââ¬Å"Most people can, but not all.â⬠Lila clips a diamond earring in. ââ¬Å"You look really nice today.â⬠I glance down at the black and purple dress I have on and the boots on my feet. ââ¬Å"I forgot to do laundry so I had to wear some of my old clothes, which don't match any of my new shoes.â⬠ââ¬Å"Well you look nice.â⬠She gives an elongated pause. ââ¬Å"So what's on the agenda for today?â⬠ââ¬Å"It depends on what you're doing?â⬠I ask. ââ¬Å"Are youâ⬠¦ where are you planning on staying?â⬠She shuts off her phone and then discards it onto the bed. ââ¬Å"I'd like to stick around with you for a while, if you don't mind. We could hang out. I don't have anything scheduled for the summer and I'm not going back home.â⬠ââ¬Å"Do you want to tell me what happened?â⬠ââ¬Å"No, not really.â⬠ââ¬Å"Okayâ⬠¦ well, I need to find a job,â⬠I say. ââ¬Å"I have to save up for the rest of my tuition since it doesn't look like I'll be getting that internship.â⬠She puts a headband in her hair. ââ¬Å"The one at that art museum.â⬠ââ¬Å"That's the one and it doesn't start until mid-June,â⬠I explain. ââ¬Å"But that's only five weeks away, so I figured they'd have notified me if I got it.â⬠ââ¬Å"You never know. Sometimes things like that move slow.â⬠She folds up a shirt and packs it into her bag, then ties a ribbon on the back of her shirt. ââ¬Å"Although, if you get it that'd mean you'd have to go back to Vegas, right?â⬠Nodding, I head for the door. Two weeks ago the idea of returning to the desert would make me happy, but something's changed. I still want to go, though leaving will be a little bit harder. I collect my phone off the dresser, noting the flashing voicemail on the screen ââ¬â Micha's unread message. My finger hovers above the button as I step into the hall. He told me I wasn't ready for what was on it? But am I ready for it now? ââ¬Å"I don't know why you think it's so bad here.â⬠Lila follows me. ââ¬Å"Yeah, people are a little rough, but they're not all bad and everywhere has bad stuff. You can't hide from it.â⬠ââ¬Å"That's very insightful.â⬠I close my phone and put it away. ââ¬Å"Bad comes in different forms,â⬠Lila continues. ââ¬Å"Whether it's drug dealers on the corner or if it's corrupt rich people or just your run-of-the-mill douche bag.â⬠I don't know much about Lila, other than she's rich, her dad works as a lawyer and her mom stays home. She likes clothes, is great with numbers and was the only reason I passed pre-calculus. My brother's door is open and he walks out as we're passing by. He has a black and red polo shirt on and a pair of cargo pants. There's some kind of gel in his hair and it looks shiny. ââ¬Å"Hey, have you seen dad?â⬠he asks, giving an acknowledging glance at Lila. I point at the shut door at the end of the hall. ââ¬Å"I thought I heard him come in late last night and go into his room.â⬠ââ¬Å"He did, but he got up this morning.â⬠He leans against the doorframe and crosses his arms. ââ¬Å"I heard him stumbling around in that bathroom and crying all night, but now I can't find him and I didn't hear him leave. His work called the house, saying he didn't show up, so he's not there.â⬠My fists clench so that my nails dig into my palms. ââ¬Å"Did you check in the bathroom?â⬠Dean's eyes travel down the hall to the bathroom door and he shakes his head. ââ¬Å"I haven't and I don't want to.â⬠ââ¬Å"Hi, I'm Lila,â⬠she introduces herself and offers her hand. ââ¬Å"You must be Ella's brother, Dean.â⬠Dean is vaguely amused and shakes her hand. ââ¬Å"Yeahâ⬠¦ how do you know Ella?â⬠ââ¬Å"I was her roommate,â⬠she responds, pressing her hand to her chest, faking being offended. ââ¬Å"Didn't she ever mention me?â⬠ââ¬Å"We don't talk that much.â⬠I eye the bathroom door again and my stomach twists. ââ¬Å"We need to find Dad.â⬠ââ¬Å"I'm not looking in that bathroom, Ella, but if you want to, go ahead.â⬠With legs flimsier than wet noodles, I walk down the dark hallway and stop in front of the door, having a flashback of the day my mom died. The door was closed and the house was soundless, except for the running of water. My hands tremble as I open the door. The room is bare, the tub empty, and the tile floor is clean, except for a small stain. There are no towels on the hooks and the mirror on the wall across from me shows my reflection. My auburn hair is curled perfectly in place, my lips are lined with gloss, and my green eyes are immense and reveal everything. ââ¬Å"Dad isn't in here,â⬠I tell him, unable to look away from the mirror. ââ¬Å"Are you sure you didn't hear him leave the house?â⬠ââ¬Å"He could have left and I just didn't hear him,â⬠he answers. ââ¬Å"But when has he ever left the house quietly before?â⬠I quickly slam the bathroom door, like I'm trying to put out a fire, and race back down the hall. ââ¬Å"Someone needs to find him. Did you try and call him?â⬠ââ¬Å"Of course. I'm not a moron.â⬠He rolls his eyes and nods. ââ¬Å"And he didn't answer.â⬠Lila shifts her weight and forces the uncomfortable conversation elsewhere. ââ¬Å"So you play the drums, Dean?â⬠He motions to his drum set in the middle of his small room with dark blue walls. The floor and bed are cluttered with boxes and the curtain is pulled back, letting the sunlight spill in. ââ¬Å"I used to, but I don't much anymore. I have work and a fiance.â⬠ââ¬Å"Fiance?â⬠Lila and I say simultaneously. ââ¬Å"Yeah, as in we're engaged.â⬠Dean rolls his eyes and goes back into his room. ââ¬Å"It's what happens when two people date for a really long time.â⬠ââ¬Å"Why didn't you tell me?â⬠I ask, following him into his room. He picks up a small box and drops it onto the floor. ââ¬Å"Do you really care that I am?â⬠I carefully nudge the box out of the way with my foot. ââ¬Å"You're my brother. Of course I care.â⬠ââ¬Å"But it's not like we've ever really gotten along,â⬠he points out. ââ¬Å"I haven't even talked to you for a year. God, I didn't even know you went to college until a week ago.â⬠He's right, which is sad. I barely know him, he barely knows me, and I'm starting to think I barely know me, too. ââ¬Å"Does Dad know you're engaged?â⬠I ask. ââ¬Å"Were you at least planning on telling him?â⬠ââ¬Å"Even if I told him, he'd just forget the next day.â⬠He empties a dresser drawer into a large open box and then aligns the drawer back into place. ââ¬Å"You know how he is. Christ, I don't even think half the time he knows that you and I don't live here anymore.â⬠ââ¬Å"He still deserves to be told,â⬠I say. ââ¬Å"He's not a bad guy and you know it. He just has problems.â⬠ââ¬Å"Problems that fucked up our childhood.â⬠He kicks a box out of the way with force and it crashes into the wall. ââ¬Å"You do realize that how we grew up wasn't normal. God, even Micha had it easier and his dad bailed out on him, but at least he had a stable mom to take care of him.â⬠ââ¬Å"Ummâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ Lila pokes her head in the room. ââ¬Å"I think I'm going to wait outside for you, Ella.â⬠God, I'd forgotten she was even there and she just heard all of that. ââ¬Å"Okay, I'll be down in a second,â⬠I tell her and she leaves readily. I wander around Dean's room, taking in the photos he has up. ââ¬Å"I think we may have just scared her to death.â⬠Dean picks up his drumsticks and places them into a large duffel bag. ââ¬Å"Okay, I have to ask. How did you end up being friends with her?â⬠ââ¬Å"She was my roommate and we just sort of bonded.â⬠I shrug, picking up a photo of Dean and his friends on a sunny beach. It was taken during his Senior Field Trip and he looks happy. ââ¬Å"You bonded,â⬠he accuses. ââ¬Å"The girl looks like a spoiled princess.â⬠I eye his preppy clothes. ââ¬Å"So do you.â⬠ââ¬Å"First off, I'm not a princess and I've earned what I have,â⬠he says. ââ¬Å"It wasn't just handed to me.â⬠ââ¬Å"Maybe she did, too.â⬠ââ¬Å"Did she?â⬠I hate to give him the benefit of being right. ââ¬Å"No, her parents are pretty well off.â⬠He looks at me with that stupid arrogant expression he gets when I admit he's right. ââ¬Å"Well, there you have it then.â⬠ââ¬Å"She's nice,â⬠I protest. ââ¬Å"And she doesn't ask a lot of questions.â⬠ââ¬Å"It may seem like you need to keep things to yourself,â⬠he says, putting a blanket into a box. ââ¬Å"But it's not healthy. You need to find someone you can let it all out to. Otherwise you're going to lose it.â⬠My eyes roam to the window where the edge of Micha's house is visible. ââ¬Å"I think I already did.â⬠Dean's forehead creases as he drops a handful of guitar picks into a trunk. ââ¬Å"Lose it? Or talk to someone about it?â⬠ââ¬Å"Both.â⬠I back toward the door. ââ¬Å"When are you heading back to Chicago?â⬠ââ¬Å"Hopefully by tonight. No offense or anything, but this place brings back way too many unpleasant memories.â⬠ââ¬Å"Try to say good-bye before you leave.â⬠He doesn't respond and I don't wait around for an answer. That was probably the longest conversation that we've ever had and I have a feeling it may be our last for a very long time.
Saturday, September 14, 2019
Managerial Ethics
ââ¬Å"Ethics is the code of moral values and principles that governs the behaviors of a person with respect to what is right or wrong (Burke)â⬠. Ethics sets standards on what is good or bad in a person's behavior or decisions making. In addition it deals with internal values that are a part of the company's culture and their employees. An ethical issue is found in a case that the actions of a person or an organization may harm others. ââ¬Å"Managerial ethics help to guide decision making and the organization of internal and external behavior. Ethical problems usually arise from a conflict between an individual or group and the company, division or department as a whole. Companies have created a set of values and standards that are recognized by managers and consistently referenced during the work day have created an ethical platform that can operate managers and make decisions. Training managers on the specifics of managerial ethics by role play, case study and group discussion has paved the way for ethical behaveor. â⬠(Burke) Managers in most organizations seek to encourage ethical practices to gain whatever commercial advantage there may be in having potential consumers and employees regard the company as ethical, also to ensure ethical behavior in the company. Distributing, creating, and continually improving a company's code of ethics is a one-step manager can take to create an ethical workplace. Another step managers can take is to provide the work force with appropriate training. Many companies implement training programs designed at encouraging ethical practices within their organizations. (Marion, 2001) Managerial ethics are a set of standards that dictate the behavior of active manager within the workplace. It helps to guide decision making and organize the future path of the organization. People need to increase their awareness about ethics. Therefore, this paper will illustrate the history and the importance of ethics in the workplace environment. It will also provide good example of ethical and unethical behaviors in the place of work. History of ethics: The history of ââ¬Ëââ¬â¢business ethics ââ¬Ëââ¬â¢ has a lot of definition and it depends on how people define it. The history of ethics was known in 1970s and it was known in japan and Europe in 1980s. Business ethics is different in each country, for example the business ethics in China is way different from the business ethics in the United Kingdom. The history of business ethics will have three standards because it used in at least three different stands. First stand of the history is ââ¬Ëââ¬Ëthe term ââ¬Ëââ¬â¢ business ethics ââ¬Ëââ¬â¢ came into common use in the 1970 in United State. ââ¬â¢Ã¢â¬â¢ (George, 1998). It was found in the academy, business meetings, and academic writing, research and teaching. Second stand of the history is when business ethics becomes more general usage in media and public discourse, and then they had to call it ââ¬Ëââ¬â¢ethics in business. ââ¬â¢Ã¢â¬â¢ And it is the most widespread stand in general public, news reporters and many business companies use this term. Another stand of the history is when the history is broader; it goes back to the principal of business and taken in a broad sense, for example; commercial exchanges and later meaning economic system. Movement within business or movement to building ethics into structure in a form of ethics code, ethics training is the third stand of the history of ethics. Moreover, the meaning of business ethics is different from each country. According to Richard T. De George ââ¬Ëââ¬â¢ Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has become something that corporations can no longer ignore and still maintain a positive public image. ââ¬â¢Ã¢â¬â¢. It plays in most of European countries, where the government has a huge role than United States, for example, a lot of labor force that were managed in United states were legislated in United Kingdom. Also, Agreeing to Richard T. De George,â⬠CSR is a somewhat nebulous concept and it is often adopted by companies in response to external criticism, without any overarching framework or set of valuesââ¬Ëââ¬â¢. Ethics of CSR is recognized in all cases by ethical norms not by the demand of interest groups. The globalization of business ethics has been in the worldwide of all the three stand of business ethics. The globalization of business ethics is still in tis incapability. They have a little attention of global issue; lobal warming is an example of attention they have. TOYOTA ethics in Japanââ¬â¢s 1)Leave employee exhausted. 2)They think the more working hour daily will give more productivity and quality to the product. 3)Work late at night without break time. 4)No meals available in the company. Toyota in japan have a strict rules of ethics that employee must do it if they joins the Company. However, Toyota ethics in other countries is different from japan due to the change in culture, environment and what people believe in. Religion perspective on business ethics The reason why religion is the most important factor in a personââ¬â¢s perspective of business ethics is because there are several different views of religious. For example: Muslims use the Holy Quran and the teaching of Prophet Mohammed to inform people their views on business ethics, while Christianity uses the Ten Commandments and the teaching of Christ to explain their ethics in business. The Jewish uses the Torah. In Islam, responsibility, freedom and honesty are the three main concepts of ethics. In addition of these three main concepts, a Muslim person should also have to be fair and productive. They believe that a selfish habit has no room in Muslimââ¬â¢s ethics. Moreover, they also believe that an absolute freedom should not have a place in their ethics because the economy will damage slowly if it has absolute freedom. According to religious views on business ethics website, ââ¬Ëââ¬â¢ Jewish faith believes that a person should show reasonable concern for others. In these aspects Judaism is like Christian faith, however, there is a major difference in their beliefs. ââ¬â¢ Jewish thought that wanting wealth is a fault and this fault turn people away from God. Furthermore, they also believe that a person should only have what is necessary to him/her to live a happy life. Judaism has rules that they follow as business ethics. Employers and employees are in different levels, so they will have different rules to follow. According to Religious views on business ethics website, ââ¬Ëââ¬â¢ One rule that Jews believe, is that an employer should not demand more from a worker than they are capable of doing. ââ¬â¢ The basis for these different religions for theirs business ethics is: wealth and to know the perfect ways to deal with that wealth while staying in the limitation of their laws and rules. The main different in these religions is the way in which to deal with a situation that arise in everyday life and that because every religion has its own policy. The importance of ethics: Obviously, unethical and abnormal performance difficulties are of huge worry to businesses, which need to precede stages to resolve them. Unethical performance leads to unethical workplace environment thatââ¬â¢s full of animosity, dishonest competition and inconvenient atmosphere and thatââ¬â¢s why ethics are central quantity of each business organization. The ethical culture should be encouragement, solid and optimistic. ââ¬Å"The vanity of the sciences, physical science will not console me for the ignorance of morality in the time of affliction. But the science of ethics will always console me for the ignorance of the physical sciencesâ⬠(Pascal, 1998). There is a rising acknowledgment that noble ethics can have an optimistic financial influence on the performance of organizations. Lots of statistics provision the basis that ethics, integrity, responsibility and values are essential in the modern place of work. For customer crowds and the general public at outsized, studies has shown that noble ethics is good business. Ethics are essential aspect in the business environment. It goes beyond setting rules and applying them in the workplace to increase the organizationââ¬â¢s profit, spread their reputation and competitive advantage to consumers and suppliers. Ethics advance the productivity and efficiency of the labor, honesty, and dependability, positive Work Habits, initiative, humility, positive Attitude, Teamwork, protect human rights of employees and provide a restful atmosphere at work. The importance of ethics in the workplace environment lays down numerous benefits in many different approaches. It can benefit the internal culture and atmosphere to the external firmââ¬â¢s reputation and stature. Several college courses are currently comprehensively applying the training of ethics and for worthy purpose. Young minds will proceeds this info into the workplace and recognize that ethics must be practical there as well as in the private division. A great level of ethics in the business has to be in place as a minimum for the consumers. If anything, it is the consumer that would be reflected the furthermost when it arises to ethical business performs. Customers will rather purchase their needs from a good reputation company that teach and apply good ethics to their employees. Ethics are believed by a lot of individuals as something that is associated to the private sideways of lifetime and not to the business sideways. In countless businesses, consuming ethics is assumed as an undesirable topic. This is since business is frequently about choosing what is the finest for number one, not about what's truly the correct thing to do. Ethics are theoretical to advance our lives and appeal honest spirits. Maybe the purpose ethics is such an uncomfortable topic is for the reason that they are repeatedly unwell applied, if applied at all. Ethics aren't checkered at the gate when arriving the place of work. Ethics obligate each little as much a place in the community as they do the private. What is unethical behavior? We can describe unethical behavior as any act that is not accepted by the principles of behavior recognized by the association. Unethical behavior can take place at any situation with an employee; either it can occur while dealing with another employee, in day to day running of the business or when he is dealing with the companyââ¬â¢s resources and finance. Unethical behaviors show damaging in workplace . There are a lot of unethical behaviors in workplace. One of the important causes of unethical behavior is greed. For example, the worker whoââ¬â¢s in contact with a client may be willing to give him/her a discount in exchange for a kickback. The essential reason that can lead to unethical behaviors in the workplace is ignoring the firm's policies . The most common unethical behavior is deception in the workplace. Such as, switch prices of products so that items are marked as cheaper than they should be. Also, failure to commit with clients, such as delays in the due date and failure to respond to customersââ¬â¢ calls or emails . You must know how to deal with difficult clients. (Wallace, 2012) Also one of the common unethical behaviors by an employee in a company can be seen in a situation where he uses the companyââ¬â¢s computer for his personal use. Unethical behavior is carried out when he uses the computer for either shopping online, checking his personal emails not related to companyââ¬â¢s official work, playing games â⬠¦etc. These tasks may lead to delay in the responsibilities that he was assigned to do for the company. In addition ââ¬Å"fraud is a form of unethical practice, which involves falsification of facts or data to obtain unjust rewards Fraud is a crime which attracts harsh sentences to offenders. It also causes huge losses to business organizations. â⬠(Thomson, 2004) Moreover, bribery is considered number one of the most unethical behaviors in the companies. Bribery means offering or accepting anything of value in exchange for changing or influencing the behavior of the recipient of the bribe. Anything of value can use as a bribe, but the money is a classic bribe. It also can be more intangible, and they might be like offers of real estates, valuable objects or a promise to do a specified service in the future. In order to consider it as a bribe, the object of value should be offered with the clear understanding that the person who accepts the bribe will be doing something in return. This distinguishes bribes from gifts given in real good faith, and also discriminate bribery of tipping, a practice in offering gifts in return for good service. For example, a driver being ticketed for speeding or parking in the wrong place might offer a bribe to the police officer to ask him to rip up the ticket. In many areas of the world bribery is considered as a crime, and it can be hardly punished. While in other areas bribery is more socially acceptable, and that can put a heavy burden on those in the lower levels of society, as they cannot afford to bribe officials in the pattern to which they are accustomed. The cultural differences on bribery can lead sometimes to confusions. In some cultures, for example, offering a tip may be considered a bribe, while in others, if you did not give a tip it considered as an offensive. Depending on regional laws, bribery can be punished with fines, imprisonment for a specified period, or compensation. Particularly in countries that are based on high ideals of equality, bribery is usually seen as especially offensive, because it erases the illusion that all the members of society are equal when someone can basically buy favors or someone else's skills with the right bribe. Ethical behavior: Ethical behaviors are essential for employees to deal with clients in a professional way . Employees face ethical and unethical behaviors from clients every day in the workplace. If you want your company or shop gain profit you must train the staff to act ethically in accordance with the company. Working with clients requires specific ethics. For example, ability to offer successful communication to makes them repeat clients. As employee in company you must protect the rights of the client when delivering the service. Such as, rights of privacy. Moreover, the worker should have confidentiality relating to the release of information about clients. Be a good employee for instance, tell the truth always to your clients. Must respect all people and not to differentiate between them, give the clients your best advice and listen to the client because he/she wants to know that you care about his/her problem. Apologize and correct the problem if you had mistaken. Also, show the positive relationship between the employee and the clients. (Knight, 2009) Other example of ethical integrity in the workplace is confidentiality. It is a major illustration of veracity in any place of work. It is also considered as a legal obligation for any employee at any level of organization. All the employers in an organization has got certain information that is to be kept as secret and exposure of these to anybody can lead to fines, penalties and lawful punishments. Confidentiality helps in building trust and motivates genuine deliberation of secrecy of others. The most basic business ethics are honesty, integrity and fairness. Honesty is related to ethical advertising and a reasonable cost for the quality of the products or services. The businesses make profits through ethical business strategies instead of trying to benefit from others through dishonest pricing. Moreover, integrity includes a very wide range of ethics, but it covers issues like social and environmental responsibility. Integrity in business is to be fair and considerate to others but at the same time make profit. Finally, fairness is a very basic concept of ethics, where the company has to treat all the people in commercial dealings either employees or buyers fairly. Fairness in commercial dealings means to be objective and to have an interest in creating a win-win situation for both parties, whether between an employer and employee or a company and a client. Conclusion: To sum up, ethical is essential and very important aspect in the workplace environment. Ethics sets standards on what is right and wrong in an individual's performance and decisions making. There is a rising acknowledgment that noble ethics can have an optimistic financial influence on the performance of organizations. Unethical behaviors provide lack of enthusiasm and negativity in the workplace. Therefore, ethical behaviors are central part to the workplace environment and to employees to work with clients in a professional way.
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