The Giving Pledge

A – The Giving Pledge 1) The giving pledge is a growing trend among rich families and individuals in America. It includes that the rich people, who want to join the trend have to donate at least half of their wealth to charity. The people who make the pledge, have all that in common, that even though they give away half of their fortune, they still have more money than they can spend in a lifetime. In text two â€Å"My Philanthropic Pledge† Warren Buffet writes subjectively about the trend, and the reasons why he has make the pledge. He advocates the pledge, and encourages other wealthy people to do the same.One major argue he uses is that even though the supporters have to give away half of the fortune, it doesn’t necessarily means they have to change their lifestyle, but they can change thousands of people’s lifestyles for the better. It can mean life or dead for the poor and suffering, while it means little or big yacht for the rich. All in all, the att itude is very positive about the pledge, and as I wrote before, does Buffet advocate the trend with examples from his own life. He is the founder of â€Å"The Giving Pledge† and has self agreed to donate 99% of his fortune to charity.The attitude and tone is very different in text tree â€Å"The rich want a better world? Try paying fair wages and tax† written by Peter Wilby. Just by reading the headline you can sense the aggressive tone, and know how Peter Wilby sees the trend. He stands as an opponent to the pledge. One of his points is that â€Å"the poor is written out of their own story† – he thinks that the poor have no influence on what the money the wealthy ones have donated is used on, and what the money really should go to, to help them as much as possible.Another main argue he uses is, that to make permanent change in developing countries, the initiative and alteration has to come from the inside – in other words, there has to be a form f or revolution, to make the changes permanent. He also accentuates that the charity given by Warren Buffet, Bill Gates and other rich people place them in a very good light. And that would maybe even bring them even more money, because the people who make them rich (their customers) would think good thoughts about wealthy people who give money to charity.Wilby therefore thinks that rich people, who have enough money to make the pledge, should spend their money on paying taxes, stop lobbying against taxation, spend there money on better conditions for their employees and should lay their focus and money on stopping production of products in a way that damages the environment. 2) At first while reading text one â€Å"Band of billionaires pledge to give to charity† written by Jon Swartz, the impression is that the text is very objective. The headline seems objective and informal, and the tone and language the text is written in is very formal.But then, while reading further on, w hen you think about the intention of the text and the circumstance, some hidden opinions appears. The circumstance is that Gates, Buffet and other billionaires have agreed to give at least 50% of their fortune to charity, and they call on other billionaires to do the same. If the focus thereafter is the intention of the text it is clear that Jon Swartz wants to set the billionaires in a good light. That can be seen by the way he highlights who has given money, how much they gave, why they did it and when they did it.Besides that there is not any counterarguments why you should give money to charity, it is only pictured like a very decent and good thing to do. To increase that intention, Jon Swartz has only quoted people who support and advocates the pledge. 3) Taking my starting points in text two â€Å"My Philanthropic Pledge†, I will state my own opinions to â€Å"the giving pledge†. I can only agree with Warren Buffet that charity is a great thing to do. If I were r ich, I would do the same thing. If I could live, and live fantastically, for 1% of my fortune, while ther people around the world were suffering and starving, I would give the remaining 99% of my wealth to charity. Give the money to people who need it much more than I would. I think that is the only right thing to do. I can see the point in the argue Peter Wilby uses, that to make remaining changes, it has to come â€Å"from the inside† of the state. But I don’t think we are to sit and watch people die and suffer until that for happens. The money the wealthy people are willing to spend on charity can help a lot of people.Therefore it is a step on the road to a better world, and I think it is very generous and large of them to give away their fortune. One major point where I don’t agree with Wilby is when he mixes taxes into the whole thing. Of cause the rich people must pay taxes, and I do to think they should ensure that their production is not polluting. But I do not think there should be paid taxes of charity money, because the people who really need clean water, vaccines, educations etc. should get as much as possible for the money.

Experiment Essay

The primary focus of experiment 4 was to teach a student the basic solubility rules of salts in aqueous solutions. After developing and using a scheme for the qualitative analysis of three cations in an aqueous mixture, a student would use a centrifuge to identify, precipitate, and separate the three ions in the mixture. After becoming familiar with all three cations, the student would use the scheme again to identify at least two of the cations in an unknown solution. In order to begin the separation process, HCl is added to the mixture of cations to form the precipitates and separate the chlorides of Ag+, Pb2+, and HG22+. It is important not to add too much HCl because an excess would form the soluble complexes of AgCl and PbCl2. After the HCl is added, it is centrifuged to form a solid precipitate that contains all three cations and separate them from the supernatant liquid. Finally, another drop of HCl is added to test for completeness of precipitation and centrifuged again if the solution remains incomplete. To separate the lead (II) ion from the sample of solution, it must be separated from the insoluble Hg2Cl2 and AgCL salts by dissolving it in hot water. Once it has been dissolved from the other two cations, it is centrifuged and the liquid is decanted into another test tube. Once in the other test tube, a drop of 6.0 M acetic acid and two drops of 1.0 M K2CrO4 is added to the saved liquid. If the lead (II) cation is present, a yellow precipitate forms and ensures the presence of that cation. When testing my unknown solution, the lead (II) ion was not present in my solution. To further separate the cations, 1.0 mL of 6 M NH3 is added to the saved precipitate. After adding the ammonia, the mixture is centrifuged and the liquid is once again decanted into another test tube. If a gray or black precipitate forms, this proves the presence of Hg22+. The mercury (I) ion was present in my unknown. Finally, separating the silver ions from the sample solution mixture is accomplished in the prior step when the mercury ion is centrifuged. In order to test for the presence of silver ions, 1 mL of 6M HNO3 is added to the solution from the prior step. The silver precipitates in this acidic solution. If a white precipitate appears, silver is present in the solution. The presence of a white precipitate in the solution proves that there were silver ions in my unknown. By following the scheme for the qualitative analysis, it was simple to separate and test for the presence of the target cations. It was critical to correctly label every one of the liquids to ensure the correct reactions. No other difficulties prevented success in the experiment, but performing the experiment several times would further reinforce the outcome of the experiment.

LACMA Museum Visit Essay

The third floor of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art houses a permanent collection on Ancient Egyptian art. One of the pieces there is a 13†³ high figurine of the goddess Wadjet, sculpted from bronze in during the 26th Dynasty, est. 664-525 BCE. The figurine is in the round, with only the goddess’s feet attached the rectangular base she stands on. The hieroglyphs on the base identify her, as well as the name and parentage of the person who dedicated her figurine. She is shown in the traditional ancient Egyptian pose, with her left foot forward. She is wearing some sort of dress, but her decidedly feminine figure, with a curved abdomen, narrow waist, and protruding breasts, is clearly portrayed through it. Her right arm is held rigidly at her side, again in strict stylistic convention, and her left arm bends only at the elbow to hold whatever less enduring material was placed there. In fact, both of her hands were clearly intended to encircle props, but these have been lost and as such, what they once were can only be inferred from other portrayals of the goddess. She clearly wears necklaces, armbands, and bracelets; this highly detailed work is also present on her lion’s mane, which is shaped similarly to the pharoah’s headdress. She has the head of a lioness, upon which rests the sacred cobra and sun disk, called the uraeus. The goddess Wadjet was emblematic of Lower Egypt- she was often portrayed with her counterpart in Upper Egypt, Nekhbet, handing their joint power to the pharaoh of the time. Other than those human depictions, she was usually shown as a cobra, which allows this piece to be dated- she was only pictured with the lioness head after her mythology was merged with that of Bast, the war goddess of Lower Egypt, in the Late Dynastic period. (source?) As a symbol of Lower Egypt, it can be surmised that she was holding a papyrus  scepter in her left hand, and an ankh in her right. These figurines were commonly bought by wealthy patrons visiting temples. They often had the remains of animals inside them. Put more stuff here. Sources: _Figurine of the Goddess Wadjet_. 664-525 BCE. Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles. Watterson, Barbara. _Gods of Ancient Egypt_. 1984. Godalming, Surrey: Bramley Books Limited, 1999.

Financial Ratios Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Financial Ratios - Essay Example o the investors because it provides an insight concerning the performance of the businesses from their financial perspectives and not what the customers perceive of them. Therefore, the recommendations made in this work will be a piece of advice to those who could be potential investors in each of the companies in the near future. The storyline of the company started in the May of 1886 and has since developed and established the company among the largest in the world presently. As by the late 1990s, the Corporation was among the most respected companies in its relation to brand building as well as the management layouts. According to the most current data, coca cola is the leading soft drinks company around the globe in terms of size and the subsequent market performance. The corporation runs stores in more than 200 nations across the world and at the same time, has the ownership of about 400 non-alcoholic drink brands. The company also enjoys one of the most valuable brands around the world. As such, the company enjoys a substantial performance in its market while facing a number of challenges especially in relation to competition, which developed from 1998. . Other challenges relate to the changes driven by the market trends, the socio-economic factors, and the challenges of regulation. The company established itself as a merger of Frito-Lay and Pepsi-Cola in 1965. The company grew to considerable levels of prominence and developed a number of brands that enabled it to compete the rest of the industry. The company has since grown and established itself as one of the leading multinational corporations running stores in about 150 nations of the world. It is of interest that the company has a diversified line of business because of its engagement in the snacks business. The latter business is the success of its acquisitions of a number of snacks companies such as Taco Bell, KFC, and Pizza Hut. In 1984, the company was the largest in its industry and had the

Critically analyse the requirements for protecting the shape of a Essay

Critically analyse the requirements for protecting the shape of a product as a registered trademark and as a registered design u - Essay Example Critically Analyse the Requirements for Protecting the Shape of a Product as a Registered Trademark and as a Registered Design under EU Law By Student Name Course Institute Date Introduction Intellectual property rights protection and enforcement are usually left to national laws of the EU member states. However, as a result of the common market principles, the EU has increasingly harmonized intellectual property protection and enforcement. ... n the Regulation relative to the Community designs as they have direct effect in the Community whereas Directives provide the content that Member states are required to implement into law.11 However, since a number of important cases were decided under the EC Directive on the harmonization of trademarks, the EC Directive and Regulation will be discussed relative to the EU’s trade mark law and protection of shapes. This paper will be divided into two main parts. The first main part of this paper will discuss and analyse the EC Regulation and Directive and case law relative to the registered protection of shapes as a registered design. The second main part of this paper will discuss and analyse EC Regulation and Directive and case law relative to the registered protection of shapes as a registered. The Requirements for Protection of Shapes as Registered Design By definition a design is a â€Å"legal instrument† that provides protection for â€Å"creations that take the f orm of the external shape of products or of parts of products†.12 However, in order to be a registered design and to be accorded Community protection, the shape must be â€Å"new† and have â€Å"individual character†.13 Even where the shape is new and has individual character, and forms part of a design, it must be â€Å"visible during normal use†.14 Normal use is defined as â€Å"use by the end user,† and does not include â€Å"maintenance, servicing or repair work†.15 The visibility rule is obviously meant to ensure that any part of the design or any shape to which protection is sought as a registered design, must be seen by those who use the product. After all, one of the main functions of intellectual property protection is to prevent imitations and free riding off the reputation and labour of another.16

What is the effect of attending a private university versus a public Research Proposal

What is the effect of attending a private university versus a public university in regards to employability following graduation - Research Proposal Example This will be in terms of the benefits they will reap from enrolling in either of the two types of Universities. The citation style that I have used in writing report is the APA style. I chose to use this style because it enables me to provide clear evidence on the research carried out. In other words, it enables me to justify my work through previously published statements. I would like to acknowledge the alumni groups for both Universities that helped me collect the information that this report was based on, the principals for the companies that participated in providing information for the report (names have been kept anonymous), and the alumni themselves for volunteering information through questionnaires or personal interviews that aided in producing this report (names have been kept anonymous). The report on the graduate students leaving the two different universities provides an analysis for their trends on employability after graduating for the last five years. The students analyzed are from the University of North Florida, a public University and Jacksonville University, a private University. These universities have had high rates of students gaining employment in the country within the public along with the private sectors. The trends on employability is influenced by several factors: employers’ preference for the students from either type of university and the demand for university degrees in the employment field among others. The report reveals that both institutions provide large amounts of labor to employers within both sectors of the economy. The report recommends that the government should ensure that all students get equal opportunities in education and employment by ensuring both are accessible and affordable to everyone. It also urges employers to employ students based on their competencies and educational levels.

Monopoly, Oligopoly, Monopolistic competition, or Perfect competition Essay

Monopoly, Oligopoly, Monopolistic competition, or Perfect competition - Essay Example These barriers discourage new entrants in the oil industry as the existing firms can also take them down in price wars. The market for crude oil refining is an example of an oligopoly. Another significant feature of an oligopoly is that it is dominated by a few large firms which also holds true for the crude oil industry. It is dominated by major players like Kuwait Petroleum Corporation and BP (British Petroleum) Corporation etc. Firms in an oligopoly can decide to collude and act as a monopoly or stay as rivals and compete. When firms in an oligopoly collude, they may agree on prices, market share, advertising expenditure etc. Collusion reduces uncertainty in market regarding prices and since firms do not go for price competition, the total industry profits are not reduced. A cartel like OPEC acts as a single firm or a monopoly and diagrammatically a profit-maximizing cartel can be explained as follows: Since there are few major players, each player exerts significant market power and the bargaining power of suppliers is more than the bargaining power of buyers due to this. Also because of the interdependency feature, there is a lot of scope for collusion among the firms in an oligopoly. ... Each firm’s demand curve is relatively elastic below the existing price line. This entices firms to cut their prices and win over their rival’s customers and increase the total revenue. However the rival’s response to the price cut can act as a hindrance because if rivals match the price cut, there will be very less room for increased total revenue. If a firm raises its price, then its rivals might not copy the price increase and a significant portion of sales will be lost to rivals. Oil is a commodity that is used as a fuel for transportation, electricity generation, in industries as well as domestically. The world economy at large is dependent on oil and that is how large the demand for oil is. Since there is a cartel in the oil industry, OPEC, the world oil prices have shown an upward trend because OPEC has substantial power to drive up prices. Price elasticity is different in the presence of a cartel because the supply of oil is in the control of OPEC. Under a cartel such as OPEC, the producers try to fix the price and quantity. The output in an oil industry just like any other oligopoly is allocated as per a quota system (Geoff Riley). The aim of this cartel strategy is to maximize profits. Each individual oil firm is given an output quota. But the output quota allotted to an individual firm might not be at its profit maximizing level (Geoff Riley). The only way an individual firm can make profit out of it is through cheating and going against the cartel. It can supply oil at a price lower than the cartel price. The demand for oil under a cartel is not that responsive or elastic to a price change because oil is an important raw material in many industries and also an essential fuel

Exclusion clause Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Exclusion clause - Essay Example Exclusion clauses are guided by statutory provision and case law (Barker, 2007). In English Law, Simon (1981) noted the Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977 (UCTA) seeks to regulate exclusion clauses in contracts by limiting their applicability to cases where they are absolutely necessary. The Act regulates all contracts (Beale, 2012). One of the statute’s primary roles is to restrict the legality of disclaimers of liability to reasonableness, depending on the kind of the duty which is claimed to be exempted and whether the offerer who intended to benefit from such clauses harmed the consumer’s interests (Brawn, 2012). The UCTA is usually applied in combination with the Sale of Goods Act 1979, the Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982 and the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations 1999. Firstly, under the UCTA, a party cannot excuse himself or herself from negligence under section 2(1) of UCTA 1977 when the breach of duty results in death or personal injury (Hughes-Jennett and Anslow, 2009). Secondly, under section 5(a), a company cannot exempt itself from liability caused by faulty goods or distributor negligence, particularly where commodities are meant for consumption (Stone, 2013). The doctrine that cushions the consumer is referred to as manufacturer liability. Thirdly, in light of the need to protect the consumer, sections 12-15 of the Sale of Goods Act 1979 outlaw the exclusion of implied terms or terms which provide details of value or sample of goods (Walsh, 2009). In addition, the Consumer Protection Act 1987, and the Occupiers Liability Act 1984 are also vital pieces of legislation whose enactment contributes to the regulation of exclusion clauses (Page, 1994). Despite the enactment of these rafts of legislation to regulate a relatively small area of law, the fundamental reason behind them is to protect unsuspecting consumers from death, personal injury or material losses

Chapter3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Chapter3 - Essay Example This business is affected by regulations that govern the standard of products being produces. There are potential fines if the standard law is not met. Canada is a stable country so the company does not experience frequent changes in laws and regulations. The economic analysis examines how the business is affected by the world’s economy. The non-alcoholic beverage industry in Canada has high sale because of the high economic growth in the country. Social analysis examines how changes in the society affect the organization. Consumers who are around the ages of 37 to 55 are becoming more concerned with nutrition. They are changing their lifestyles to a more healthy habit. Technological analysis examines how emerging technology affects the company (Edwards, 2014). This company has taken advantage of new technology to improve its products in terms of packaging the products and through its marketing strategy. The legal analysis examines how the company is affected by the national a nd world legislation. The company has all the rights that is applicable to the nature of its business. The Environmental analysis examines how environmental issues affect the company. Coca Cola makes sure that all its facilities comply with the environmental laws set by the government. The company understands the importance of studying the PESTLE in its success. Companies operate in very competitive markets where substitutes and competitors keep on emerging. It is crucial for companies to be innovative in order to survive in the industry. One product that faces competition is Colgate. This toothpaste has been in the market for many years and is one of the most trusted brand s in the market. This is also recommended by dentist worldwide for its ability to strengthen the enamel, whiten the teeth and freshens the breathe. However, toothpaste brands have increased significantly in the market over the years. The market is filled with many brands, each with its own

Immigration Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Immigration - Term Paper Example Immigration law is a complicated process and there are exceptions when enforcing these laws, especially when acts of a criminal nature are committed. Most immigrants are not aware of the potential risks involved, (especially those with a temporary or non-secure status) when they commit a criminal offense. Additionally, the terrorists’ acts of 911 have directly impacted immigration laws. When the United States national security is violated at point of entry by criminals who enter unnoticed it becomes a spiraling effect on its citizens. The numbers of immigrants that enter the United States borders (land, sea and air) every year are in the millions. It is virtually impossible to have a profile on every single individual. Some of these immigrants have criminal backgrounds and are on the run from their own country or they may possess no criminal record but have a high potential to become first time offenders in the United States. The citizens of the United States expect that immig ration law will protect them on a national level from potential criminals at the point of entry. However, many criminals have become very adept at disguising themselves in order to enter the United States. Sadly, they are not found until something disastrous occurs. These individuals put a strain on the infrastructure and services within our local communities. The costs for retaining immigrant criminals and processing them through our system are exorbitant spiraling into the millions. While local governments and law enforcement agencies face the direct burdens of immigrant criminals the costs spills over at the state and federal levels as well. Based on the severity of the crime most individuals will be deported after serving their time. An example of how a criminal act can affect immigration law is the case of â€Å"Padilla versus Kentucky†, (October 13, 2009 – March 31, 2010) whereby Mr. Padilla who lived in the United States for over 40 years and was a lawful perman ent resident, faced mandatory deportation after pleading guilty to drug distribution in the state of Kentucky. At his post conviction hearing he stated that his lawyer not only did not advise him that he could be deported but also told him that since he lived in America for such a long time there was no chance of him being deported. Well, there is no excuse for ignorance or misinformation in the court of law. There was a time when judges were very lax in deporting immigrants for criminal offenses but this was more than 90 years ago. Federal law now imposes strict guidelines for deportation of criminal offenses whether or not the individual has a status of lawful permanent resident. This case showed how immigration law and criminal law became intertwined. Mr. Padilla committed a criminal offense which was punishable under federal immigration laws. After the devastating attack of September 11, the immigration problem in the United States took a major turn. Terrorism was the new crime on the horizon. This was a downward turn in America’s economy. Military personnel had to be increased; diplomatic relations and initiatives with other countries had to be look at with scrutiny. The security at airports and several public places had to be increased. As a result changes in immigration and border patrol were directly affected. Nineteen of the terrorists apprehended from that major event were foreign citizens who entered the United States legally. The terrorists

National Health Care Spending Essay Example for Free

National Health Care Spending Essay Introduction Health care in the United States is provided by many distinct organizations. Accordingly, the US Census Bureau (2010) reported that health care facilities are largely owned and operated by private sector businesses. While sixty-two percent of hospitals are non-profit, 20% are government owned, and 18% are for-profit. Furthermore, 60–65% of healthcare provision and spending comes from programs such as Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE, the Childrens Health Insurance Program, and the Veterans Health Administration. Most of the population under 67 is either insured by themselves or a family members employer, buy health insurance on their own, and the remainder are uninsured. Health insurance for public sector employees is primarily provided by the government. Still, the United States has a life expectancy of 78.4 years at birth, up from 75.2 years in 1990, and is ranked 50th among 221 nations, and 27th out of the 34 industrialized countries, down from 20th in 1990. Of 17 high-income countries studied by the National Institutes of Health in 2013, the United States had the highest or near-highest prevalence of infant mortality, heart and lung disease, sexually transmitted infections, adolescent pregnancies, injuries, homicides, and disability. Together, such issues place the U.S. at the bottom of the list for life expectancy. On average, a U.S. male can be expected to live almost four fewer years than those in the top-ranked country (NIH, 2013). Thesis Statement As dismal as the statistics are, in recent years, policy makers as well as leading economists have focused a considerable amount of attention on  aggregate spending increases in health care and how health care spending impacts the United States economy. Thereby, specific emphasis has been given to identifying and examining distinctive factors that have contributed to spending growth, and proposing solutions for reduction. Seemingly, factors that have contributed to spending growth encompass changes in health care utilization, population demographics, price inflation, and advances in medical technology. Thus, as more and more advanced scientific technology is developed the costs associated with providing quality health care increases. With that said, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), the United States spent more on health care per capita ($8,608), and more on health care as percentage of its GDP (17.2%), than any other nation in 2011. Yet, the United States ranked last in the quality of health care among similar countries, and notes United States care costs the most. Similarly, in a 2013 Bloomberg ranking of nations with the most efficient health care systems, the United States ranks 46th among the 48 countries included in the study. The U.S. Census Bureau reported that 49.9 million residents, 16.3% of the population, were uninsured in 2010 (up from 49.0 million residents, 16.1% of the population, in 2009). In addition, a 2004 Institute of Medicine (IOM) report said: The United States is among the few industrialized nations in the world that does not guarantee access to health care for its population.† Further, with the exception of Mexico, Turkey, and the United States, all of the other countries had achieved universal or near-universal (at least 98.4% insured) coverage of their populations by 1990; and recent evidence demonstrates that lack of health insurance causes some 45,000 to 48,000 unnecessary deaths every year in the United States. In 2007, 62.1% of filers for bankruptcies claimed high medical expenses, and 25% of all senior citizens declare bankruptcy due to medical expenses, and 43% are forced to mortgage or sell their primary residence. On March 23, 2010, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) became law, providing for major changes in health insurance. The medical system has been forced to change normal procedures to meet federal regulations. The law includes a large number of health-related provisions  to take effect over the next four years, including expanding Medicaid eligibility for people making up to 133% of FPL, subsidizing insurance premiums for peoples making up to 400% of FPL ($88,000 for family of 4) so their maximum out-of-pocket pay will be from 2% to 9.8% of income for annual premium, providing incentives for businesses to provide health care benefits, prohibiting denial of coverage and denial of claims based on pre-existing conditions, establishing health insurance exchanges, prohibiting insurers from establishing annual spending caps and support for medical research. The costs of these provisions are offset by a variety of taxes, fees, and cost-saving measures, such as new Medicare taxes for high-income brackets, taxes on indoor tanning, cuts to the Medicare Advantage program in favor of traditional Medicare, and fees on medical devices and pharmaceutical companies; there is also a tax penalty for citizens who do not obtain health insurance (unless they are exempt due to low income or other reasons). The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the net effect (including the reconciliation act) will be a reduction in the federal deficit by $143 billion over the first decade. Conclusion In conclusion, in contrast to the argument that rising health care spending at the Federal and State level decreases economic growth, and employee health care costs decreases job growth, a reasonable argument, could also be made that rising health care spending has important benefits, often outweighing the increased costs. I submit that improvements in quality may produce a cause and effect whereby, the cost of medical care is decreased. Subsequently, increased health care spending improves increases in access to new technologies, providing both new options of treatment and treatment for a greater number of individuals; which provides for healthier employees. Moreover, health care spending growth is more likely to create health care jobs, increases wages for health care workers, expands local tax revenues, and increases demand for related goods and services. We, as Americans, profess to be the richest, strongest, and greatest country, yet we stand by and watch homeless citizens sleeping on the streets, children going to bed at night hungry, and citizens dying because they lack health insurance. The Affordable Care Act is a good start, however we must keep legislators who oppose the bill from chipping away at it. Health care should be a human  right, not a privilege. For example, in May 2011, the state of Vermont became the first state to pass legislation establishing a Single-Payer health care system. The legislation, known as Act 48, establishes health care in the state as a human right and lays the responsibility on the state to provide a health care system which best meets the needs of the citizens of Vermont. The state is currently in the studying phase of how best to implement this system. Of the 26.2 million foreign immigrants living in the US in 1998, 62.9% were non-U.S. citizens. In 1997, 34.3% of non-U.S. citizens living in America did not have health insurance coverage as opposed to the 14.2% of native-born Americans who do not have health insurance coverage. Among those immigrants who became citizens, 18.5% were uninsured, as opposed to noncitizens, who are 43.6% uninsured. In each age and income group, immigrants are less likely to have health insurance. With the recent healthcare changes, many legal immigrants with various immigration statuses now are able to qualify for affordable health insurance. We need to push for more. The cost for individuals that use emergency rooms as port of entry to medical care far exceeds obtaining a primary care provider. References Institute of Medicine (2004). Retrieved from http://.www.institutesofmedicine, May 09, 2014. National Institute of Health (2013). Retrieved from http://.www.nationalinstituteofhealth, May 10, 2014. U. S. Census Bureau (2010). Retrieved from http://.www.uscensusbureau, May 10, 2014. World Health Organization (2014). Retrieved from http://.www.worldhealthorganization, May 10, 2014. www.healthcare.gov (2014). Retrieved from http://.www.healthcare.gov. May 10, 2014

The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language Essay Example for Free

The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language Essay When you say that something is impasse, it means that something that is being negotiated cannot be resolved or the two contending parties have reached a deadlock. It is a French word that could also mean or pertain to a situation that cannot progress at all due to misunderstanding between the parties concerned. One example of this situation would be the discourse between the employer and the employees regarding their Collective Bargaining Agreement. Labor history could prove that several negotiations of this kind has encountered several deadlocks hence, has become an impasse. It is basically due to the fact that at some points, the two parties concerned are not willing to sacrifice or give in to the conditions of the other. This scenario is very dangerous for it may result to boycott, demonstrations or protests as far as the employees are concerned. And on the other hand, it may result to retrenchment, as far as the employer is concerned. For there are two opposing interests, there would also be equal reactions to the issue concerned. As for me, if I would be the one to resolve this issue, I would find common grounds between the employees and the employer where each of them would benefit with the resolution of their problem. It may be in the form of an increase in the wages for this has been the long concern of workers around the world, and I believe is more just for both of the parties concerned. Through this, I believe this impasse would be resolved. REFERENCE Impasse. The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language,: Fourth Edition. 2000: Houghton Mifflin Company: USA.

Principles of Marketing | Dissertation

Principles of Marketing | Dissertation Definition of Marketing Marketing is part of all of our lives and touches us in some way every day. Most people think that marketing is only about the advertising and/or personal selling of goods and services. Advertising and selling, however, are just two of the many marketing activities. In general, marketing activities are all those associated with identifying the particular wants and needs of a target market of customers, and then going about satisfying those customers better than the competitors. This involves doing market research on customers, analyzing their needs, and then making strategic decisions about product design, pricing, promotion and distribution. Philip Kotler says, Marketing is managing profitable customer relationships. The twofold goal of marketing is to attract new customers by promising superior value and to keep and grow current customers by delivering satisfaction. Broadly defined, marketing is a social and managerial process by which individuals and groups obtain what they need and want through creating and exchanging value with others. Narrowly defined marketing involves building profitable, value-laden exchange relationships with customers. In short, it has been defined as the process by which companies create value for customers and build strong customer relationships in order to capture value from customers in return. The new definition given by American Marketing Association reads, Marketing is the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large. The marketing process Create value for customers and build customer relationships Capture value from customers in return In the first four steps, companies work to understand consumers, create customer value and build strong customer relationships. In the final step, companies reap the rewards of creating superior customer value. By creating value for customers, they in turn capture value from customers in the form of sales, profits and long term customer equity. Core concepts of marketing Target Markets and Segmentation A marketer can rarely satisfy everyone in a market. Everyone in the market has different taste, likeliness, income and spending habit. Not everyone likes the same soft drink, automobile, college, and movie. Therefore, marketers start with market segmentation. They identify and profile distinct groups of buyers who might prefer or require varying products and marketing mixes. Market segments can be identified by examining demographic, psychographic, and behavioral differences among buyers. The firm then decides which segments present the greatest opportunity—whose needs the firm can meet in a superior fashion. The lucrative segment/s are selected or targeted for offering/selling the product. For each chosen target market, the firm develops a market offering. The offering is positioned in the minds of the target buyers as delivering some central benefit(s). For example, Volvo develops its cars for the target market of buyers for whom auto- mobile safety is a major concern. Volvo , therefore, positions its car as the safest car a customer can buy. Customer Needs, Wants and Demands Needs are the basic human requirements. People need food, air, water, clothing, and shelter to survive. People also have strong needs for creation, education, and entertainment. The above needs become wants when they are directed to specific objects that might satisfy the need. An American needs food but may want a hamburger, French fries, and a soft drink. A person in Mauritius needs food but may want a mango, rice, lentils, and beans. Wants are shaped by ones society. Demands are wants for specific products backed by an ability to pay. Many people want a Mercedes; only a few are able to buy one. Companies must measure not only how many people want their product but also how many would actually be willing and able to buy it. Product or Offering Customers needs and wants are fulfilled through a marketing offer or product. A product is any offering that can satisfy a need or want, such as one of the 10 basic offerings of goods, services, experiences, events, persons, places, properties, organizations, information, and ideas. A brand is an offering from a known source. A brand name such as McDonalds carries many associations in the minds of people: hamburgers, fun, children, fast food, and golden arches. These associations make up the brand image. All companies strive to build a strong, favorable brand image. Value and Satisfaction In terms of marketing, the product or offering will be successful if it delivers value and satisfaction to the target buyer. The buyer chooses between different offerings on the basis of which is perceived to deliver the most value. We define value as a ratio between what the customer gets and what he gives. The customer gets benefits and assumes costs, as shown in this equation: Based on this equation, the marketer can increase the value of the customer offering by (1) raising benefits, (2) reducing costs, (3) raising benefits and reducing costs, (4) raising benefits by more than the raise in costs, or (5) lowering benefits by less than the reduction in costs. Exchange and Transactions Exchange, the core of marketing, involves obtaining a desired product from someone by offering something in return. For exchange potential to exist, five conditions must be satisfied: There are at least two parties. Each party has something that might be of value to the other party. Each party is capable of communication and delivery. Each party is free to accept or reject the exchange offer. Each party believes it is appropriate or desirable to deal with the other party. Whether exchange actually takes place depends upon whether the two parties can agree on terms that will leave them both better off (or at least not worse off) than before. Exchange is a value-creating process because it normally leaves both parties better off. Marketing Mix Marketers use numerous tools to elicit the desired responses from their target markets. These tools constitute a marketing mix. Marketing mix is the set of marketing tools that the firm uses to pursue its marketing objectives in the target market. McCarthy classified these tools into four broad groups that he called the four Ps of marketing: Product, Price, Place, and Promotion. Robert Lauterborn suggested that the sellers four Ps correspond to the customers four Cs. Winning companies are those that meet customer needs economically and conveniently and with effective communication. Marketing Philosophies and Concepts There are five competing concepts under which organizations conduct marketing activities: produc- tion concept, product concept, selling concept, marketing concept, and societal mar- keting concept. The Production Concept The production concept, one of the oldest in business, holds that consumers prefer products that are widely available and inexpensive. Managers of production-oriented businesses concentrate on achieving high production efficiency, low costs, and mass distribution. This orientation makes sense in developing countries, where consumers are more interested in obtaining the product than in its features. It is also used when a company wants to expand the market. Texas Instruments is a leading exponent of this concept. It concentrates on building production volume and upgrading technology in order to bring costs down, leading to lower prices and expansion of the market. This orientation has also been a key strategy of many Japanese companies. The Product Concept Other businesses are guided by the product concept, which holds that consumers favor those products that offer the most quality, performance, or innovative features. Managers in these organizations focus on making superior products and improving them over time, assuming that buyers can appraise quality and performance. Product-oriented companies often design their products with little or no customer input, trusting that their engineers can design exceptional products. A General Motors executive said years ago: How can the public know what kind of car they want until they see what is availablefi GM today asks customers what they value in a car and includes marketing people in the very beginning stages of design. The Selling Concept The selling concept, another common business orientation, holds that consumers and businesses, if left alone, will ordinarily not buy enough of the organizations products. The organization must, therefore, undertake an aggressive selling and promotion effort. This concept assumes that consumers must be coaxed into buying, so the company has a battery of selling and promotion tools to stimulate buying. The selling concept is practiced most aggressively with unsought goods—goods that buyers normally do not think of buying, such as insurance and funeral plots. The selling concept is also practiced in the nonprofit area by fund-raisers, college admissions offices, and political parties. Most firms practice the selling concept when they have overcapacity. Their aim is to sell what they make rather than make what the market wants. The Marketing Concept The marketing concept, in the mid-1950s, challenges the three business orientations we just discussed. The marketing concept holds that the key to achieving organizational goals consists of the company being more effective than its competitors in creating, delivering, and communicating customer value to its chosen target markets. The marketing concept focuses on the needs of the buyer. Marketing is preoccupied with the idea of satisfying the needs of the customer by means of the product and the whole cluster of things associated with creating, delivering and finally consuming it. The marketing concept rests on four pillars: target market, customer needs, integrated marketing, and profitability. The marketing concept takes an outside-in perspective. It starts with a well-defined market, focuses on customer needs, coordinates activities that affect customers, and produces profits by satisfying customers. The Societal Marketing Concept Some have questioned whether the marketing concept is an appropriate philosophy in an age of environmental deterioration, resource shortages, explosive population growth, world hunger and poverty, and neglected social services. Are companies that successfully satisfy consumer wants necessarily acting in the best, long-run interests of consumers and societyfi The marketing concept sidesteps the potential conflicts among consumer wants, consumer interests, and long-run societal welfare. Yet some firms and industries are criticized for satisfying consumer wants at societys expense. Such situations call for a new term that enlarges the marketing concept. We propose calling it the societal marketing concept, which holds that the organizations task is to determine the needs, wants, and interests of target markets and to deliver the desired satisfactions more effectively and efficiently than competitors in a way that preserves or enhances the consumers and the societys well-being. The societal marketing concept calls upon marketers to build social and ethical considerations into their marketing practices. They must balance and juggle the often confiicting criteria of company profits, consumer want satisfaction, and public interest. Yet a number of companies have achieved notable sales and profit gains by adopting and practicing the societal marketing concept. Marketing vs. Selling Oftentimes, marketing and sales are perceived interchangeably. But in actuality, these are two different things. Selling is a small portion of the entire marketing scheme. Selling is the transaction where a product is transferred from the business owner to a buyer for a price. In contrast, marketing is a process that involves several steps ranging from the generation of a product idea to the delivery of that product to the customer. Even after delivery of the product to the customer, the marketing process continues with direct communication with the customer to obtain feedback about the product. Profits from satisfied customers Theodore Levitt of Harvard drew a perceptive contrast between the selling and marketing concepts: Selling focuses on the needs of the seller; marketing on the needs of the buyer. Selling is preoccupied with the sellers need to convert his product into cash; marketing with the idea of satisfying the needs of the customer by means of the product and the whole cluster of things associated with creating, delivering and finally consuming it. The marketing concept rests on four pillars: target market, customer needs, integrated marketing, and profitability. The selling concept takes an inside-out perspective. It starts with the factory, focuses on existing products, and calls for heavy selling and promoting to produce profitable sales. The marketing concept takes an outside-in perspective. It starts with a well-defined market, focuses on customer needs, coordinates activities that affect customers, and produces profits by satisfying customers. CHAPTER 2 MARKETING ENVIRONMENT In order to correctly identify opportunities and monitor threats, the company must begin with a thorough understanding of the marketing environment in which the firm operates. The marketing environment consists of all the actors and forces outside marketing that affect the marketing managements ability to develop and maintain successful relationships with target customers. A companys marketing environment consists of the actors and forces outside marketing that affect marketing managements ability to develop and maintain successful relationships with its target customers Importance: The marketing environment offers both opportunities and threats Changes in the marketing environment often occur at a rapid pace. Marketers tend to be trend trackers and opportunity seekers. The company must use its marketing research and marketing intelligence systems to monitor the changing environment. A systematic scan of the environment helps marketers to revise and adapt marketing strategies to meet new challenges and opportunities in the market place. The marketing environment is made up of a micro environmental and macro environment. The Companys Microenvironment The micro environment consists of six forces (actors) close to the company that affect its ability to serve its customers: The company itself (including various internal departments) Suppliers. Marketing channel firms (intermediaries) Customer markets. Competitors. Publics. The Company The first actor is the company itself and the role it plays in the microenvironment. Top management is responsible for setting the companys mission, objectives, broad strategies, and policies. Marketing managers must make decisions within the parameters established by top management. Marketing managers must also work closely with other company departments. Areas such as finance, R D, purchasing, manufacturing, and accounting all produce better results when aligned by common objectives and goals. All departments must think consumer if the firm is to be successful. Suppliers Suppliers are firms and individuals that provide the resources needed by the company and its competitors to produce goods and services. They are an important link in the companys overall customer value delivery system. One consideration is to watch supply availability (such as supply shortages). Another point of concern is the monitoring of price trends of key inputs. Marketing Intermediaries Marketing intermediaries are firms that help the company to promote, sell, and distribute its goods to final buyers. Resellers are distribution channel firms that help the company find customers or make sales to them. These include wholesalers and retailers who buy and resell merchandise. Resellers often perform important functions more cheaply than the company can perform itself. Seeking and working with resellers, however, is not easy because of the power that some demand and use. Physical distribution firms help the company to stock and move goods from their points of origin to their destinations. Examples would be warehouses (that store and protect goods before they move to the next destination). Marketing services agencies (such as marketing research firms, advertising agencies, media firms, etc.) help the company target and promote its products to the right markets. Financial intermediaries (such as banks, credit companies, insurance companies, etc.) help finance transactions and insure against risks associated with buying and selling goods. Customers The company must study its customer markets closely because each market has its own special characteristics. These markets normally include: Consumer markets (individuals and households that buy goods and services for personal consumption). Business markets (buy goods and services for further processing or for use in their production process). Reseller markets (buy goods and services in order to resell them at a profit). Government markets (agencies that buy goods and services in order to produce public services or transfer them to those that need them). International markets (buyers of all types, including governments, in foreign countries). Competitors Every company faces a wide range of competitors. A company must secure a strategic advantage over competitors to be successful in the marketplace. No single competitive strategy is best for all companies . Publics A public is any group that has an actual or potential interest in or impact on an organizations ability to achieve its objectives. A company should prepare a marketing plan for all of its major publics as well as its customer markets. Generally, publics can be identified as being: Financial publics. Media publics. Government publics. Citizen-action publics. Local publics. General public. Internal publics. The Companys Macroenvironment The macroenvironment consists of the larger societal forces that affect the microenvironment: Demographic. Economic. Natural. Technological. Political. Cultural The company and all of the other actors operate in a larger macroenvironment of forces that shape opportunities and pose threats to the company. Major forces in the companys macroenvironment include: Demographic Environment Demography is the study of human populations in terms of size, density, location, age, sex, race, occupation, and other statistics. It is of major interest to marketers because it involves people, and people make up markets. Demographic trends are constantly changing. Some of the more interesting trends are: The worlds population (though not all countries) rate is growing at an explosive rate that will soon exceed food supply and ability to adequately service the population. The greatest danger is in the poorest countries where poverty contributes to the difficulties. The most important trend is the changing age structure of the population. Generational marketing is possible, however, caution must be used to avoid generational alienation. Changing family structure Geographic shifts in population will also alter demographics. Changing educational level : In general, the population is becoming better educated. The work force is becoming more white-collar. Products such as books and education services appeal to groups following this trend. Technical skills (such as in computers) will be a must in the future. The final demographic trend is the increasing ethnic and racial diversity . Economic Environment The economic environment includes those factors that affect consumer buying power and spending patterns. Major economic trends include: Changes in income—personal consumption (along with personal debt) has gone up (1980s) and the 1990s brought recession that has caused adjustments both personally and corporately in this country. In the 2000s, consumers are more careful shoppers. Value marketing (trying to offer the consumer greater value for their dollar) is a very serious strategy in the 2000s. Real income is on the rise again but is being carefully guarded by a value-conscious consumer. Income distribution is still very skewed in the United States and all classes have not shared in prosperity. In addition, spending patterns show that food, housing, and transportation still account for the majority of consumer dollars. It is also of note that distribution of income has created a two-tiered market where there are those that are affluent and less affluent. Classes of consumers include: Upper class—spending patterns are not affected by current economic events and who are a major market for luxury goods. Middle class—somewhat careful about its spending but can still afford the good life some of the time. Working class—must stick close to the basics of food, clothing, and shelter and must try hard to save. Under class—(persons on welfare and many retirees) must count their pennies when making even the most basic purchases. Changing consumer spending patterns: Consider Engles Laws where differences were noted over a century ago by Ernst Engle regarding how people shift their spending across food, housing, transportation, health care, and other goods and service categories as family income rises. Spending patterns have generally supported his ideas. Marketers must carefully monitor economic changes so they will be able to prosper with the trend, not suffer from it. Natural Environment The natural environment involves natural resources that are needed as inputs by marketers or that are affected by marketing activities. During the past two decades environmental concerns have steadily grown. Some trend analysts labeled the 1990s as the Earth Decade, where protection of the natural environment became a major worldwide issue facing business and the public. Specific areas of concern were: Shortages of raw materials. Staples such as air, water, and wood products have been seriously damaged and non-renewable such as oil, coal, and various minerals have been seriously depleted during industrial expansion. Increased pollution is a worldwide problem. Industrial damage to the environment is very serious. Far-sighted companies are becoming environmentally friendly and are producing environmentally safe and recyclable or biodegradable goods. The public response to these companies is encouraging. Government intervention in natural resource management has caused environmental concerns to be more practical and necessary in business and industry. Leadership, not punishment, seems to be the best policy for long term results. Instead of opposing regulation, marketers should help develop solutions to the material and energy problems facing the world. Concern for the natural environment has spawned the so-called green movement. Environmentally sustainable strategies and practices are being created. Companies are recognizing a link between a healthy economy and a healthy ecology. Technological Environment The technological environment includes forces that create new technologies, creating new product and market opportunities. Technology is perhaps the most dramatic force shaping our destiny. New technologies create new markets and opportunities. Every new technology, however, replaces an older technology. The challenge is not only technical but also commercial—to make practical, affordable versions of products. Political Environment The political environment includes laws, government agencies, and pressure groups that influence and limit various organizations and individuals in a given society. Business is regulated by various forms of legislation. Governments develop public policy to guide commerce—sets of laws and regulations limiting business for the good of society as a whole. Almost every marketing activity is subject to a wide range of laws and regulations. Some trends in the political environment include: Increasing legislation to: Protect companies from each other. Protecting consumers from unfair business practices. Protecting interests of society against unrestrained business behavior. Changing government agency enforcement. New laws and their enforcement will continue or increase. Increased emphasis on ethics and socially responsible actions. Socially responsible firms actively seek out ways to protect the long-run interests of their consumers and the environment. The recent rash of business scandals and increased concerns about the environment have created fresh interest in the issues of ethics and social responsibility. The boom in e-commerce and Internet marketing has created a new set of social and ethical issues. Privacy issues are the primary concern. Another cyberspace concern is that of access by vulnerable or unauthorized groups. Cultural Environment The cultural environment is made up of institutions and other forces that affect societys basic values, perceptions, and behaviors. Certain cultural characteristics can affect marketing decision-making. Among the most dynamic cultural char- acterisitics are: Persistence of cultural values. Peoples core beliefs and values have a high degree of persistence. Core beliefs and values are passed on from parents to children and are reinforced by schools, churches, business, and government. Secondary beliefs and values are more open to change. Shifts in secondary cultural values. Because secondary cultural values and beliefs are open to change, marketers want to spot them and be able to capitalize on the change potential. The Yankelovich Monitor has identified eight major consumer themes: Paradox. Trust not. Go it alone. Smarts really count. No sacrifices. Stress hard to beat. Reciprocity is the way to go. Me 2. Societys major cultural views are expressed in: Peoples views of themselves. People vary in their emphasis on serving themselves versus serving others.. Peoples views of others. Observers have noted a shift from a me-society to a we-society. Consumers are spending more on products and services that will improve their lives rather than their image. Peoples views of organizations. People are willing to work for large organizations but expect them to become increasingly socially responsible. Many companies are linking themselves to worthwhile causes. Peoples views of society. This orientation influences consumption patterns. Buy American versus buying abroad is an issue that will continue into the next decade. Peoples view of nature. There is a growing trend toward peoples feeling of mastery over nature through technology and the belief that nature is bountiful. Nature, however, is finite. Love of nature and sports associated with nature are expected to be significant trends in the next several years. Peoples views of the universe. Studies of the origin of man, religion, and thought-provoking ad campaigns are on the rise. Spiritual individualism may be a new theme. Chapter 3 Marketing segmentation Market Segmentation It is the process of dividing a market into distinct group of buyers who have distinct needs, characteristics or behavior and who might require separate product or marketing mixes. Market segment A group of consumers who respond in a similar way to a given set of marketing efforts. For Example: In the car market, consumers who want the biggest, most comfortable car regardless of the price make up one market segment. Consumers who care mainly about price and operating economy make up another segment. Requirements of Market Segments In addition to having different needs, for segments to be practical they should be evaluated against the following criteria: Identifiable: the differentiating attributes of the segments must be measurable so that they can be identified. Accessible: the segments must be reachable through communication and distribution channels. Substantial: the segments should be sufficiently large to justify the resources required to target them. Unique needs: to justify separate offerings, the segments must respond differently to the different marketing mixes. Durable: the segments should be relatively stable to minimize the cost of frequent changes. A good market segmentation will result in segment members that are internally homogenous and externally heterogeneous; that is, as similar as possible within the segment, and as different as possible between segments. Bases for Segmentation in Consumer Markets Consumer markets can be segmented on the following customer characteristics. Geographic Demographic Psychographic Behavioral Geographic Segmentation The following are some examples of geographic variables often used in segmentation. Region: by continent, country, state, or even neighborhood Size of metropolitan area: segmented according to size of population Population density: often classified as urban, suburban, or rural Climate: according to weather patterns common to certain geographic regions Demographic Segmentation Some demographic segmentation variables include: Age Gender Family size Family lifecycle Generation: baby-boomers, Generation X, etc. Income Occupation Education Ethnicity Nationality Religion Social class Many of these variables have standard categories for their values. For example, family lifecycle often is expressed as bachelor, married with no children (DINKS: Double Income, No Kids), full-nest, empty-nest, or solitary survivor. Some of these categories have several stages, for example, full-nest I, II, or III depending on the age of the c

Software Licensing and Piracy :: Technology Software Copyrights Computers Essays

Software Licensing and Piracy In 1993 worldwide illegal copying of domestic and international software cost $12.5 billion to the software industry, with a loss of $2.2 billion in the United States alone. Estimates show that over 40 percent of U.S. software company revenues are generated overseas, yet nearly 85 percent of the software industry's piracy losses occurred outside of the United States borders. The Software Publishers Association indicated that approximately 35 percent of the business software in the United States was obtained illegally, which 30 percent of the piracy occurs in corporate settings. In a corporate setting or business, every computer must have its own set of original software and the appropriate number of manuals. It is illegal for a corporation or business to purchase a single set of original software and then load that software onto more than one computer, or lend, copy or distribute software for any reason without the prior written consent of the software manufacturer. Many software managers are concerned with the legal compliance, along with asset management and costs at their organizations. Many firms involve their legal departments and human resources in regards to software distribution and licensing. Information can qualify to be property in two ways; patent law and copyright laws which are creations of federal statutes, pursuant to Constitutional grant of legislative authority. In order for the government to prosecute the unauthorized copying of computerized information as theft, it must first rely on other theories of information-as-property. Trade secret laws are created by state law, and most jurisdictions have laws that criminalize the violations of a trade-secret holder's rights in the secret. The definition of a trade secret varies somewhat from state to state, but commonly have the same elements. For example, AThe information must be secret, Anot of public knowledge or of general knowledge in the trade or business, a court will allow a trade secret to be used by someone who discovered or developed the trade secret independently or if the holder does not take adequate precautions to protect the secret. In 1964 the United States Copyright Office began to register software as a form of literary expression. The office based its decision on White-Smith Music Co. v. Apollo , where the Supreme Court determined that a piano roll used in a player piano did not infringe upon copyrighted music because the roll was part of a mechanical

Traveling Experiences in Gulliver’s Travels vs. Oronooko :: Jonathan Swift Aphra Behn

Traveling Experiences While reading both stories of travel and misfortune for these characters several points came to my mind, wondering if other readers might have thought as well as me. Aphra Behn in Oronooko presents the reader with a story of disgrace, but at the same time full of love. She also lets the reader see a little farther because she gives a lot of description on the characters and the places trying to place the reader in the correct mood and spot as she wanted. Oronooko lives a life of pleasure, but after, a moment of change takes place, which will give his life a spin. On the other hand, Jonathan Swift in Gulliver’s Travel presents the reader with a travel narrative in which the main character is experiencing constant emotional changes in which he knows not who he really is and if he wants to return home or not. Both Behn in Oronooko and Swift in Gulliver’s Travel present the main characters as lost in worlds which are unknown to them, looking for acceptance and trying to fin d who they really are. Oronooko is placed in a terrible situation in which he is deserted from his homeland by his grandfather, the King. This situation makes him feel lost because being his only family and betraying him that way had no possible excuse. He was also separated from his love Imoinda whom to which he declared eternal love. Oronooko is then again betrayed and sent as a slave to Surinam. In this occasion this makes him suffer more emotionally because he knows he is not a slave, but as soon as he gets there his name is changed so he does not feel so much a prince and starts feeling more a slave. His life by now seems like it has no sense until he sees Imoinda again and marries her. He might have thought that his life was about to change, but he did not know it would be for the worse. He would soon be father of a sibling and that child would be born a slave because both Oronooko and Imoinda were slaves at the time. He tries to look for other opportunities to leave that world behind and search for his homeland, but things do not happen as expected.

A Comparison of the Portrayal of Boo Radley in To Kill a Mockingbird :: English Literature

A Comparison of the portrayal of Boo Radley in To Kill a Mockingbird and Miss Havisham in great expectations. In 'To Kill a Mockingbird' the author uses a retrospective narration, this means that we can see events through the eyes of a child, yet also has the intelligence of an adult to explain the events thouroghly. Because narrator has personal experience of what happened we have a closer insight into the details. This method of reflection means that we can understand other characters feelings more easily, and the settings and ways of Maycomb. 'Great Expectations' is similar to ' To Kill a Mockingbird' it also has shows the events of a person from childhood to becoming an adult. The story follows Pip, who is the main character in this novel; it shows him as a child, being introduced to Miss Havisham, then later on as a main person in Miss Havisham's life. Pip and Scout help us to understand the feelings of other characters.. 'To Kill a Mockingbird' is set in the 1930s, in a town called Maycomb. It is a small town with a close-knit community, it has a deserted feel to it, however it is very tense, with a lot of families and rumours and gossip. Maycomb is also a claustrophobic place to be, with the identical houses, the grass on the sidewalks (unkempt), and also it is very dusty, hot and humid. The neighbours are known to be very suspicious and judgemental. It is a reserved community and it can get very dull. In 'Great Expectations', in the chapters that we have read, rather then it being concentrated on a town, it is mostly concentrated on Miss Havisham's House. Satis House, which stand for very big and satisfactory. Within this house everything is kept the way it was at the time of the wedding. With cobwebs, and dust on all the furniture. Even the surrounding of the satis house was dying; "there was a large brewery, no brewing was going on in it", this shows that everything around miss Havisham was a symbol of what was within her. It shows that she is dead within. Both Boo Radley and Miss Havisham live in seclusion, this means they prefer to be cut off from the outside world, a quote that show this is' "some of the windows had been walled up" However they both have someone to help them with life, Boo Radley has his brother Nathan, and Miss Havisham has her adopted daughter Estella. Miss Havisham acts this way because of what happened to her earlier in her life; she was left at the altar.

John Irving, a prayer for owen meany Essay

In the first chapter of A Prayer for Owen Meany, John Irving displays an expansive, articulate style that relies heavily on rich descriptions to create detailed portraits of the New England of his youth, especially the title character who inspires him to believe in God and Christ. Irving’s language throughout the chapter is articulate and his sentences long, perhaps to accommodate his rather abundant, detailed descriptions; it is almost oratorical without being florid or long-winded, reflecting the fact that the narrator is descended from a prominent New England family (including the Puritan minister for whom he is named). He also relies heavily on memories, moving from his recollections of Owen to broader discussions of his own family and hometown, creating a context for the subsequent action and thus giving his memories a deeper meaning. In addition, Irving uses Owen as a symbol of Christ-like divinity – the boy is something of a martyr for his suffering (indeed, he never tells on his peers for their abuses), and yet he takes away the narrator’s mother, however unintentionally, by hitting the foul ball that kills the narrator’s mother (hence the chapter’s title, â€Å"The Foul Ball†). Irving avoids sounding childish by using articulate adult language, but he conveys a child’s point of view by speaking in a matter-of-fact way about how he and his peers picked on the frail, undersized Owen. He conveys no immediate judgments or apologies for his actions (indeed, as a child he feels no shame for it), and he does not analyze his motivations. For example, when Owen offers a surprisingly mature complaint about church services, the narrator says, â€Å"To these complaints, and others like them, I could respond only by picking up Owen Meany and holding him above my head† (Irving 23), showing how other children are unable to comprehend Owen. He also implies adults’ stupidity by mentioning his oblivious Sunday school teacher and how the police chief and coach quarrel over the ball after his mother’s death. The author wants the reader to understand his world (hence the detailed discussions of his town, family, and relationship with Owen) and especially Owen’s complex role in it. Though he mentions his Christianity at the very start, the narrator does not preach or scold the reader, admitting that he is a rather lazy Christian but also making clear that he feels deeply indebted to him (despite Owen’s role in his mother’s death) and makes the reader feel sympathy for the victimized Owen. Irving’s language is richly descriptive without becoming tedious, and he recalls Owen’s characteristics humorously, especially his diminutive size and high-strangled voice (Owen’s words always appear in capitals). Irving communicates respect for Christianity, but not for the ritual or doctrine – he admits his laziness and calls his approach â€Å"a church-rummage faith† (Irving 2). Instead, he believes in the divine power channeled through Owen, whose intelligence and deep understanding of God set him apart from his peers. Irving implies that both the narrator and New England, despite their Puritan past, find religion uninspiring until Owen appears, and that Owen has vastly more potential to influence events than is shown in the first chapter. More explicitly, he evokes New England’s provincial values, especially the split between insiders (the descendants of Puritans, like the narrator) and outsiders (later arrivals, like Owen’s Irish-Catholic family), and Irving contrasts the region’s harsh religious past with the narrator’s spiritual barrenness, for which Owen ultimately becomes a remedy. In the book’s first chapter, Irving shows the reader a rich picture of his characters’ world, creating the context in which the narrator’s transition from nonbeliever to Christian occurs. He presents Owen in a sympathetic light, as a wise yet victimized figure whose suffering and kindness bring enlightenment into a milieu that needs it. Irving, John. A Prayer for Owen Meany. New York: Ballantine, 1989.

Desperate Times Call for Desperate Measures an Essay on the Rise of Adolf Hitler Essay

When Adolf Hitler and his party of National Socialists were elected into power, Germany was in quite a rut. The stock market had crashed, it was the middle of the great depression, and Germany was still in uproar over the Treaty of Versailles. The public was desperate to find someone to take them out of this terrible place, and because they were willing to listen to the outlandish ideas that Nazis had, what they got was far from that. Adolf Hitler was a phenomenal public speaker and he was very firm in his own beliefs. He managed to pin every German fault on someone else, creating a sense of power in the German public, and thus why he was elected. The times were so desperate, Germans turned to a mentally unstable man for help. Hitler became leader because the living conditions were so bad in Germany that he was the only guy it made sense to turn to, which is a problem in itself. The Treaty of Versailles is a big reason why Germany was having such bad troubles. The main terms of the Treaty stated that : â€Å"- Germany to give up Alsace-Lorraine to france – The Rhineland to be demilitarized and placed under Allied occupation – Germany to lose West Prussia and Posen to Poland – Danzig to be made an international city – Germany to surrender all its overseas colonies – Germany to be deprived of its warships and aircraft and to have its army limited to 100 000 † (Lynch 2004: 4) The German Public felt that the terms of the treaty were unfair and were humiliated by it. The Nazi party felt the same, and when Germans discovered this they felt more comfortable siding with them. It was because of these people and the overwhelming sense of humiliation in Germany that the Nazi government (when elected) violated the treaty in many different ways, and ultimately caused WW2. The times that these people lived in would have been difficult for any country to handle, not just Hitler and the Nazis and Germany. The economy in Germany was terrible after the first war. Not only were they already in debt for the money they used to finance the failure of a war that they had, but now because of the war guilt clause they had another $5 billion debt to pay off. Instead of paying out of their own pocket, they decided to begin printing more money until they could wax off their debts. However this did not help the economy, but hindered it instead. The more money Germany printed out, the less it became worth as a currency, creating mass inflation. This put Germany in an even worse economic situation, and the worse that situation got, the more popular the Nazi party became. The party took advantage of the economic struggles in germany, and the better the situation got, the less people felt the need to side with the Nazis. In May of 1924 the Nazi party had 32 seats and 6.6 percent of the vote in Germany. In December of 1924, these numbers dropped to 14 seats and 3 percent of the vote, and worsened in Ma y of 1928, at 12 seats and 2.6 percent of the vote. However, in the beginning of the 1930’s (Lynch 2004: 10), the economy steadily got worse and worse, and the Nazi party gained more recognition and was finally elected. The times had become so rough that the mentally unstable Hitler became a beacon of hope. At the end of the day, Hitler became leader of Germany because of economic instability, and because the public hated the Treaty of Versailles. The times were extremely difficult and due to the Nazi’s extreme views on how to fix Germany’s problems (and the fact that they only had 2 opposing parties), they were elected into the Reichstag. So what does this mean? It means that the times were what made the people turn to Hitler, not Hitler just flat out being an awesome guy.

Youth and Its Power for India

India,now aged at 65 is in my view one of the largest reservoir of Youth population. Generally defined in the age group of 16-30 years constitute of more than 40% of India’s population which is indeed a large force. We are energetic, enthusiastic and always full of zeal to do the impossible. If we exclude the youth, the rest of the population of India will comprises of old people and children. They cannot be called the real manpower of the nation. So it is evident that if the youth of the country are not enthused to devote their energies to the task of national reconstruction,the whole Youth Power for India is wasted,or the other way why we youth should wait for someone to enthuse us to show the Youth Power of India. This is our land,our country and it totally depends on us(Indian Youths) how we take our country forward. But having such a massive youth population in India will not do any good if our youth population is not shown the right path. Most of the youth in India are generally without any direction,If we can harness this powerhouse of the nation in the right direction then the country can reach untold heights. Being said that we should not completely depend on our Government to harness this powerhouse,contribution of all sides is required for this. The best and the first and foremost way to strengthen our youth are to provide them Education. Education plays a vital role for this,we should be able to educate all our youth from the initial stages of their life,We should be able to make them understand the importance of Education. Not just any kind of Education, but the right kind of Education which makes them scientific, logical, open-minded, self-respecting, responsible, honest and patriotic. Without these virtues being developed, our youth cannot walk in the desired way and they will stay in a deep slumber of complacency. Even education to some extent will not help as we see many educated young population working overseas,The question is why can’t they do it here,the nswer lies in lack of opportunities which is in plenty in other countires. Why our country is unable to offer such opportunities to us? Its because the Government have not taken any initiative or we the youth have not taken any steps to make government realise the power of youth. Have we forgotten that today India is Independent because of the youth power in our freedom struggle,we owe Independent India to the youth power of our past and to make it better for our future generation we must rise once again together. Youth of India must be able to come up with new ideas of Entrepreneurship which is very vital for the country’s growth. For a youth educated in India he/she must think about the development in India which now have utmost important for our country’s development. Let us focus on constructively using the power of the youth for the betterment of the nation. Let us frame such policies which aim at empowering our youth so that we can be assured of a better future and a brighter tomorrow.

Cyber Crime Narrative Report Essay

On the 23rd day of November at the Auditorium of Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology Main Campus Sumacab Este, Cabanatuan City, 4th year students of College of Information and Communication Technology held a seminar about Cyber Crime Law and Ethics for IT Professionals. At 12:00 o’clock noon, I and my classmates were met at the gate of the school. When they come all, simultaneously we went to the auditorium and sat in our seats. When the time comes where we start the seminar, Ma’am Ruth thought us a very simple action song. And after that Ma’am Ruth called Ma’am Gloria Alcantara to introduce our first speaker at our seminar. Our Speaker is also a product of our school Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology, he was an Engineering student in their time, in his college life he received many awards, he is also a product of Nueva Ecija High School and as expected he received many awards like his college life. After he graduated in our School at he decide to be a Law Students At Aurollio University after that as expected he passed the bar examination, he was the legal consultant of Municipality of Laur and Municipalty of Gen. Natividad Nueva Ecija.His name is Engr. Atty. Bembol D. Castillo. Atty Bembol asked us many questions like â€Å" Pagkatapos nyo makagradute Saan Kayo pupunta? â€Å" and also he joked us and he said â€Å" Magiging manager po ako ng computer shop†. Many of us laughed when he said that, Then he still have many question to us, he told us â€Å" bkit Kayo nag IT bkit hindi nursing,?†. He also asked us â€Å" Sino gusto magturo? Sino gusto maging Teacher?. And lots of questions to follow. Atty Bembol also tells story about his life after he graduated in NUEST.after all of this question he start to discuss our topic about Cyber Crime Law. This is the first law in the Philippines which specifically criminalizes computer crime, which prior to the passage of the law had no strong legal precedent in Philippine jurisprudence. The Act, divided into 31 sections split across eight chapters, criminalizes several types of offenses, including illegal access hacking, data interference, device misuse, cyber squatting, computer-related offenses such as computer fraud, content-related offenses such as cybersex and spam, and other offenses. The law also reaffirms existing laws against child pornography, an offense under Republic Act No. 9779 the Anti-Child Pornography Act of 2009, and libel, an offense under Section 355 of the Revised Penal Code of the Philippines, also criminalizing them when committed using a computer system. Finally, the Act provides for a â€Å"catch-all† clause, wherein all offenses currently punishable under the Revised Penal Code are likewise punishable under the Act when committed using a computer, with corresponding stricter penalties than if the crimes were punishable under the Revised Penal Code alone. The Act has universal jurisdiction: its provisions apply to all Filipino nationals regardless of the place of commission. Jurisdiction also lies when a punishable act is either committed within the Philippines, whether the erring device is wholly or partly situated in the Philippines, or whether damage was done to any natural or juridical person who at the time of commission was within the Philippines. Regional Trial Courts shall have jurisdiction over cases involving violations of the Act. A takedown clause is included in the Act, empowering the Department of Justice to restrict and/or demand the removal of content found to be contrary to the provisions of the Act, without the need for a court order. This provision, originally not included in earlier iterations of the Act as it was being deliberated through Congress, was inserted during Senate deliberations on May 31, 2012.[4]Complementary to the takedown clause is a clause mandating the retention of data on computer servers for six months after the date of transaction, which may be extended for another six months should law enforcement authorities request it. The Act also mandates the National Bureau of Investigation and the Philippine Na,tional Police to organize a cybercrime unit, staffed by special investigators whose responsibility will be to exclusively handle cases pertaining to violations of the Act, under the supervision of the Department of Justice. The unit is empowered to, among others, collect real-time traffic data from Internet service providers with due cause, require the disclosure of computer data within 72 hours after receipt of a court warrant from a service provider, and conduct searches and seizures of computer data and equipment. It also mandates the establishment of special â€Å"cybercrime courts† which will handle cases involving cybercrime offenses, Atty Bembol explained more about Cyber Crime Law, the Preliminary Provision, Declaration of Policy (The State recognizes the vital role of information and communications industries such as content production, telecommunications, broadcasting electronic commerce , and data processing, in the nation’s overall social and economic development. The State also recognizes the importance of providing an environment conducive to the development, acceleration, and rational application and exploitation of information and communications technology (ICT) to attain free, easy, and intelligible access to exchange and/or delivery of information; and the need to protect and safeguard the integrity of computer, computer and communications systems, networks, and databases, and the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information and data stored therein, from all forms of misuse, abuse, and illegal access by making punishable under the law such conduct or conducts. In this light, the State shall adopt sufficient powers to effectively prevent and combat such offenses by facilitating their detection, investigation, and prosecution at both the domestic and international levels, and by providing arrangements for fast and reliable international cooperation.) Punishable Acts, the Cyber Crime Offenses (Offenses against the confidentia lity, integrity and availability of computer data and systems) this contains Illegal Access, Illegal Interception, Data Interference, System Interference, Misuse of Devices, Cyber-squatting. He discusses also Computer-related Forgery, Computer-related Fraud, and Computer-related Identity Theft. Content-related Offenses like Cybersex. The willful engagement, maintenance, control, or operation, directly or indirectly, of any lascivious exhibition of sexual organs or sexual activity, with the aid of a computer system, for favor or consideration. Child Pornography. The unlawful or prohibited acts defined and punishable by Republic Act No. 9775 or the Anti-Child Pornography Act of 2009, committed through a computer system: Provided, that the penalty to be imposed shall be one degree higher than that provided for in Republic Act No. 9775. Unsolicited Commercial Communications. The transmission of commercial electronic communication with the use of computer system which seeks to advertise, sells, or offer for sale products and services are prohibited unless. Libel. The unlawful or prohibited acts of libel as defined in Article 355 of the Revised Penal Code, as amended, committe d through a computer system or any other similar means which may be devised in the future. He also discusses Penalties, Enforcement and Implementation, Law Enforcement Authorities, Duties of Law Enforcement Authorities, Real-Time Collection of Traffic Data, Preservation of Computer Data, Disclosure of Computer Data, Search, Seizure and Examination of Computer Data, Jurisdiction, Competent Authorities, Department of Justice (DOJ), Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center, Composition, Powers and Functions. After explaining those things about Cyber Crime, I learned much about this law, and even deploy my mind to understand the things that bother my mind about cyber crime law. In my opinion, it is for the good of everybody that social media will now be controlled. All of us will be protected and once bullied; we have justice within our reach. All of us, especially the teenagers among us, will learn how to handle and regulate their postings, comments and tweets. We still can comment anything in the social media, but the law now prompts us to first ask ourselves whether or not our post will hurt people before clicking it into the Internet world. And after that discussion I realized that the cybercrime law does not curtail our freedom of expression or any of our rights, it teaches us how to be well-disciplined and how to respect other people’s privacy and rights.after the discussion some students in other section asked their question to atty bembol and their question as expected was answered by Atty Bembol very well. And lots of question cannot answered because the time is out, but Atty Bembol Said That he answered those question in out of the seminar.and When the forum was ended Prof.Lourdes Soro our dean give a plaque to atty. Bembol, they take some photos as a remembrance maybe. When Atty Bembol Castillo ended his Discussion and after some picture taking ma’am sally sison introduced our next speaker Dr. Emmanuel S. San Juan, he is also a product of our School and just like atty Bembol in his high school and college days he received many awards, he is a good professor of many schools and universities in our province. He is a administrator of the municipality of gen.mamerto natividad,he said that he is a good friend of Atty. Bembol, and in Ethics for IT Professional is our second topic for our afternoon seminar,Dr. San Juan is a great and exciting speaker, you will not be bored he speaks because he is a witty, often laugh and he really say he’s funny but really much you can learn.he taught us how to be a good person, He taught us to be good employees if we can work, he often jokes about the story of his students, the group of sir Cerin, he tells many inspiring story to us. While the discussion continues, our snacks had come, and even other students was disappointed because the snacks was late they not too lose their attention they are told by Dr. San Juan, while we eat our snacks Dr. San Juan continue inspiring us and told us many inspiring Story. And he discusses to us the different good habit that we should remember when we are employed. Dr. San Juan also tell story about his problem that he had in the first day of our seminar, and he thanks god because his future problem was solve after he go to Pampanga after the first batch of seminar that he was able to speak and share some inspiring stories to other fourth year students of NEUST. After Dr San Juan Speaks to us, similar happened after Atty. Bembol Castillo Speak to us there will be a Short forum where some of students asked question to Dr. San Juan and also like Atty Bembol, he answered those question very well. And after that Prof.Lourdes Soro our dean give a plaque to Dr. Emmanuel San Juan and they take some photos as remembrance, and ma’am ruth asked us to take some picture to our speaker. And the seminar was ended, end we went home with full of inspiration and knowledge about Cyber Crime Law and Ethics for IT Professional†¦

A Day in the Life of Fahad

Beep, beep, beep, beep â€Å"Oh man, is it 7.30 am already† is what I say to myself in the early morning of an average school day. During an average school morning, I look, talk and walk like a tramp. At 7.45 am I walk into the bathroom where I do my personal business such as doing my toothbrush, washing my face with soap and then either have a shower or have a bath, when I've had a shower or whatever I go to the mirror and flex my muscles and comb my hair and if I have to put some hair gel on after I've done this I put some facial cream on to stop dry skin from attacking me. When I get out the bathroom I run straight into my bedroom, I then put some spray on my body after this part of the morning I get changed into those things called a school uniform which all school pupils probably dread wearing, once I have successfully completed this I look for my shoes which I normally place beside my bed and place them into my feet and do up the shoe laces I grab my bag and motivate myself to carefully walk down the stairs and make sure I don't wake my brothers up and go into the kitchen snatch the cereal box from my mum and with a mess pour it into a plate then get the milk out of the fridge and in the same way pour it over the cereal and then just eat it like I've never eaten in my life before†¦ When that horrendous scene has gone past I say all my goodbyes and get ready for what I say an ‘assault course' because I on my way to school I go in and out of muddy areas. Every time I walk to school I have to go to the shops because I get tired and out of juice and once I've got my energy back I start walking faster and when I reach school I go straight into my form room with a big bang on the chair which shows how much effort I put into walking to school. If I get late for a lesson my best excuse is that â€Å"Miss, everyone came late to registration and when they came they all started messing around, and by the time we got our registration done, every one was already 5 minutes into their lessons.† This master excuse always works for me whenever I am late for a lesson. Today for the first 2 lessons I have English, then I have got break time, then the second 2 lessons I have Science and History and for the last 2 lessons I have got RE (full course) and Business Communication Systems. For some strange reason the first 2 lessons go awfully slow and so do the last 2 lessons. On the last lesson everyone is tired and can't wait till home time, at this time nobody talks and all you hear is tick tock tick tock and then when its time to go everyone cheers and go running to their cars or wherever they go at home time. Well for me, I go to the school gates and wait for my friends and walk up to where we all split up one of my friends goes to the left, the other friend goes right and I go straight up ahead, once I get to the shops, I would always get a packet of chewing gum and a bottle of Fanta Fruit Twist which is my best drink. When I get home my mum would prepare me a cup of tea with some biscuits, after this small feast I run back into my bedroom and get changed into something more suitable for me and go get my very thick jacket, the reason I take this jacket is because everyone is bound to get hit with a stick by the mosque teacher either for not reading properly or talking to a friend, I go mosque to read the Qur'an and learn about Islam and read Urdu too. After mosque I go to my friends house and play out till about 8.00 pm when I get back from my friends house I come home and eat some chappatees and some drink to go with it. During my food time I watch some TV and its normally Eastenders. I then go upstairs and do all my school homework. After this I get changed into my night-clothes and go to sleep. Beep, beep, beep, beep â€Å"Oh man, is it 7.30 am already.† If you think about school, it's like a test, if you get it all wrong then you won't get a good job, if not that then you'll get nothing at all. So you have to accept getting up early and doing the best you can at every thing even if you don't like it.